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Primary Submission Category: Policy
Wood County THC Environment Surveillance Scan: An Ongoing Academic-Community Partnership
Authors: Tami Swenson, Jacob Wagner, Tanik Pontloff,
Presenting Author: Tami Swenson*
In 2022, Wood County was the first state locality to set an age restriction on purchasing hemp-related products in Wisconsin. The Wood County THC Community Environment Surveillance Scan looked at THC and intoxicating hemp (such as Delta-8, Delta-10, and THC-A) product availability in 2023 and 2025 as a academic-community partnership between the local health department and the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. The project conducted a three-phase environmental scan of THC retailers by investigating online websites, social media pages, and state licensing records to locate potential retailers and identify products offered; phone interviews with retailers to verify sales information and clarify product types; and in-person visits to confirm findings, observe store layouts, check for age verification measures, and, when possible, speak with owners or managers. Of 244 potential retailers in 2025, 76 were confirmed to sell THC (intoxicating hemp) products, a 245% increase from the 22 retailers identified in 2023. Based on initial phone conversations with retailers who do not sell but indicated that they will sell in the future, this number is expected to continue to increase over the next few years. Other major findings included: 25% of the identified THC retailers are Bars and Taverns; 20% of the scanned retailers sold psychotropic mushroom products; several stores scanned in-person did not restrict access to products for individuals under 21; a clerk offered free THC vape samples to an underage individual while vaping at the counter; and one retailer reported that they had 12 attempts by underage individuals to make purchases in the last month. Inconsistent age verification and sales raised concerns about youth access. The findings from this report were used by the Wood County health department to develop additional tools with local businesses to help monitor age compliance checks for persons under the age of 21.