The Countdown Clock For Hemp Beverages
A federal ban set to take effect this November could wipe out nearly the entire hemp beverage category. Not everyone is panicking, but the industry is preparing.
If you work in hemp beverages right now, you may be operating on borrowed time. Literally. A provision tucked into last November's federal appropriations act redefines hemp by "total THC" and caps finished beverages at 0.4mg per container, a threshold so low it would functionally erase (pun intended) an estimated 95% of what's currently on shelves. The rule is set to take effect in November, and depending on who you ask, the November 12th date is either a hard deadline or a negotiating position.
A Fix, A Delay, Or The Real Thing
For an industry that was created out of the 2018 Farm Bill, fending off endless state challenges by proving its legitimacy in job creation, revenue, and consumer benefits had become the norm to keep the party going. But a shock hemp ban placed inside of a larger bill to re-open to government in the Fall of 2025 threatens to end, or at least pause a party that was just getting started.
There's reason for cautious optimism. Recent signals out of the White House, paired with movement on cannabis rescheduling, suggest an appetite for a fix rather than a full wipeout. But "cautious" is doing a lot of work in that sentence. For more around that, we spoke to Dani Baranowski, Executive Director of the Florida Hemp Beverage Coalition on the U.S. of N/A podcast, to get her thoughts on what’s next. “I’m hoping we can get an extension on this ban, then we can spend more time presenting to Congress a sensible framework that allows this industry to survive and thrive.”
Who Actually Gets Hurt
The ban's real casualties won't just be brands or consumers. Non-alcoholic bottle shops, many of whom have been leaders in mainstreaming THC drinks to complement their non-alcoholic shelves, are staring down revenue hits of up to 75% if the rule takes effect as written. For a category of retail that's still finding its footing, that's not a rough quarter. That's existential.
As for brands, many are now pivoting to other functional ingredients such as adaptogens and nootropics for a growing number of consumers looking to feel something even when they aren’t drinking alcohol. Drinks with ingredients like kava and the controversial kratom are likely to get a second look, but replacing the effects of THC easily with something else is not a 1:1 proposition.
The NA/Hemp Convergence Problem
What makes this moment particularly messy is timing. The non-alcoholic and hemp beverage movements have spent the last few years converging, often courting the exact same consumer: someone looking for a ritual, a buzz, or a moment of calm without alcohol in the glass. A ban that guts hemp doesn't just shrink one category, it disrupts a shared ecosystem that NA brands have benefited from.
Whether November brings a delay, a partial fix, or the ban as written, one thing seems certain. The hemp beverage industry that exists on the other side of this will look different than the one that exists today.
Want to hear our full conversation with Dani Baranowski on the future of hemp beverages? Listen to our U.S. of N/A episode, above, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.