Exclusive | CBD, THC, WTF? A guide to all the confusing non-alcoholic, buzz-promising drinks taking over your grocery store
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Got buzz?Lacing flavored seltzers and other popular drinks with pot, hemp-derived CBD, mushrooms, so-called biohacking adaptogens and all sorts of other shiny new (and sometimes, only recently legalized) snake oils, cooler cases everywhere from your local Whole Foods or liquor store to shiny new dispensaries are filling up with promising-sounding potions.Some colorful cans claim to be cure-alls while others tout themselves as replacements for your vices.It’s part of a movement away from alcohol, with many instead seeking new, creative ways to get their buzz on — with a whopping 48% of us insisting we’re interested in drinking less in the New Year, according to Open Table.But whether you’re sober curious or sober serious, the growing horde of determined drink makers wants your business — and they’re ready to do whatever it takes to get it, making wild promises of peace and contentment in a can.Hilary Sheinbaum, the author of “Going Dry,” told The Post, that modern drinkers “are questioning what it is that they are consuming and putting into their body,” which is leading them away from booze and into the world of cannabinoids, kava and more.“Now we have all these alternatives that help you feel relaxed, without the damaging effects,” she said.Or do we? Are boost-seeking boozers swapping the devil’s nectar for a new kind of addiction? Medical experts such as Amy Shapiro, an NYC registered dietician and nutritionist, caution that some of the over-the-counter elixirs could become addictive or cause adverse effects such as nausea, diarrhea, headaches and stomach upset — but nothing compared to a bad hangover.And most of these drink offerings may not alter your physical or mental being as obviously as a glass of wine or bite of an edible, but for many, that’s just the point.As an alcohol alternative, “since they do not contain any alcohol, they are automatically better for you,” Shapiro told The Post noting that “there is no safe le...