In Depth with Dan: Answering viewer questions about THC drinks

WRAL anchor/reporter Dan Haggerty answers viewer questions about THC drinks.
Posted 3/17/2025, 11:54:01 PM Updated 3/18/2025, 12:58:08 AM

9, ALL FOURS.

I HOPE YOUR WEEK IS STARTING

OFF. WELL, I'M STARTING TONIGHT

MONDAY MAIL BAG WITH A

SHAMELESS PLUG FOR YOU TO CHECK

OUT THE WRAL.

>> YOUTUBE PAGE IF YOU DIDN'T

CATCH OUR SEGMENT ON T H SHE

DRINKS ON FRIDAY NIGHT. THAT'S

KIND OF MY FAULT. I KNOW BETTER

THAN TO HAVE AN IN-DEPTH

SEGMENT THE SAME NIGHT WHEN UNC

IS PLAYING DUKE IN A PIVOTAL

BASKETBALL GAME. ANYWAY, WE

DID TALK ABOUT HOW A LEGAL

LOOPHOLE IN THE STATE IS

ALLOWED THC DRINKS TO EXIST

HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA. IT'S ON

THE WRAL YOU TO PAGE RIGHT NOW.

I THINK YOU SHOULD GO CHECK

IT OUT. WE'RE QUITE PROUD OF

IT. AND MAYBE YOU FIND

INTERESTING NOW SOME OF YOU DID

WATCH THE SEGMENT LIVE ON

FRIDAY NIGHT. I'M VERY THANKFUL

FOR THAT. YOU YOU CAN WATCH

COLLEGE BASKETBALL LIKE SO MANY

OTHERS, BUT INSTEAD HE STUCK

WITH US HERE. HE CHOSE WRAL

NEWS. 7 O'CLOCK. YOU GUYS ROCK,

THANK YOU. AND APPARENTLY YOU

THINK WE WALKED TO. LISA WROTE

AN EXCELLENT SEGMENT PACKED

WITH USEFUL INFORMATION THAT

WAS REALLY EYE-OPENING. DAVID

ROHDE, I'M A DIRECTOR AT A

LOCAL COUNTRY CLUB IN MY BEER

APP HAS BEEN ASKING ME TO CARRY

THESE PRODUCTS BUT FELT A

LITTLE WEIRD ABOUT IT. THANK

YOU FOR EDUCATING ME. ANOTHER

VIEWER ROXANNA SAID SHE FEELS

WEIRD ABOUT IT, TOO. SHE WROTE,

THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THIS

PRODUCT WILL BE SURE TO NEVER

BUY IT. IT SHOULD BE BANNED.

PEOPLE. I LIKE TO MAKE MONEY.

EVEN IF IT KILLS SOMEONE

ROXANA, TO BE FAIR HERE WE

TALKED WE DID TALK A LOT ABOUT

HOW THIS PRODUCT CAN BE

DANGEROUS FOR CHILDREN, BUT

WHEN IT COMES TO ADULTS, THE

DANGERS OF THC AREN'T NEARLY

AS EXTREME. IN FACT, THE DEA

SAYS NO DEATHS FROM OVERDOSES

OF MARIJUANA HAVE BEEN

REPORTED. ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE

BEEN AN INCREASING NUMBER OF

EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS INVOLVING

MARIJUANA EDIBLES. NOW THAT

SAID MANY, MANY PEOPLE DON'T

REALIZE THIS, BUT WE HAVE SEEN

AN OVERDOSE DEATH TIED TO THC.

A LOUISIANA WOMAN DIED IN 2019.

SHE HAD BEEN USING A VAPE WITH

THC OIL WHEN SHE DIED FROM

RESPIRATORY FAILURE. SHE DIDN'T

HAVE ANY OTHER SUBSTANCES IN

HER SYSTEM. SHE DIDN'T HAVE

ANY UNDERLYING CONDITIONS.

THIS WAS THE FIRST EVER

RECORDED DEATH FROM THC,

ACCORDING TO THE CORONER.

