KBI director addresses coming THC beverage crackdown

TOPEKA (KSNT) - The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Kansas Attorney General's Office are cracking down on THC-infused drinks in Kansas. Working for you, 27 News was first to report on the growing concerns over these drinks as they gain popularity.

On Tuesday, representatives from the beverage wholesale industry met with Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, KBI Director Tony Mattivi and the director of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Mattivi said they discussed the legality of selling THC-infused drinks.

While multiple liquor stores and bars that sell these beverages declined to comment to 27 News over concerns about what one owner called the legal "gray area" on these drinks, but Mattivi says there is no gray area.

"These drinks are illegal, and the reason they're illegal is because of the amount of THC that's in them," Mattivi said. "The amount of THC that is in these drinks is well over the 0.3% that's allowed by Kansas Law. So, whether they're hemp-derived or not, and the packaging that I've seen doesn't have anything on it that indicates that the product is hemp-derived, but that's really irrelevant because the concentration is so high."

Mattivi tells 27 News this has become a problem is due to the sheer multitude of products on the market. These include gummies or vapes that have a high concentration of THC and have resulted in kids in Kansas going to the ER. According to Mattivi, these beverages are a subset of these products.

While the KBI hasn't received have any reports of these drinks sending kids to the hospital, Mattivi said the amount of THC in them makes them illegal. He said an enforcement action will be taken to make sure not just these drinks are taken off the shelves, but any product that has too much THC.

While nothing is legally stopping the KBI from going into liquor stores and taking these beverages off the shelves immediately, Mattivi tells 27 News they the beverage wholesalers industry fair notice. He said products they might have believed to be legal are actually illegal in the eyes of the KBI. Mattivi said it also allows them time to do the right thing.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.