You know, it’s one thing to catch a weed brownie at a party that hits harder than expected. That’s been part of stoner folklore for decades. But what went down in Newmarket, New Hampshire in March 2023 wasn’t some giggly edible mishap — it was an avoidable screw-up with real consequences. 

This week, 45-year-old Marc Flore of Portland, Maine, pleaded guilty in federal court to tampering with consumer products. That “product” was a batch of coffee Oreo ice cream laced with THC, made by Flore himself and unintentionally served to four unsuspecting customers at a local ice cream café, Angelo’s Amore.

The effects weren’t mellow. These folks weren’t just vibing in the parking lot talking about how the moon looked extra crispy — they got sick. Dizzy. Heart racing. Vomiting. Three of them ended up in the hospital. And all of this started with one guy making infused ice cream for personal use, then putting it in the wrong freezer. 

Now, it’s important to draw a line here. This wasn’t some cartel pushing unlabeled edibles to minors at a farmers market. Flore wasn’t selling THC ice cream on the side, and he didn’t intentionally dose anyone.

According to court statements, he made the infused ice cream months earlier, stuck it in the shop’s freezer, and never labeled it. Eventually, a staff member unknowingly served it — and the rest is court record. 

So yeah, it wasn’t malicious. But it was incredibly reckless. 

The cannabis community has been fighting for legitimacy for decades. We’ve pushed hard for fair access, normalization, and an end to the prison pipeline tied to outdated drug laws.

But part of earning that legitimacy means handling the plant — and infused products — with the same seriousness we expect from professionals in any regulated industry. If someone at a bar accidentally swapped bottles and served 151 to a toddler thinking it was water, the whole town would be up in arms. This isn’t any different. 

Still, we need to stay grounded. Nobody died. The system actually worked. Federal investigators and local police followed the trail, identified the issue, and held someone accountable.

As consumers, we can appreciate that safety protocols, even after the fact, kicked in. Flore owned up to his mistake. He’s not some villain. But this case does expose a very real gap in how infused products are being handled especially in non-cannabis businesses or crossover spaces where personal use and public access collide. 

This kind of thing gives prohibitionists exactly what they want: ammunition. A story like this spreads faster than facts ever will. Suddenly every “THC-laced treat” is a potential threat to the public. The narrative becomes fear-based. And just like that, all the progress we’ve made in destigmatizing the plant gets undercut by one avoidable lapse in judgment. 

Meanwhile, the punishment Marc Flore faces is no slap on the wrist. He could see up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Whether he’ll get the max is uncertain, but that’s the weight of a federal tampering charge.

And while we push for legalization and reform, let’s not forget that THC still sits in legal limbo in many parts of the country. One mistake, even with no criminal intent, can flip a life upside down. 

There’s a cautionary tale here  not just about cannabis, but about responsibility. As infused products become more common in kitchens, cafés, and homes across the country, it’s critical that we draw clearer lines between recreational use and public consumption.

Label your shit. Store it separately. Treat THC with the same care you would raw chicken or a bottle of Jameson. Not because weed is dangerous — but because carelessness is. 

This wasn’t a case of cannabis causing harm. It was a case of a person forgetting that cannabis, like any powerful tool, has to be handled with respect. If we want the industry to grow, if we want the culture to be taken seriously, we can’t afford sloppiness like this  even when the intentions are innocent. 

So, to anyone making edibles at home or blending up THC milkshakes in the name of elevated experience: Don’t be the reason we go backwards. Keep your stash secure, your labels loud, and your edibles out of reach of people who didn’t ask to get high. 

Because no matter how good your coffee Oreo is, consent matters and so does common sense.

Derek Shirley was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the age of 19, he received a felony for 4 ounces of cannabis. After, he became a “cannabis nomad”  living in Ohio, Arizona, and Maine, which he now calls home, and lives with his wife Sequoia and son Haze.

Being a cannabis nomad had its advantages, like relying on all markets for his medical cannabis needs which gives him a unique perspective of the cannabis markets. Currently, he is an influential pro-cannabis activist in the state of Maine who helps local people and small businesses navigate their local and state governments without picking a political party specializing in protecting and preserving the small medical cannabis farmers of Maine. For fun, Derek enjoys screen printing and making cannabis memes under the pseudonym @gettinghighwithcats on IG

You can find more of Dereks articles at Beard Bros Pharms here.