NOW, WE SHOULD MENTION THAT.

THC IS A DRUG THAT'S OR A LOT

OF OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE USE

EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND THERE

HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED

FROM CAFFEINE AND OF COURSE

ALCOHOL. THOSE ARE DRUGS TO.

I SPOKE TO A DOCTOR FROM UNC

FOR OUR STORY ON FRIDAY.

AND SHE PUT IT THIS WAY.

>> SO CAFFEINE IS A DRUG FOR

EXAMPLE.

AND ALCOHOL IS DEFINITELY A

TRACK. NICOTINE IS A DRUG.

THESE ARE OBJECTS THAT ARE

LEGAL. ALL OF THESE DRUGS HAVE

PSYCHOACTIVE EFFECTS AND THEY

CAN CAUSE SOME REAL PROBLEMS.

IF YOU USE TO ACCESS, FOR

EXAMPLE, WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE

WHO HAVE CONSUME TOO MUCH

CAFFEINE WITH A REALLY HIGH

CAFFEINE DRINKS THAT ARE NOW

AVAILABLE ON THE MARKET HAVE

HAD THERE BEEN SOME DEATHS AND

THERE'VE BEEN SOME HEART

PROBLEMS AS A RESULT OF THAT, I

THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE

ALL OF THESE THINGS ENTER INTO

THE CONVERSATION.

>> I MISSPOKE. SHE'S NOT A

DOCTOR. SHE'S A PROFESSOR, BUT

THAT THIS IS HER FIELD OF STUDY

THAT SHE WORKS AND THERE'S

ANOTHER VIEWER NAMED DAVID ALSO

HAD A GOOD QUESTION ABOUT

SAFETY OF THC DRINKS. HE WROTE

IF THE POLICE PULL OVER SOMEONE

SPEEDING OR RECKLESSLY DRIVING,

HOW DID THEY TEST FOR DRIVING

WHILE IMPAIRED WHEN IT COMES TO

THINGS LIKE THC? SO RIGHT NOW,

NORTH CAROLINA DOESN'T HAVE

A ROADSIDE THT TEST FOR DRIVERS

SUSPECTED OF DRIVING WHILE

IMPAIRED FROM THC. IN FACT,

NOBODY DOES. MINNESOTA, THOUGH,

IS TRYING SOMETHING OUT OF A

YEARLONG PILOT PROGRAM FOR

THESE MOUTH SWABBING DEVICES

THAT ENDED JUST LAST MONTH.

ACTUALLY DRIVERS SWABBED THEIR

MOUNTS. OFFICERS PUT THAT SWAB

INTO A DEVICE AND THE DEVICE

TESTS FOR THINGS LIKE COCAINE,

METH, AMPHETAMINES, THC,

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATED

IN THIS STUDY AND AFTER USING

THE TESTING DEVICE, THOSE

PEOPLE GOT A BLOOD TEST SO

OFFICERS CAN CHECK THE ACCURACY

OF THE SWABS OF THE DEVICE.

GOT IT RIGHT. AT LEAST 82% OF

THE TIME, DEPENDING ON THE DRUG

IT WAS THEY WERE TESTING FOR.

A FINAL REPORT CENTER.

LAWMAKERS CONCLUDED THAT WE

RECOMMEND LEGISLATORS SHOULD

APPROVE THE INSTRUMENTS AS

PRELIMINARY SCREENING DEVICES.

IT ALSO SAID A POSITIVE ORAL

FLUID TEST IS NOT AN INDICATOR

OF IMPAIRMENT, BUT RATHER AN

INDICATION OF RECENT DRUG USE.

THE QUESTION IS, THOUGH, THAT

IT CAN ANSWER IS HOW RECENT

JUST BECAUSE THC IS IN YOUR

SYSTEM, IT DOESN'T MEAN THE

PERSON IS CURRENTLY HI OR

FEELING THE EFFECTS.

