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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