Hemp Beverage Expo Atlanta ‘25 Recap
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Hemp Beverage Expo. Click below to see a video recap of the event, and keep an eye out for information for our next expo in early 2026.
The Hemp Beverage Expo and What’s Next for the Industry
The latest article from Bevnet.com discusses the budding optimism in the hemp beverage category following a strong turnout at the Hemp Beverage Expo.
The Intersection of Alcohol and Hemp
Craft Business Daily did a deep dive into the Hemp Beverage Expo. For those who can get past the paywall, it’s definitely worth a read.
Hemp Beverage Alliance Gears Up for Hemp Beverage Expo
The Beer Connoisseur wrote about upcoming expo, including the speakers, brands, and key events that will be taking place:
The Hemp Beverage Expo marks the largest exhibition of hemp beverage brands to date, with over 100 brands present in one room, including heavy hitters Nowadays, Keef Brands, Kiva Confections, Wyld, Pabst Labs, Cheech & Chong, Brez and Wynk, as well as buzzy rising stars Ayrloom, Dad Grass, Cornbread Hemp, Climbing Kites and more. For the first time ever, all exhibitors will be serving infused product samples on the expo floor, allowing attendees to enjoy the full flavor profiles and experiences the drinks have to offer. The fun will continue at the official Hemp Beverage Expo afterparty on July 10, where SKOL Brewing Company will be transformed into a full-service hemp-infused beverage bar.
Panels will span a range of timely topics from regulatory to business to product development, including such discussions as:
“Grab & Go: Finding Cooler Space in Convenience Stores and Gas Stations”
“Beyond the Vineyard: Expanding Your Portfolio with Hemp”
“Fueling Growth – Funding Strategies for Hemp Beverage Brands”
“Beyond the Can: Exploring Emerging Formats in Hemp Beverages”
Speakers include both industry mainstays, such as Dylan Lowery, Co-founder and COO of Cantrip, Jake Bullock, Co-founder of CANN, as well as leading adopters and advocates of the category, such as Ryan Moses, CEO of Best Brands in Tennessee, Megan Poepping-Widor, Hemp-Derived Sales & Brand Manager at Bernick’s serving Minnesota and Wisconsin, and Kathy Wiliams, Senior Category Manger for Minuteman Food Mart in North & South Carolina.
Read the entire article here and register for the Hemp Beverage Alliance Expo here.
Hemp Beverage Conference Planned for July
The Hemp Beverage Alliance Expo was recently promoted in an article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
The Hemp Beverage Alliance Expo is planned at the Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park from July 9-11, according to event organizers. The conference, which bills itself as the nation’s largest gathering of hemp beverage brands, will host nearly 100 exhibitors and more than 45 speakers.
Georgia lawmakers considered banning hemp-based, THC-infused drinks in the state earlier this year, but the bill was ultimately changed to expand access to such beverages by allowing them to be sold in package stores, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. That bill eventually died in chamber. The state previously passed a law regulating some aspects of THC beverages and restricting their sale to people over the age of 21.
Read the entire article here and register for the Hemp Beverage Alliance Expo here.
Hemp Beverage Alliance: Empower the Consumer with Information
The Hemp Beverage Alliance spoke with the Boston Globe about how the hemp beverage industry prioritizes safety, quality, and consumer protection:
Above-board hemp farmers and manufacturers argue that there are many good
players who abide by the federal limits. Christopher Lackner, president of the Hemp Beverage Alliance, said his members, who manage 140-some brands, commit to including warning symbols, chemical
compound labels, and QR codes that link to product safety results on packages.
“We have no interest in confusing the consumer,” Lackner said. “We want to empower
them with information that allows them to make a smart choice.”
Hemp Beverage Alliance at BevAge
HBA members and staff shared the stage with leading distributors in the hemp beverage industry at BevAge last month.
Check out ”The Modern Beverage Portfolio: Embracing Innovation & Consumer Trends” and see what we had to say.
And thank you, EncompassTech, for your hospitality!
PRESS RELEASE: Hemp Beverage Alliance urges Texas Governor to veto job-killing hemp ban bill
(AUSTIN) – The Hemp Beverage Alliance, the trade association of the hemp beverage industry with more than 300 members in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom, today urged Governor Greg Abbott to veto legislation that would have a catastrophic impact on Texas small businesses, consumers, and taxpayers.
The Hemp Beverage Alliance is strongly opposed to the recent passage of SB3, which severely curtails the sale of hemp beverage products throughout Texas. This legislation will substantially harm small businesses throughout the state and destroy the economic livelihoods of thousands of Texans. More concerningly, the legislation overlooks the overwhelming public support the hemp beverage industry has received from adult consumers who have embraced this new adult beverage category.
“Low-dose hemp beverages are a lifesaver for the craft brewing industry and others who are affected by a downturn in alcohol consumption,” said Christopher Lackner, president, Hemp Beverage Alliance. “Regulation, not prohibition, is the best way to keep THC products away from children and protect public health while allowing responsible adults to enjoy these products..”
The Hemp Beverage Alliance supports regulatory principles that set sensible limits for THC content, keep products away from children, provide robust product testing, and create tax revenues for the public benefit. These principles can be found on the trade association’s website: https://www.hempbeveragealliance.org/principles-overview.
