Leveling up with Gary and Jill
Alliance member Brian Hart was interviewed on the “Leveling up with Gary and Jill” podcast and gave us a nice shout out at the 17 minute mark. Give the whole thing a listen here.
Hemp Beverage Alliance in MJ Biz Daily
We had a chance to talk with Chris Roberts of MJ Biz Daily back in January. These days, we’re a little more confident about the state of the Farm Bill, and certainly just as bullish on the category.
Mary B. of Pharos highlighted the potential of the market and the dedication HBA members have to making the industry succeed:
Bernuth’s Pharos Brands was one of 30 hemp-derived THC beverage companies at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America’s January expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
According to the Hemp Beverage Alliance, hemp drink companies took up as much as 10% of the floor.
“We’re killing it here,” Bernuth told MJBizMagazine from the bustling convention hall.
Things went so well that she’s banking on contributing to a movement as well as running a successful business.
“We want to mainstream this,” she said. “We feel hemp beverages are an essential piece of destigmatizing THC.”
Read the whole article at MJBizDaily.
Hemp Beverage Alliance in Shanken News
Our good friends (and Alliance members) Cantrip recently gave us a nice shout-out in Shanken News Daily. From the article:
“We belong to a group called Hemp Beverage Alliance (HBA). We want to create internal standards within the industry such that you can trust a product. The HBA is only going to work with people who are trying to produce these products safely and transparently. The law is not settled in a lot of places, so we want to talk about advocacy. Consumer safety, efficacy, and education are three of the most important tenets of this to make sure that we’re producing to the same quality standards that someone might in a dispensary.”
Hemp Beverage Alliance spills the THC
Daniel Crocker asked the question: “How can cannabis beverages be safely and effectively regulated?” He got answers from the Cannabis Beverage Association, Hemp Beverage Alliance and Minnesota retailer Hemp House.
TL/DR is that there are a lot of good companies out there who want a safe, regulated, thriving industry. And all of them are ready to work together to make it happen.
Read the whole thing at Spill The THC.
Collaboration in the Commonwealth
The Hemp Beverage Alliance is proud to work with other trade organizations to further benefit the hemp industry. One such partner is Laura Beohner, director of the Massachusetts Hemp Coalition (as well as president of Healing Rose Company.) Talking Joints Memo recently spoke with her about her efforts to create a sensible regulatory framework for hemp:
Beohner is working with the Hemp Beverage Alliance, a national trade association, “to help them push forward for the greater sake of hemp.” She said a bill relative to hemp and hemp products in Mass that’s currently before the Joint Committee on Agriculture could forge a positive path forward:
“I try to represent everyone’s best interest in the hemp space. We have been trying to get a bill passed [for four years] to allow hemp cannabinoids in food and beverage. I know [the Hemp Beverage Alliance] is interested in carving out a beverage space, but I am also interested in carving out a food space for MDAR licenses at least.”
Hats off to Laura for leading the charge in the Commonwealth. Read the whole story here.
HBA and members mentioned in Talking Joints Memo
The HBA and two of its members were mentioned in a recent Talking Joints Memo article. Executive Director Christopher Lackner (HBA), as well as members Adam Terry (Cantrip), and Jason Reposa (Good Feels) were all quoted.
Check it out here.
Hemp Beverage Alliance panel in Chicago
Join us in downtown Chicago on Thursday, March 21st to learn how hemp beverages are booming in Illinois and across the country. Moderated by Laurie Parfitt of LKP Consulting and featuring Glenn McElresh (Plift), Adriana Tarasiewicz (Azuca), and Adam Peabody (Reddi Beverage), the panel will discuss the current state of the marketplace and how new brands can get up and running in this fast moving industry.
Click here for the who, what, when, where, and how much. See you next week!
Hemp Beverage Alliance to host panel at USA Trade Tasting
The USA Trade Tasting (USATT) returns to Chicago this upcoming May 22–23, 2024 for the event’s eighth year. The Alliance will moderate a panel for distributors who want to enter the hemp beverage market.
More information and event schedule can be found here.
Alliance members in Chicago Sun-Times
Glenn McElfresh, co-owner of Perfectly Dosed, and Ray Stout, executive director of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, appeared in a recent Chicago Sun Times article about THC beverages in Illinois.
According to the article, ”For brewers, the adoption of a new non-beer product line is both a play for survival and a gamble. As craft beer sales level off, THC drinks are becoming an attractive alternative for brewers: After all, they’re trendy, easier to produce than beer and, with a different flavor than a lager or ale and a different buzz, appeal to a slightly different audience.”
Read more here.