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Why Can't I Buy THC Slushies at Colorado Dispensaries?

State cannabis laws don't allow open containers to leave dispensaries, but our resident Stoner knows a few other frozen THC treats to help cool you down.
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Dear Stoner: I'd love to pick up a weed slushie or smoothie as I walk home on a hot day. I was able to do this in Chicago. Why don't dispensaries sell them?
Kahle

Dear Kahle: Colorado's cannabis laws don't allow dispensaries to serve up Slurpee-like fountain drinks, because those would qualify as open containers. I'm fairly certain that Chicago and Illinois don't allow that, either, but there are lots of hemp-derived edibles for sale in smoke shops, and smoke shops get creative in big cities. You probably bought a frozen drink dosed with converted THC at a head shop, which is easy to confuse with a licensed dispensary; many of them even play into that.
click to enlarge A red frozen slushie drink
We haven't seen any THC slushie machines in Colorado, but there are occasional frozen infused treats at dispensaries.
Flickr/Taro Taylor
I haven't seen any Delta-8 slushie machines in Colorado, but there are occasional frozen infused treats at dispensaries. NectarBee, the infused-product arm of the Green Solution, makes flavored freeze pops that are essentially THC-dosed Otter Pops, and we've seen infused ice cream cups and sandwiches in the past. Those aren't quite the same as slushies, but they're pretty damn refreshing on a hot day. You could also buy one of many infused sodas, juices, syrups or powders and create frozen concoctions at home, or try your hand at bhang, a centuries-old Indian drink made with fresh cannabis leaves, milk, honey and spices. Not only is bhang tasty and easy to infuse, but the creamy goodness has been used to cure sunstroke during heat waves.

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