Police: Customers got sick, tested positive for THC after eating ice cream at NH shop

NEWMARKET, N.H. - Police and the Food & Drug Administration are investigating after at least four café customers went to the Emergency Room after unintentionally eating what police believe was THC-laced ice cream.

Three adult customers and one 16-year-old employee ate "Coffee Oreo" flavored ice cream sometime last week at Roots Café and Catering in Newmarket, New Hampshire. Soon after, all became sick and took themselves to the emergency room with "severe dizziness and extremely high blood pressure," according to Newmarket Police Lieutenant Scott Kukesh.

The victims tested positive for high levels of THC at the hospital. The one common thread? The ice cream they had all eaten.

Marijuana is still illegal in New Hampshire. "No matter what side of the fence you are on as far as marijuana goes, it is more concerning that they ordered one piece of food, and got something else," Lieutenant Kukesh said.

All four people were OK after some medical treatment.

Early investigation indicates that the ice cream was not made by Roots Café's owners, but rather by their ice cream vendor Angelo's Amore. Angelo's Amore was the prior owner of the space, and the owner of Roots says she and her husband bought his remaining stock of ice cream when they took over in mid-2022 and had been serving Angelo's Amore ice cream from the freezer since opening.

"We traded and paid him for ice cream, and he left what he had here. So, we didn't make the ice cream," explained Roots' owner Amber Enright.

WBZ reached out to the owner of Angelo's Amore for comment but did not hear back. His website and Facebook page appeared to be no longer in existence, and business records with the state indicate the business is no longer in operation.

Still, police say all parties are fully cooperating.

"We just are like so apologetic to the victims for what happened," Enright said. The business is relatively new, and she worries this unfortunate accident will lead customers not to trust the café.

"This is pretty awful, because not only was it a minor, it was [another] minor's mother, [too], who is furious, and why wouldn't she be?" Enright said.

To ensure this never happens again, the café has disposed of all remaining Angelo's Amore ice cream and has already secured a new vendor.

No charges have been filed against anyone involved. 

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• New Hampshire News