PRESS RELEASE: ILLINOIS LEGISLATION WILL ELIMINATE NON-ALCOHOLIC OPTIONS FOR ADULTS, THREATEN CRAFT BREWERS & INDEPENDENT VENUES
Two bills in Springfield could have disastrous ramifications for Illinois adult beverage consumers, the breweries that make them and the venues that want to sell them.
Across the country and around the world, adults are exploring alcohol alternatives, and many are turning to hemp beverages: alcohol-free seltzers, teas, sodas and mocktails that create an adult beverage experience without the booze.
Senate bills 3926 and 0776 would make these adult beverages illegal in the state.
”Hemp-derived adult beverages represent an important new vertical and powerful source of revenue for craft breweries who are still rebounding from COVID and the resulting shift in consumer behavior,” said Ray Stout, executive director, Illinois Craft Brewers Guild. “Hemp beverages are a market innovation that is in great demand, one that dozens of our members are already tapping into to help keep their breweries open and profitable.
“Instead of pulling the rug out from underneath these breweries by banning them from the marketplace, the legislature should create a regulatory framework that allows hemp drinks to be manufactured and sold safely and properly."
Hemp beverages are significantly lower in potency than marijuana cigarettes found in dispensaries and provide a mild experience similar to that of a glass of beer or wine. Marketed as adult beverages and sold only to people 21 years old or older, these products emphasize flavor and experience rather than “getting high.”
In addition to the craft beer industry, Chicago-area venues will benefit from having safe, legal, low-dose hemp beverages available to adults. Most small venues make very little money from ticket sales. Revenue actually comes from bar tabs. Hemp beverages can help improve bar sales and ensure Illinois venues stay open and the performing arts can continue to thrive.
“We need to be able to adapt to changes in consumer habits. That means providing in-demand non-alcoholic options like hemp beverages,” said Katie Tuten, co-owner, the Hideout.
Finally, for Illinois residents, hemp beverages can be a significant contributor to state and local coffers. Reasonable taxation on hemp beverages could result in significant windfalls, which is especially important as revenues from liquor taxes decline.
“The hemp beverage industry strongly supports a regulatory framework that makes these products available to adults only, taxes them appropriately, provides reasonable serving sizes, and allows them to be sold anywhere other adult beverages like beer, wine and hard seltzer are sold,” said Christopher Lackner, president and CEO, Hemp Beverage Alliance.
Hemp beverages are already regulated in several states across the country. Minnesota currently gathers around $1.5 million in taxes per month from consumable hemp products. That is only expected to grow as the market expands.
“Hemp beverages can bring a lot of revenue to the state, keep brewers employed, keep our stages open, and give adults a non-alcoholic option they never had before. It’s a win-win-win-win that the legislature can’t afford to pass up,” said Stout
“If Minnesota can do it, so can we.”
ABOUT
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.
The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild (ICBG) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the development and expansion of the craft beer industry in Illinois. Founded in 1997, ICBG focuses its efforts on member and consumer education, legislative and regulatory advocacy, and the promotion of its member craft breweries. Learn more at www.illinoisbeer.org.
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