HEMP BEVERAGE ALLIANCE SUPPORTS NEW FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO REGULATE HEMP INDUSTRY
The Hemp Beverage Alliance (HBA) voiced its support for Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act (CSRA) introduced today by U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to establish regulations for hemp beverages across the country.
The following statement can be attributed to Christopher Lackner, president, Hemp Beverage Alliance:
“The Hemp Beverage Alliance applauds senators Wyden and Merkley for championing sensible regulations that keep products away from children, provide robust product testing and transparent packaging information, and provide a pathway for the hemp beverage industry to continue to thrive.”
“Since our founding in 2023, the HBA has advocated for testing, proper labeling, sensible THC milligram levels, and age-gating of products. We look forward to working with congressional lawmakers to promote this legislation and ensure a thriving hemp beverage category in 2026 and beyond.”
“Hemp beverages are incredibly popular with adult consumers who are seeking additional beverage choices. This legislation allows them to continue to enjoy these beverages, while creating a safe, transparent and thriving category.”
Read the bill text here. A one-page summary of the bill is here. A section-by-section breakdown of the bill is here.
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.
Get involved in advocacy!
Hemp Beverage Alliance members are strongly encouraged to start building relationships with their representatives in Congress. Please click on the link below to learn how you can get involved.
PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR TEXAS
The Hemp Beverage Alliance submitted comments to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) and voiced concern about severity of the sanctions for violations of their proposed hemp beverage regulations.
The HBA urged the Commission to make a limited revision that allows civil penalties in lieu of license suspension or cancellation, but supported cancellation or multi-year ineligibility for repeated or egregious conduct.
Read the full comments here.
PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR MINNESOTA
The Hemp Beverage Alliance submitted comments to the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management urging a temporary 120-day implementation allowance to permit manufacturers to use any accredited registered laboratory while Minnesota-licensed facilities complete method validation and expand capacity.
Read the full letter here.
HEMP BEVERAGE ALLIANCE JOINS CRAFT BEER & BREWING PODCAST TO TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HEMP BEVERAGES
The Hemp Beverage Alliance spoke with the Craft Beer & Brewing podcast this week and talked about the challenges the industry is facing in this very uncertain regulatory climate. The hemp beverage industry is “a brand new thing and it still has captured the imagination and the consumer dollars of millions of adults,” said HBA President Christopher Lackner. “So what’s at risk is not what the size of the category now, but what the category could be in two years, five years and in ten years. The stakes are very very high.”
Listen to the full episode of the Craft Beer & Brewing Podcast.
CANWORKS JOINS HBA ADVISORY BOARD
The Hemp Beverage Alliance is pleased to announce that Canworks has joined the Advisory Board and will bring the voice of the canning and packaging industry to the hemp beverage discussion. Brothers Ryan and Marshall Thompson formed the company in 2021, and now prints more than 500,000 cans a day in their three manufacturing facilities in Austin, San Diego and Atlanta.
The HBA Advisory Board provides critical insight, support and expertise on issues related to supply chain and distribution. Advisory board members provide recommendations on the Alliance’s policy positions, provide support with organizational growth, and collaborate on marketing and public relations.
“The packaging industry employs thousands of people who rely on the success of the hemp beverage category,” said Marshall Thompson. “Canworks is pleased to help the Hemp Beverage Alliance achieve our goals for sensible regulation which will bolster the success of the category.”
Canworks joins a roster of diverse companies on the HBA Advisory Board that includes: Alternative Horizons Group; Dartbank Specialty Banking; EVG Extracts; Frontier Risk; Northern Diversified Solutions; Perfectly Dosed; Redwood Beverage; Southern Crown Partners; and Surfside.
HEMP BEVERAGE ALLIANCE ON NPR’s “ALL THINGS CONSIDERED”
NPR heard from the Hemp Beverage Alliance about how the category has seen tremendous growth in the past few years, and how that could all come to an end if the federal ban is allowed to take effect in a year.
Listen to the story here.
HEMP BEVERAGE ALLIANCE MEMBERS JOIN MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS TO PUSH BACK AGAINST FEDERAL HEMP BAN
Minnesota lawmakers held a press conference today to voice their concern over the federal hemp ban that will cost thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue for the state.