The passage of SB 3 runs counter to the desires of most adults in the state. According to a March 2025 public opinion poll, an overwhelming 68% of Texas voters want consumable THC to remain legal but strictly regulated, with measures such as age restrictions and warning labels.
States throughout the country are increasingly seeing significant employment opportunities, tax revenues as a result of a safe, age-gated, well-regulated hemp beverage industry.
"This ban is a direct hit to Texas jobs, veterans, and responsible consumers – killing an industry President Trump legalized and forcing companies to flee the state just to ship products back in,” said Ben Meggs, HBA member and founder of Houston-based Bayou City Hemp. “We urge Governor Abbott to veto this misguided bill and stand with us in regulating, not eliminating, an industry that saves lives and livelihoods."
Hemp beverages are seltzers, sodas, mocktails, coffees, teas, and other non-alcoholic drinks that contain a small infusion of hemp-derived cannabinoids. Since hemp was legalized in the 2018 Farm Bill, states like Minnesota, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee and others have developed regulatory frameworks to create a safe and thriving industry. The Hemp Beverage Alliance expects other states to develop similar frameworks in 2025.
The Hemp Beverage Alliance will hold its second annual Expo in Atlanta, Georgia this year to build more awareness for the category. More than 1,200 people from around the country are expected to attend the three day event.
About the Hemp Beverage Alliance
The mission of the Hemp Beverage Alliance is to create a safe and thriving industry through education, advocacy, best practices and partnership. We achieve this by providing consumers, retailers, and distributors with the information they need to better understand the industry; developing best practices to create consistency in labeling and manufacturing; working with elected officials and regulators to encourage common-sense regulation; and collaborating with cannabis and alcohol industries to create a marketplace that benefits everyone. More at hempbeveragealliance.org.
The Hemp Beverage Alliance will host its second annual Expo in Atlanta, July 9-11. Visit https://hempbeverageexpo.com/ for more information.
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Letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott re: SB 3
June 3, 2025
The Honorable Greg Abbott
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428
Dear Governor Abbott:
The Hemp Beverage Alliance is the trade association of the hemp beverage industry with more than 300 members in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom.
We urge you to veto SB 3, as it will destroy the livelihoods of thousands of Texans and deny responsible adults the opportunity to enjoy this new beverage category.
The Hemp Beverage Alliance supports regulatory principles that set sensible limits for THC content, keep products away from children, provide robust product testing, and create tax revenues for the public benefit. These principles can be found on our website: https://www.hempbeveragealliance.org/principles-overview.
In addition to the economic impact, the passage of SB 3 runs counter to the desires of most adults in the state. According to a March 2025 public opinion poll, an overwhelming 68% of Texas voters want consumable THC to remain legal but strictly regulated, with measures such as age restrictions and warning labels.
Consumer tastes are changing, and increasingly adult consumers are turning to hemp beverages - seltzers, sodas, mocktails, coffees, teas, and other non-alcoholic drinks that contain a small infusion of hemp-derived cannabinoids - instead of alcohol. Since hemp was legalized in the 2018 Farm Bill, Minnesota, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee and other states have developed regulatory frameworks to create a safe and thriving industry. The Hemp Beverage Alliance expects other states to develop similar frameworks in 2025.
The Hemp Beverage Alliance has sixteen member organizations in Texas. These brands, supply chain partners, service providers and advocates are all committed to creating a safe, transparent and thriving hemp beverage industry.
Please veto SB 3 and together we can develop a regulatory framework that works for Texas.
Thank you for your consideration.
Hemp Beverage Alliance Board Candidate: Rick Schepp of Señorita THC Margaritas (Green Thumb Industries / Agrify Corporation)
HBA will elect three members to the board of directors in June. Each candidate has been invited to post information about their candidacy for voters to review.
As a passionate advocate for cannabis, and hemp-derived THC beverages in particular, I am committed to working with my HBA colleagues to ensure the long-term success of this transformative category. At Green Thumb Industries, we believe THC beverages and regulated cannabis can and should coexist to bring the power of cannabis to more Americans through accessible, social, and wellness-driven formats.
Hemp beverages represent one of the most exciting growth opportunities in the cannabis space. The future depends on uniting the strengths of both the cannabis and hemp sectors—bridging regulatory, commercial, and cultural divides to build a stable, consumer-first market.
My candidacy is rooted in a belief that hemp beverages must be protected and elevated—not just as an extension of cannabis, but as a powerful platform in their own right. I bring a commercial mindset shaped by leadership roles in both alcohol and cannabis, having worked across distribution, policy, and brand building on brands like Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, and now Señorita THC Margaritas.
Alongside GTI’s dedicated Government Affairs team who has years of experience on these very topics, I am committed to working with HBA to legitimize and safeguard this category for the long haul.
On the Board, I will champion:
Strong, sensible regulatory standards that ensure safety without unnecessary complexity or bureaucracy;
Collaboration between cannabis and hemp stakeholders to align on shared goals;
Clear, unified messaging to policymakers and retailers about the legitimacy and potential of hemp beverages;
A strategic, long-term approach that favors lasting growth over short-term wins.
We have a rare opportunity to define the future of this category. I’m eager to bring clarity, unity, and bold leadership to the table—and to ensure hemp beverages thrive for generations to come.
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