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY REPORTS

THE THC HIGH CAN LAST BETWEEN 2

AND 8 HOURS. IF YOU SMOKE IT UP

TO 24 HOURS, IF YOU EAT OR

DRINK HIGH AMOUNTS OF IT.

BUT AFTER THAT HIGH WEARS OFF,

THC CAN STAY IN YOUR SYSTEM AND

BE DETECTED IN YOUR SYSTEM FOR

MUCH LONGER THAN THAT. AND NIH

STUDY FOUND IT CAN BE DETECTED

IN THE HAIR FOR UP TO 90 DAYS.

YOU'RE IN FOR UP TO 30 DAYS.

BLOOD FOR UP TO 3 DAYS AND IN

SALIVA FOR UP TO 24 HOURS.

I MEAN, IMAGINE DRINKING A FEW

BEERS ON SATURDAY GETTING

PULLED OVER ON MONDAY, TAKING

A BREATHALYZER BEING TOLD YOUR

DRUNK, YOU KNOW, DOES THAT SEEM

FAIR? THAT'S WHY LAW

ENFORCEMENT DOES USE OTHER

METHODS AS WELL LIKE THE FIELD

SOBRIETY TEST STAND ON ONE LEG

FALL. THE PAN WITH YOUR EYE

WALK AND TURN THAT SORT OF

THING. THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY

TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

REPORTS USING ALL 3 METHODS

CORRECTLY CAN PREDICT

IMPAIRMENT. 82% OF THE TIME.

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT IT'S THE

SAME EXACT NUMBER AS THE THC

TESTING DEVICE. IT ALSO HAS A

SIMILAR DISCLAIMER OVERALL.

THEY SAY THE FIELD SOBRIETY

TEST ARE NOT A SCIENTIFICALLY

PROVEN METHOD UPON WHICH TO

BASE A DUI CHARGE. SO ALL OF

THESE METHODS ARE PRELIMINARY

MEANT TO ESTABLISH PROBABLE

CAUSE FOR THE OFFICERS TO MAKE

AN ARREST. THEY AREN'T PERFECT.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, DAVID, THE

VIEWER WHO ASKED THE QUESTION

THE FIRST PLACE, THE ANSWER

WE HAVE FOR YOU TONIGHT ISN'T

REALLY PERFECT EITHER. WHAT ARE

YOUR OTHER QUESTIONS YOU HAVE

ABOUT THE THC DRINKS WILL BE

MISSING THIS SEGMENT. SEND AN

E-MAIL. DAN AT WRAL DOT COM.

YOUR QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK

REALLY FUEL THIS SEGMENT.

WE RELY ON YOUR QUESTION.

SPEAKING OF WHICH WE'RE WORKING

ON ANOTHER BIG IN-DEPTH TOPIC

FOR THIS WEEK. CRYPTOCURRENCY

YOU SEE BOTH THE STATE

TREASURER AND PRESIDENT TRUMP

WOULD INVEST PUBLIC FUNDS AND

THINGS LIKE BITCOIN. YOU MIGHT

THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA.

YOU MIGHT THINK THIS IS A

TERRIBLE IDEA. IDEA YOU MIGHT

NOT HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TO THINK

BECAUSE YOU'LL FULLY UNDERSTAND

WHAT CRYPTO IN BITCOIN IN ALL

OF THIS STUFF IS AND WHAT IT

MEANS. THAT'S TOTALLY FINE.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR

LATER THIS WEEK WERE ACTUALLY

TALKING TO NORTH CAROLINA'S

NEW STATE BRAD BRIAN ARE GOING

TO SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND I

WANT SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS

TO ASK AND WE WILL TAKE YOUR

QUESTIONS STRAIGHT. COOL.

I'LL READ YOUR NAME IN ALL.

THERE'S THE E-MAIL ADDRESS,

DAN AT WRAL DOT COM WHERE YOU

WANT TO KNOW ABOUT BITCOIN AND

HOW THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO

INVEST IN IT. WHAT ELSE DO YOU

WANT TO SEE ON THE LOCAL NEWS?