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
Hemp Beverage Alliance in Shanken Daily News
Shanken Daily News asked hemp beverage industry stakeholders to weigh in on the 2023, 2024, 2025 Farm Bill. Here’s what the Hemp Beverage Alliance had to say:
“A hemp-friendly Farm Bill will be important not just for our industry but also for American farmers. We hope Congress will agree on legislation that protects or enhances the definition of hemp. In addition to the Farm Bill, there also will be a lot of work going on at the state level in 2025. The Hemp Beverage Alliance will be working in a lot of those states to encourage commonsense legislation that protects children, creates tax revenues, creates opportunities for the bev-alc industry and allows the hemp beverage space to thrive.”
Statement on the Beer Institute’s guiding principles for hemp beverages.
(DENVER) - The Hemp Beverage Alliance, the leading trade association of the hemp beverage industry with more than 240 members in the U.S. and Canada, today issued the following statement regarding the Beer Institute’s guiding principles on hemp beverages.
The Hemp Beverage Alliance fully supports the Beer Institute’s calls for smart regulation of the hemp beverage industry. As the trade association for the industry representing more than 240 suppliers and supply chain partners, we firmly agree hemp beverages should be age-gated and available only to adults age 21 and over; state regulations should include testing for contaminants and milligram levels; labels should be accurate and include appropriate information to empower consumers; marketing geared toward people younger than 21 years of age should be prohibited; and alcohol and hemp should not be mixed in a product.
We also agree consumers should not operate vehicles if they are intoxicated by any beverage or product, and that a reasonable tax structure should be created for hemp beverages to provide regulators with the resources they need to protect public health.
Hemp beverages are adult beverages, just like beer, wine, hard seltzer and other alcoholic products. As such, the Hemp Beverage Alliance believes hemp beverages should be sold in locations where other adult beverages are available, and distributed via existing alcohol channels.
Alcohol retailers already are equipped with the processes and infrastructure to keep these products away from children. Alcohol distributors already have the means to vet suppliers, review labels for compliance, and gather taxes for adult beverages. Just as importantly, consumers are already familiar with, comfortable with, and trusting of the existing beverage alcohol system.
Whether it's hard seltzer, hard teas, canned cocktails or hemp drinks, adult consumers want access to the latest innovations in the places where they currently shop for adult beverages.
The Hemp Beverage Alliance applauds the Beer Institute's dedication to safety, quality, and moderation, and is using their success as a guiding star for the category to replicate and enhance. We look forward to working with all adult beverage suppliers, distributors, retailers and other stakeholders to build a hemp beverage category that emphasizes quality, safety and transparency.
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.
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Submit your comments to the Georgia Department of Agriculture
As we discussed this week, HBA will be submitting comments to the Georgia Department of Agriculture regarding their revised rules for hemp beverages.
We strongly encourage HBA members (and non-members) to amplify our recommendations by submitting comments of your own that 1) reflect your perspective and 2) encourage the solutions proposed by HBA.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT
Click here for suggested language and copy/paste it into an email.
At the beginning of the message, add a sentence or two about your personal/professional experience, concerns, commitment to safety, etc. The more you can personalize/tell your own story, the better. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Suppliers - How are you making quality products and marketing them in a responsible manner?
Retailers - How are customers reacting when they hear about this new product?
Distributors - How will hemp beverages help your business?
Supply chain - How are you taking steps to make sure products are safe and of the highest possible quality?
Once you’ve added your personal message, send your message to: hemp@agr.georgia.gov Please note: If you do not include a personal touch to the email, you can still just send it as is. The important thing is that you send it out in a timely manner.
WHEN TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT
Do not delay in sending your comments. Please make this a priority and send as soon as possible. In a perfect world, you’d send out your comments shortly after we submit our comments on November 14.
The deadline to submit comments is 4:30p eastern time on November 21.
WHY YOU SHOULD SUBMIT COMMENTS
The Georgia Department of Agriculture is very interested in the hemp beverage industry’s recommendations. Our conversations with them indicate that they will be receptive to what we have to say.
If we collectively support common solutions, there is a greater chance that they will be implemented.
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://agr.georgia.gov/legal/notice-intent-amend-and-adopt-hemp-product-rules
Hit up our #georgia Slack channel
Email HBA for more information
Discussions on THC and Beer Dominate NBWA’s 87th Annual Event.
The Hemp Beverage Alliance had the honor of presenting to the national gathering of the National Beer Wholesalers Association last week. Beverage Dynamics picked up the story here. From the article:
“The state-by-state changes are significant and it’s something that we’re always looking at,” he said. “I think all of our brands recognize the value of having these products in retail environments, especially next to their competitors. There is a huge growth opportunity for brick-and-mortar distribution.”