Trade group urges California to adopt proven hemp beverage regulations

11 Sep 2024 --- The leading trade association of the hemp beverage industry, the Hemp Beverage Alliance, says it is “disappointed” with the recent mischaracterization of hemp beverages in California, US.

However, the association is “heartened by the Governor’s commitment to working with suppliers and distributors to appropriately sell hemp beverages within a regulated environment.”

Such regulatory frameworks are already in place across the country and can be easily replicated in California, the organization states.

State success

For example, the state of Minnesota has a thriving regulated hemp beverage marketplace that allows products to be sold in retail and on-premises locations. 

Similar rules will soon be enacted in Georgia to ensure the safe, compliant, and age-gated sales of hemp beverages. More than half of the states in the country have regulatory frameworks that allow these products to be sold in retail and on-premises locations.

Solutions needed

According to Christopher Lackner, president of the Hemp Beverage Alliance, “a legislative solution must be created immediately to allow the sale of hemp beverages.”

“We look forward to working with the governor, the legislature, the business community and public health leaders to develop a plan that protects children, generates revenue for the state, empowers consumers to make informed choices, and, like alcohol, allows hemp beverages to be purchased only in places where there is proper age-gating.”

The Hemp Beverage Alliance works with over 175 organizations to create a safe and transparent hemp beverage industry.Across the US and globally, adults are exploring alcohol alternatives, with many turning to hemp beverages: seltzers, teas, sodas and mocktails that create an adult beverage experience without alcohol. 

Since its establishment in 2023, the Hemp Beverage Alliance has advocated several best practices to steer this new industry, including ensuring products are kept away from children; clear labeling that empowers the consumer; reasonable taxation and sensible milligram levels in products.

Last year, in what was described as a historic move, several US cannabidiol companies, including the Hemp Beverage Alliance, formed the One Hemp alliance to push for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to further regulate hemp-derived CBD products as dietary supplements.

This came following the alliance urging the Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to regulate THC drinks in August 2023.