Kava and kanna have positioned as the next thing in functional adult non-alcoholic alternatives as hemp-derived THC’s future remains uncertain.

Cannabis beverage maker Uncle Arnie’s has raised a fresh $2 million on top of a round led by previous investors Mindset Capital and the investment office of Harry Rubin, the founding partner of Boston Beer Company.

Cann is bringing out a big name this summer, as investor and NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade has collaborated with the cannabis beverage maker on a new golf-inspired release.

A collective of hemp beverage stakeholders and interest groups is attempting to unite the fractured industry under a new bill that could stave off the restrictions set to take effect in November and bring clarity to future regulation.

Cann is the latest brand to iterate out of cannabinoid-infused drinks while also doubling down in the months leading up to Congress’s November ban.

Fresh off its launch into the hard soda set with Spiked Pop, Owl’s Brew is shaking up its approach to the mixer category. The brand’s Functional Non-Alcoholic Mixers launched on Amazon this week, blending fruit juice, tea and botanicals with ingredients like L-theanine and vitamin C.

Hemp industry advocates are celebrating the inclusion of pro-hemp language in a recent White House letter to Congress regarding a supplemental budget request.

Despite functional ingredients that can get consumers high, BRĒZ is a prime example of a company with lofty growth hopes getting dragged down by the financial realities of scaling efficiently. But they’re working on it.

Restaurant owners have thrown their weight behind the hemp beverage debate, asking Congress to enact a two-year delay on an impending Nov. 12 ban on intoxicating hemp usage in food and beverage products.

U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) is the latest Republican lawmaker to put forward potential legislation that would stave off the November 12 ban on intoxicating hemp drinks, putting them in a regulatory framework similar to alcohol.

Day Two of BevNET Live Summer 2026 featured more insights from venture capital investors, entrepreneurs, embracing AI in branding strategies and deep dives into the relaxation and intoxicating hemp drink categories.

Winemaking is a slow process, requiring years devoted to growing, harvesting, fermenting and aging before a bottle is uncorked.

Much to the frustration of its producers, the adoption of adult non-alcoholic (ANA) wine is taking a similar pace. Long dominated by sparkling varieties, still varieties of ANA wine are populating the category as mainstream wine brands enter the set, with an ability to scale and open the door to a broader addressable market with less expensive options.

Mass retail giant Target is expanding sales of intoxicating hemp beverages, adding the products to stores in Florida, Texas and Illinois. 

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) proposed legislation last week that would allow states to respectively determine the future of hemp-based product sales within their own borders.