Looming THC Ban Has Retailers, Brands Searching For Alternative Buzzes
Hemp beverage retailers and non-alc brands are preparing to pivot into non-THC alternatives as the November ban looms.
Regulatory
Stay informed on the latest beverage industry regulatory updates involving the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or United States Department of Agriculture(USDA), as well as news regarding lawsuits, labeling and class-actions. Understand the evolving beverage regulatory and legal environment which can directly impact your product claims, intellectual property, packaging and ingredients.
Featured Regulatory Content
Hemp Update: Kentucky, S. Carolina Shift to Alcohol Retail
States are taking various approaches to regulating intoxicating hemp as the November deadline to potentially ban the category draws closer.
![Hemp Ban Deadline Could Be Extended Under New Bill [Updated]](https://dg6qn11ynnp6a.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/05124459/bevnet_drafthemplegislation_thumbnail-150x150.jpg)
Hemp Ban Deadline Could Be Extended Under New Bill [Updated]
An Indiana congressman has proposed legislation to push back the upcoming hemp ban for three years, allowing more time to carve out a regulatory framework for hemp products.
Additional Content
Web Weed: THC Drinks Crush It Online – But For How Long?
After successfully building a strong consumer base online with DTC, the hemp-derived THC drink category is weighing whether ecommerce is a viable long-term channel for success or a familiar first step to broader retail goals.
Daily Briefing (Insiders Only): MAHA Pegs Soda Against SNAP
What’s good for MAHA may not be so nice for Big CSD. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is moving quickly to approve state requests to pull soda and candy from the Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP), the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
Hemp Industry Responds To California ‘Readopting’ Emergency Ban
Hemp industry stakeholders respond to the announcement that California has extended its ban of intoxicating hemp products for another three months.
Do Cannabis Beverages Have An Ecommerce Problem?
Cannabis beverages are at a crossroads where on the one hand it is seeking clearer regulation on the path to broader retail distribution, but aligning with the alcohol industry could sacrifice hemp drinks' key growth driver: ecommerce sales.
Daily Briefing (Insider Only): Tariff Update: Mexico On Pause, Canadians Drop The Niceties
U.S. tariffs on its immediate neighbors don’t go into effect until Tuesday, but the battle appears to be already underway in its opening theatre: the liquor shelf.
Daily Briefing (Insiders Only): Calexo Finds New Consumers After Being Kicked Out Of Cali
The Calexo team are professionals at pivoting. In their five years on the market, the four person co-founding team has moved their product strategy twice. Just when it settled on a product strategy, the California-based brand was kicked out of its home market.
Daily Briefing (Insiders Only): Are Soda Taxes Back?
Could sugary soda taxes make a resurgence again? At least in Beantown they are. The Boston City Council is set to debate a new sugary drinks tax after councilor Sharon Durkan called for a new $0.02 per ounce policy last week.
FDA Moves To Ban Red Dye 3
The Food and Drug Administration announced it has banned the use of the potentially cancer-causing Red Dye 3 in food and beverage using a 1958 provision of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
Daily Briefing (Insiders Only): Virginia Hemp Rules Stand
States looking to harsh the high for hemp-derived THC products just got handed a big win from The U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Cir., which ruled the 2018 Farm Bill does not preempt a Virginia law limiting the THC content in consumable products.
The Year In Cannabis: Hemp-THC Redraws the Map to Growth
This year marked another 365 days of high excitement and anxiety, specifically in relation to the explosion of legal hemp-derived THC, as the push-and-pull of economic opportunities and legal hurdles combined into a dizzying cocktail that left us all feeling, well, a little high.
No Deal (Yet): Kroger-Albertsons Merger Denied
The proposed $24.6 billion Kroger/Albertsons mega-merger was temporarily blocked today by a federal judge, who ruled in favor of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suing to block the deal.
Daily Briefing (Insiders Only): Inside The Fight To Curb The Plastic Crisis
Any hope of containing the rapidly-escalating global plastic waste crisis seems to have melted down after international negotiations on a framework to curb pollution collapsed over the weekend.
Daily Briefing (Insiders Only): Cola Battle: L.A. Takes on Coke and Pepsi
Los Angeles County is looking to take Coke and Pepsi to court over the soda giants’ environmental impact. The county filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company this week alleging they have tried to deceive the public about the recyclability of and potential health issues emanating from plastic bottles.
Insider Daily Briefing: What Now As Docks Move Off the Clock?
A strike by 50,000 union workers at 14 major ports across the East Coast and Gulf Coast may or may not be devastating for the U.S. food industry – depending on how long it lasts.