Minnesota U.S. senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee) and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (co-chair of the House Cannabis Caucus) vowed to fight for federal legislation that would regulate and strengthen the hemp beverage industry.
“This is about jobs. It’s about our small businesses, our breweries and our farmers,” Klobuchar said, adding that hemp -infused products have brought in $16 million in Minnesota state tax revenue through September this year.
“While the ban doesn’t go into effect for a year, every day we fail to address this is another day of uncertainty in a very uncertain time in our economy.”
The lawmakers were joined by HBA members Ryan Kopperud of Birdie & Wild State Cider, Bob Galligan of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, and Omar Ansari of Surly Brewing Company who all expressed their concerns about the current legislation that could effectively close the hemp beverage industry in one year’s time without new federal regulations.
FACT SHEET ON RECENT FEDERAL ACTION
HEMP BEVERAGES ARE ALREADY REGULATED AT THE STATE LEVEL
The 2018 Farm Bill expressly legalized hemp
In the absence of a federal regulatory framework, states have moved forward with their own regulations.
40 states have regulations on the books for hemp beverages
In almost every state, these frameworks include testing, age-gating, label requirements, and milligram caps.
The hemp beverage industry absolutely wants sensible regulations at the federal level.
THIS WEEK’S VOTE WAS A VOTE TO END THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, NOT TO CLOSE DOWN THE HEMP BEVERAGE INDUSTRY
This week’s vote to open the federal government was just that: a vote to open the government.
Unfortunately, the hemp beverage industry was a victim in that bill package. Language to shut down our industry was included without congressional debate or public discussion.
If there is a silver lining, it is that the long-term future of the hemp industry is now front and center with Congress and in the national media.
FOR NOW, IT’S BUSINESS AS USUAL. BUT CONGRESS MUST WORK WITH INDUSTRY TO CREATE A FEDERAL FRAMEWORK
The hemp beverage industry remains open for business this week, next week, next month, and next year.
States have already demonstrated how to regulate hemp beverages.
Stakeholders in the brewing, distribution, retail, convenience, and hemp beverage industries stand ready to work with Congress to get this done.
BILL DETAILS
Creates a ONE YEAR timeframe for implementation. In other words, hemp beverage legality stays status quo federally for one year from the time the bill is signed.
Creates a .4 mg per serving cap on beverages per container (not per serving).
There are no carveouts for different products or sales channels. This broad language affects the entire hemp industry in 365 days.
Federal law does not automatically change state law. States may need to modify their laws. There is no deadline by which states need to change their laws.
After one year, if there is no change to federal law, products above 0.4mg will be classified as either marijuana or a synthetic cannabinoid - both of which are Schedule 1 substances on the CSA.
HBA SUPPORTS REGULATIONS
HBA 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: hempbeveragealliance.org/principles.
HBA looks forward to working with Congress and other stakeholders to build a federal framework that works for everyone.
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HEMP BEVERAGE INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO THRIVE DESPITE CONGRESSIONAL SETBACK
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The Hemp Beverage Alliance (HBA), the trade association for the hemp beverage industry with more than 375 member organizations, remains fully confident in the future of the industry, despite this week’s setback in Congress.
”For distributors, retailers and consumers who are wondering, the answer is simple: Hemp beverages continue to be a thriving category,” said Christopher Lackner, president, Hemp Beverage Alliance. “For people who want to produce, distribute, sell or enjoy hemp beverages, nothing changed this week, nothing will change next week, and nothing will change next month, or even next year.
”The only thing that has changed is now there is an even greater interest in creating a federal framework for hemp beverages.”
This week, Congress voted to open the government. Contained within that package was language to destroy the hemp industry without public discussion or congressional debate.
“This week’s vote to open the federal government was just that: a vote to open the government. Unfortunately, the hemp beverage industry was a victim in that bill package,” said Lackner,. ”If there is a silver lining to this terrible decision, it is that the long-term future of the hemp industry is now front and center with Congress.”
HBA 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: hempbeveragealliance.org/principles.
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.
“Hemp beverages are the fastest growing adult beverage category in the country right now," said Lackner. "Our industry is creating jobs and tax revenues at a time when both are in great demand. We understand Congress was in a tough decision to vote against the thousands of people who are employed in this sector, which is why we are hopeful that they will reconvene very soon and create regulations that allow our category to thrive.”
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.