The future of hemp beverages remains in flux as potential legislative bills circulate on Capitol Hill, but for suppliers and distributors in the space, keeping up with demand has been business as usual. Almost.

While some intoxicating hemp brands are positioning themselves as alcohol alternatives, one early adopter of alcohol-free spirits is joining the fray from the opposite direction.

An influential group of beverage-alcohol retailers and distributors are supporting legislative efforts to keep hemp-infused beverages alive despite their prohibition, slated to take effect in November 2026. 

Intoxicating hemp drinks are getting a lifeline in Chicago, despite the outlawing of other hemp-derived THC products.

Intoxicating hemp beverages have gotten another vote of confidence, this time from Sprouts Farmers Market, which is slated to become the first national grocery chain to offer the drinks starting next week.

New funding could be a sign of optimism from the investor class as hemp-derived THC drinks await regulatory clarity.

Tobacco crops used to stretch to the horizon in the farmland of Kentucky, but now, many of those fields grow hemp plants. It might not last.

Vodka soda RTD Sprinter Spirits reported it had secured over $4 million in new investment as part of a $12 million round it is currently raising, per a Securities and Exchange (SEC) Form D filed on Friday.

One of the largest retailers in the country is dipping its toe into the intoxicating hemp beverage category. In its home state of Minnesota, Target has stocked the shelves of 10 stores in the Twin Cities region with intoxicating hemp drinks from 10 different brands, marking a potentially seismic shift in distribution for the category.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced an executive order to ban all intoxicating hemp products in the state, effective Tuesday October 14.

Call it a late career shift or just a beverage-alcohol professional trying something new, but the former brewmaster for White Claw is launching an energy drink.

While the two Republican senators from Kentucky square off on how hemp could be regulated in the upcoming Farm Bill and conservative Texas lawmakers relitigate the state’s approach to intoxicating cannabis derivatives, another GOP congressman is laying the early groundwork for legislation to legalize it.

Hold on to your coffee cups. Keurig Dr Pepper is solidifying its position as one of the world’s largest coffee companies on Monday in announcing an $18 billion deal to acquire JDE Peet’s, expected to close early next year.

Cannabis beverage brand Uncle Arnie’s is planning to nearly double its team from 40 to 75 employees after closing a $7.5 million Series A investment round co-led by Mindset Capital and Delta Emerald Ventures.