Weed drinks help recover alcohol sales, but not all are happy

THC-infused non-alcoholic drinks are becoming a craze, and alcohol companies that saw a slump in sales have found a way to use a legal loophole to cash in on the market, per Bloomberg.

These drinks promise a great time minus the hangover. However, the government and other weed product sellers are not happy about it.

What loophole?
The 2018 Farm Bill allowed hemp farming to produce products like clothing and car parts. Drink manufacturers used this loophole to manufacture beverages infused with THC, according to Bloomberg.

Hemp is a less potent form of cannabis that contains only 0.3% of THC, which is why the drinks are being sold across much of the US. Marijuana-derived THC products face more strict federal regulation.

States are not happy
New York banned drinks with more than 1 milligram of THC per serving, while Connecticut is planning to do the same. Around 20 states are lobbying for a review of the Farm Bill to allow states to ban weed drinks.

Marijuana product sellers are worried too
Some regulated marijuana product sellers “feel their market share is unfairly at stake.”

Meanwhile, distributors are lobbying to keep the loophole open since beer sales are expected to make up only 33% of the US alcoholic beverage market by 2027, per Bloomberg Intelligence.

Interestingly, the rise in popularity of marijuana drinks has boosted hemp plantations, says Drink Delta CEO Jack Sherrie. New Leaf Data Services forecast that up to 50,000 acres of hemp will be planted this year, compared to 6,000 acres in 2023.