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Local retailer warns Antioch’s Delta-9 beverage ban is driving shoppers to neighboring towns
Summary
A downtown merchant told the board the village’s ban on Delta-9 THC beverages is diverting sales across the border, suggested age restrictions and labeling as compromise options, and urged the village to reconsider sales restrictions limited to liquor or tobacco licensees.
At the April 9 meeting a downtown business owner told the board Antioch’s ban on Delta-9 THC beverages is harming long-standing local retailers by pushing customers to neighboring towns. Adam Kosh, who identified himself as owner of a family business that has operated in Antioch since 1966, said customers simply travel to nearby towns or order for delivery if the product is not available locally.
"If someone wants it, they will get them," Kosh said, summarizing the practical effect he has observed: sales shift outside village boundaries and customers make ancillary purchases at those other stores rather than in Antioch. Kosh urged the board to consider alternatives that preserve youth protections while allowing local merchants to remain competitive, including limiting sales to buyers 21 and older, mandatory labeling of THC content and serving sizes, and restricting sales to entities with liquor or tobacco licenses.
Kosh provided examples of testing and labeling practices used by national brands and offered to work with the village on labeling and age-verification approaches. He also said vendors outside the village frequently offer delivery options that are not constrained by the local ban.
Board members took Kosh’s comments under advisement; no policy action was taken at the meeting. The topic is a matter the board may revisit if trustees ask staff to prepare ordinance amendments or regulatory options.
