Cannabis drinks popularity on the rise
PEORIA HEIGHTS (25News Now) - THC-infused drinks are some of the most profitable and new products in the cannabis industry, which brought in $2 billion in Illinois last year.
More than 56 million cannabis items were sold in Illinois in 2024, a 13% growth from 2023. According to the National Association of Convenience Stores, THC-infused drinks brought in just under $400 million in national sales last year, and they’re predicted to reach $750 million by 2029.
Staff at Cookies dispensary in Peoria Heights said they have seen a growing number of people purchase the drinks within the last year. Lead Agent in Charge Owen Mathis said around 50 to 100 people come in every week to buy them. The dispensary sells around 100 bottles each week.
Mathis said the drinks came onto the market around three years ago. He thinks the beverages have become so popular because they are more convenient and affordable than other products.
“It’s not as scary as opening like a joint and smoking it,” he said. “Compared to a gummy or a chocolate, I think they have more consistent effects.”
One drink at a dispensary in the Peoria area will run you around $15. The drinks come in 5mg to 100mg doses.
Cannabis drinks are available at bars, too, however, Mathis said those drinks are made with hemp, not all cannabis like the drinks found at dispensaries. He also said those drinks may not be made with well well-tested product.
“Everything sold in a state-licensed dispensary, it’s all made and processed in Illinois, versus when you to a bar or somewhere where you can buy liquor, it could be coming from anywhere in the U.S.,” he said.
He warns people who are just trying out the drinks to go slow. He said effects from a drink can start within 30 to 40 minutes, and last up to four hours, although everyone can experience THC differently.
“Be careful with your dosage, know your limits, but have fun,” he said.
THC in cannabis may also cause someone to be impaired, and police warn against driving when high on the substance.
A normal level of someone who has just smoked or consumed THC is 100 nanograms in the blood. In Peoria County, just five nanograms is enough to arrest someone for a DUI.
