Hemp Beverage Alliance in Cannabis Regulator
We continue to get great coverage about the Hemp Beverage Expo in July. Thank you Cannabis Regulator for helping us get the word out.
HEMP BEVERAGE ALLIANCE ANNOUNCES 2025 HEMP BEVERAGE EXPO — JULY 9-11 IN ATLANTA
The Hemp Beverage Alliance, the trade association for the hemp beverage industry, today announced plans to host the Hemp Beverage Expo on July 9-11 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Hemp Beverage Expo will be an executive-level business-to-business trade event and conference designed to build relationships, expand distribution, fuel investment, and deliver critical peer-to-peer learning for leaders in the booming hemp beverage industry.
Registration for the event will open in the coming weeks at www.hempbeverageexpo.com. Hemp Beverage Alliance members will receive a discount off their attendee registration, exhibition fees, and sponsorship opportunities.
“2025 will be a watershed moment for the hemp beverage industry, as more and more states establish regulatory frameworks to create clear guidance on the production, distribution and sale for these products,” said Christopher Lackner, founder and president, Hemp Beverage Alliance. “We’re excited to bring together suppliers, distributors, supply chain partners, investors, regulators and other stakeholders under one roof to educate, collaborate, and build the category together.”
Building on the success of their inaugural conference in Minneapolis in 2024, this year the Hemp Beverage Alliance will work with Jage Media to tap into their extensive experience and reputation for creating world-class events that create successful ROIs for participants.
“By focusing exclusively on the hemp beverage category, we can make the brands the star of the event, allow safe and responsible sampling of product on the exhibit hall floor, and create experiential networking events where only hemp beverages are served,” said George Jage, CEO, Jage Media. “We are grateful for the trust the Hemp Beverage Alliance and its members are putting in us to help the organization and the industry grow.”
For information on Hemp Beverage Alliance membership, contact info@hempbeveragealliance.org.
For Hemp Beverage Expo exhibition or sponsorship information, email connect@hempbeverageexpo.com.
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 mission 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.
ABOUT JAGE MEDIA
Jage Media is an independent trade show organizer and business media company focused on developing successful trade events to support and grow nascent industries with a focus on CPG categories. Jage Media’s leadership team has successfully developed, designed, launched, and stewarded the World Tea Expo, Healthy Beverage Expo, MJBizCon, MJ Unpacked, and more.
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Washington Post: Cannabis drinks are becoming more popular. Here’s why.
The Washington Post interviewed several HBA members about our category, including longtime supporter Jon Halper of Top Ten Liquors in Minnesota:
Jon Halper, the owner of Top Ten Liquors, which has 15 stores around the Twin Cities, said hemp-derived cannabis beverages and edibles made up more than 10 percent of the company’s revenue last year, outselling bourbon and vodka.
Parents ages 35 to 55 make up “a disproportionate amount” of customers buying the cannabis beverages at Top Ten Liquors stores, based on demographic data his company collects, Halper said.
“It’s the soccer mom,” Halper said. “It’s not that they’re anti-alcohol. But they like that they can have this, they get a buzz from it, and they don’t wake up the next day with a headache.”
Check out the full article here:
Hemp Beverage Alliance in Green State: “One community”: weed and alcohol align at Denver conference
Green State provided coverage of the critical alignment of the alcohol and hemp beverage industries at the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) conference February 3-6 in Denver, Colorado.
At the show, Francis Creighton, president and CEO of WSWA spoke with enthusiasm about the important connection between these industries now and moving forward.
“We believe that this community and our community are going to be one community in the future,” Francis Creighton, president and CEO of WSWA, told the crowd during a hemp beverage meet-and-greet. “We can see how fast things are moving. We believe fundamentally these are products that fit in this world and can really be the future of an industry.”
Check out the full article here.
Cultivated and Herbal Profiles
The announcement of our new board members continues to get coverage. Thank you Herbal Profiles, Marijuana Moment, and Cultivated News for the shoutouts.
Hemp Beverage Alliance in Politico
An article in Politico from January 8 dives into the implications of the Trump administration on intoxicating hemp products. The Hemp Beverage Alliance was quoted in the article, which included an overview of current legislative trends:
Both red and blue states are dealing with the proliferation of intoxicating hemp cannabinoids, a booming market that was created thanks to a loophole in the 2018 farm bill.
Congress has punted the farm bill for another year, meaning that any attempts to address the proliferation of intoxicating hemp will fall on state legislatures.
The biggest legislative battle is expected in Texas, home to one of the largest markets for hemp cannabinoids in the country. Unlike other top hemp-producing states like California and New York, Texas does not have a legal recreational marijuana market, nor does it have a comprehensive medical marijuana program — driving consumers to hemp cannabinoids.
Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick put the industry on notice last month when he launched a legislative effort to ban all forms of consumable THC. Thousands of retailers across the state “sell products, including beverages, that have three to four times the THC content which might be found in marijuana purchased from a drug dealer,” Patrick said in a statement.
Hemp businesses, meanwhile, are vowing to push back — just like they did in Illinois earlier this week. Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker threw his weight behind a bill that would require intoxicating hemp products to be sold through regulated marijuana dispensaries. But opposition from hemp businesses during the lame-duck session successfully prevented the bill from getting a final vote on the House floor.
Similar legislative pushes are expected this year in states like Michigan, Missouri and Ohio. Hemp manufacturers, retailers and even alcohol distributors are banding together to push back against bills aimed at clamping down on intoxicating hemp.
"[They are] coming together to come up with a plan that works for everybody providing appropriate framework and guardrails,” said Christopher Lackner, president of the trade group Hemp Beverage Alliance. (Mona Zhang)
Hemp Beverage Alliance in UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute: THC Beverage Market Review
The UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute recently issued an analysis of hemp beverage trends. The Hemp Beverage Alliance was consulted for the article and provided comments.
Co-written by the Institute and cannabis policy expert Tyler Klimas of Leaf Street Strategies, ”A Review of the Present THC Beverage Market” argues:
“Of the plenitude of hemp-derived cannabinoid products that exist, hemp-derived THC beverages have experienced unparalleled success. These products have shown an unprecedented ability to break into the traditional adult beverage market alongside beer, wine, and seltzers, capturing an entirely new audience curious about THC products in a remarkably short period of time.
“These beverages have created a new class of cannabis consumers, tapping into demographics that have been historically slower to access the traditional marijuana markets through regulated retail channels.
“Growing consumer preference for drinkable THC options is not solely due to its newfound avail ability in traditional beverage stores and retail outlets. There are many arguments for why these products have become so popular. From a growing demand for alternatives to alcohol, to the rise in general acceptance of cannabis and THC products, hemp-derived beverage companies have leveraged new technologies to create higher-quality, taste-conscious products that seem to have captivated the palette of the American consumer.”
Hemp Beverage Alliance announces new board members
The Hemp Beverage Alliance, the trade association for the hemp beverage industry, today announced the addition of four new members to the board of directors:
Nick Costanza, general counsel of Cann Social Tonics
Will Spartin, co-founder and COO of Picco Beverage Group (Triple 333)
Scott Selix, co-founder of Climbing Kites
Shawn Sheehan, co-founder of Wynk
They join Mike Colich (North Canna), Glenn McElfresh (Plift), Adam Terry (Cantrip), Ted Whitney (Cheech & Chong’s Global Holdings), and Pierce Wylie (Rebel Rabbit), who joined the board in 2024.
"Nick, Will, Scott and Shawn are very well known for their dedication to the category and to the Alliance. They will be a tremendous asset to the Board in 2025 and beyond,” said Ted Whitney, chairman of the board.
Founded in 2023, the Hemp Beverage Alliance is the trade association of the hemp beverage industry and represents more than 250 brands, retailers, and distributors in the United States and Canada. Membership is open to any company or individual who supports commonsense regulations that help grow the industry.
The Hemp Beverage Alliance will be at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America’s Access Live trade show February 3-6 in Denver.
Infused beverage executives seek path forward for hemp, marijuana - MJBiz Daily
It’s always fun when a news article is packed with quotes from our members.
Ted Whitney: “We want to have integration and parity between both sides of the plant.”
Ben Kennedy: “If you’re building a business that’s investor-backed, you have to listen to the economics and look at the retail market.”
Bob Galligan: “Everyone deserves a barstool.”
Adam Terry: ““The question I’m asking marijuana companies is, ‘When are you guys joining hemp?’”
Read the whole thing at MJBizDaily.
Submit your comments to Missouri
The Hemp Beverage Alliance submitted public comments to the State of Missouri today. You can help amplify our message by sending an email that mirrors our position:
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT
Click here for suggested language and copy/paste it into an email.
Add a personal message if you’d like.
Send your comments to Kristen.Cole@dps.mo.gov
WHEN TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT
The deadline to submit comments is Friday, November 29.
WHY YOU SHOULD SUBMIT COMMENTS
If we collectively support common solutions, there is a greater chance that they will be considered.
The rule-making process is an important part of the process but it only works when we all participate.
WHO SHOULD SUBMIT COMMENTS
Public comments are open to everyone. You don’t need to be part of the industry to make a comment. That said,
Everyone who is in the industry absolutely should take a moment to make a comment.
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
• Visit https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/AdRules/moreg/2024/v49n21Nov1/v49n21.pdf
• Hit up our #missouri Slack channel
• Email HBA for more information