Christopher Lackner Christopher Lackner

Meeting recap

We had a bit of a Google Chat bungle today so we’re posting the meeting recap on the blog. Enjoy!

  • Welcome and call to order
    Click here for agenda. We’ve got a lot of new members in the group, including new distributors, brands, and service providers. Check out our website to see the full list of brands, distributors, ingredient providers, can/label/package makers, co-packers, supply chain partners, professional service providers, retailers and associations.

  • Treasury Department reporting requirements for small businesses
    Brian Wolski gave a presentation on important requirements from the Department of Treasury. This is a new law with potentially significant penalties. We encourage everyone to be aware of this issue and talk with your legal counsel about it (HBA does not provide legal counsel or advice). Click here for Brian’s presentation.

  • Trade show branding opportunities
    Matt Strumpf/Strike Visuals are new members but have already been very active in helping folks out with trade show materials and other visual elements. Matt gave a great overview of best practices in trade show presentations. He’ll send out some information later this week to everyone so you can see what they can do for you.

  • State advocacy
    Ted W. gave an update on California (still plugging away), Adam T. gave an update on New Jersey (nothing new from last week), Eapen and others weighed in on Iowa (lawsuits will be decided end of the week). Missouri advocates have a call on Thursday July 25 @ 10am if you want an update on what’s going on there. To participate in this call, fill out this Google form.

    Up-to-date information on these and other states can be found in our Slack channels. Shoot me a note if you want to discuss in further detail.

  • Midwest Hemp Fest
    Tara Falk invited Midwest brands to participate in the Great Midwest Hemp Fest in Madison, Wisconsin - September 28 & 29. Tara expects several thousand people to attend this event, which will include a hemp beverage pavilion/tent showcasing drinks from Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota. Click here for an application to participate. Email tara@rrproductionsgroup.com to learn more.

  • Benzinga Capital Conference
    Javier Hasse spoke about Benzinga’s event in Chicago on October 8 & 9. They’re organizing a hemp/THC beverage contest and are offering $100 off for HBA members. Click here for details. Email javierhasse@benzinga.com for details and to get that $100 code.

  • Data gathering
    There is an increasing need for real data on the size of the hemp beverage industry. Matt Kurtzman talked to the group about moving forward with a strategy to aggregate data from HBA brands and put it to good use for advocacy, marketing, and investors. The first step is to fill out this form to determine who is interested. From there, we’ll fashion a strategy to make this happen.

  • Membership
    Please renew your membership if you haven’t already. Be sure to fill out the form that you’re directed to after you pay. Please note: We’ve heard from a few folks that Chase credit cards may bounce back with a “fraud alert.” Let us know if you’re having trouble paying and we’ll help you resolve. If you need a proper invoice sent first, you can email accounting@hempbeveragealliance.org. Todd Miller (“Miller”) is our bookkeeper and can take care of that. If you want to mail us a check, please send to PO Box 12664, Denver CO 80212. Just give us a heads up so we know it’s coming.

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HBA member spotlighted in Spectrum News - North Carolina

Our good friend Reilly Dunn is doing the hard work in North Carolina.

All across the country, hemp beverage companies like Reilly's are starting small businesses, investing in equipment, hiring people, and contributing to the economic vitality of their communities. With a focus on quality, safety, and transparency, these companies welcome smart regulation and are working with legislators to keep products away from children, ensure products are safe & contaminant-free, and provide a tax structure benefits the entire state.

Thank you, Reilly and Sasha, for your dedication to our industry (and for the shout out in this local story).

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Conference and Festival in review

It’s been a little over a month since our inaugural Hemp Beverage Conference & Festival. Looking back, it’s amazing what we achieved as an organization and as an industry.

More than 250 people attended the June 7 conference, some coming from as far away as Arizona and California. And while the agenda was packed with great information from industry leaders, the key takeaway was the positivity, collaboration, support and camaraderie on display throughout the whole event.

The festival took place on June 8 at Minneapolis Cider Co, home of Trail Magic. More than 500 people showed up to celebrate the category with food, music, and more than 30 hemp beverage brands from across the state and the country. The feedback from guests was wonderful with the top comments being about both quality and quantity of brands, the feeling of safety at the event, and the excitement that such an event existed.

Thank you to everyone who participated, volunteered, played the banjo, served the beignets, and otherwise helped create such a successful event. And of course, special thank you to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for proclaiming June 8 “Hemp Beverage Day” in the city.

Group photo in Minneapolis
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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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Conference Agenda

THE HEMP BEVERAGE CONFERENCE
Friday, June 7
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Royal Sonesta Hotel
35 S 7th St, Minneapolis, MN 55402

CALL TO ORDER
9:00 Light breakfast & networking
9:30 Welcome and introductions

THE MINNESOTA EXPERIENCE
10:00 How Minnesota works for hemp beverages - Minnesota Department of Health

10:30 The Minnesota distributor experience - Minn. distributor panel discussion
11:00 Retailer experience - Minn. liquor retailer panel discussion
11:30 On-premise experience - Minn. restaurateur panel discussion

LUNCH
12:00 Lunch, networking, sampling

THE NATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
1:00 National regulatory landscape - State updates, Farm Bill & more
1:30 Midwest markets panel discussion - IL, MO, IA, WI, SD, OH
2:00 National markets panel discussion - Where is the next Minnesota?

SUPPLY CHAIN
2:30 Ingredient manufacturing panel discussion
3:00 Cans & labels, production panel discussion
3:30 Finance and data discussion

ROUNDUP & RECEPTION
4:00 Closing remarks
4:15 Sampling, networking
5:00 Event ends

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HEMP BEVERAGE ALLIANCE ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL  FESTIVAL AND CONFERENCE

The Hemp Beverage Alliance announced the first-ever Hemp Beverage Festival & Conference to be held on June 7th & 8th in Minneapolis.

THE FESTIVAL - SATURDAY, JUNE 8
The Festival is open to the public and will celebrate the category with music, food, and the opportunity to sample hemp-derived THC drinks from more than 30 companies. Guests will have the chance to meet the people behind the brands and learn how hemp beverages are made.

The Festival will take place on Saturday, June 8th from 1-6 pm at Minneapolis Cider Co., 701 SE Ninth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55414. Tickets are $40-$50.

Hemp beverages are non-alcoholic drinks infused with THC derived from hemp. Minnesota was the first state to create a regulated marketplace for hemp beverages. The response from consumers has been nothing short of amazing.

"Low-dose hemp beverages provide adults with a delightful alternative to alcohol," said Christopher Lackner, president of the Hemp Beverage Alliance. "This Festival will showcase more than 30 Hemp Beverage Alliance brands that are creating the highest quality, tastiest and most exciting drinks in the category."

THE CONFERENCE - FRIDAY, JUNE 7
The Conference will precede the festival and bring together brands, supply chain members, retailers, distributors, regulators and other stakeholders to better understand this rapidly expanding category. The Conference will include discussions with retailers and distributors who currently sell these products, presentations from regulatory experts, product sampling, and networking to help create stronger relationships up and down the supply chain.

"Minnesota is the center of the THC drinks universe. There's no better place to bring the industry together to learn how to expand hemp beverages into all 50 states," said Jason Dayton, owner of Minneapolis-based hemp beverage brand Trail Magic and Minneapolis Cider Co. "On behalf of the dozens of Minnesota brands, supply chain partners, distributors and retailers, we welcome you to the future of drinking." 

The Conference will take place Friday, June 7th and is not open to the general public. More information at hempbeveragealliance.org/conference.

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.

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