If you've been to a brewery lately or scanned the grocery store cooler shelves, you've probably noticed more cannabis-infused drinks. The THC beverages have become a popular alternative to beer, with sales topping $1.1 billion last year, according to Whitney Economics. But the party could come to an end later this year under a new federal law that bans the drinks along with other hemp-derived THC products. Daniel Larlham Jr. wrote about it for The Charlotte Ledger Business Newsletter and he joined WFAE's Marshall Terry for more.
Marshall Terry: I've noticed these cannabis beverages seem to be everywhere. Why have they become so popular and are they exactly legal?
Daniel Larlham Jr.: Before 2018, there were some sales under the recreational dispensary umbrella in states that have those. But really, it was the 2018 Farm Bill that popularized them.
That bill allowed farmers to grow hemp and hemp products to be sold. Part of why they've become so popular as well is that consumer preference for alcohol is declining. A lot of these manufacturers have found that people are looking for alternatives, THC beverages being one of them. As for the legality, they're legal under the Farm Bill. However, the FDA has not approved THC and CBD additives to food and beverages. So there's a little bit of a legal discussion about that.
Read more at WFAE
