Intoxicating Hemp

Where most low-dose drinks come in at around 2.5 to 3 mg per container, Herb Light cuts that by more than half. But in the guise of a refreshing, session-friendly, non-alcoholic beer styled after classic American light pilsners, the concept is closer to “non-alcoholic-plus” than to a typical THC drink.

The hemp beverage industry is set to receive a one-month reprieve from a looming U.S. hemp ban, as Congress has voted to pass a continuing resolution pushing the deadline to December 11, sending the bill to the president’s desk.

If rapper Wiz Khalifa’s new THC-infused beverage Kush & Orange Juice connects with an audience anyway similar to the album that inspired it, expect this one to be a breakthrough release.

One of the ad industry’s most lauded firms is jumping into beverages with a low-dose THC drink modeled after classic American beer. Herb Light is billed as a “crushable super-low-dose light beer-styled brew” with just 1 mg THC per 12 oz. can. “Big taste, little high” is the tagline.

As it bolsters its core seasonal craft beer lineup with occasion-driven variety packs, 38-year-old Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) also has several irons in the beyond-beer fire. Earlier this month, Great Lakes announced the launch of aSplash, a ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktail produced in collaboration with Columbus, Ohio-based Watershed Distillery, the Buckeye State’s largest craft spirits producer.

Check out news items initially reported in the Brewbound Insider Newsletter, including headlines from Asahi, Monster, Iron Hill and more.

Congress is getting more serious about finding a regulatory solution for the hemp beverage market, with two U.S. representatives filing a new bill today aimed at establishing a proper framework to allow brands to stay legal.

While beverage makers are in a race against time to preserve legal standing for intoxicating hemp products, a majority of state Attorneys General are urging Congress to stand firm on the upcoming November ban.

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.

Hemp beverages may have earned a temporary reprieve from upcoming federal restrictions after the U.S. Senate passed a continuing budget resolution over the weekend that extends the deadline until December 11.

Lollapalooza has added a new starring act: THC drinks.

U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY) introduced a long-awaited hemp legalization bill today, seeking to create a comprehensive regulatory framework for hemp-derived consumer products ahead of the looming November ban.

Despite a looming regulatory ban, hemp beverages are booming. The category grew 133% year-over-year between 2024 and 2025, according to a new report by the Hemp Beverage Alliance.