Beverage-Alcohol Trade Associations Call on Congress to Stop Hemp-Derived THC Sales

A group of U.S. beverage-alcohol trade associations are calling on Congress to remove hemp-derived THC products from the market, Just Drinks reports. In a letter to Congress, the groups call for lawmakers to “act immediately to remove hemp-derived THC products from the marketplace until a robust federal regulatory framework is established.” 

“Unfortunately, the ambiguous language contained in the 2018 farm bill has been manipulated and exploited by certain actors, fueling the rapid growth of a largely unregulated market that is knowingly and willfully ignoring the Federal Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) position that the addition of intoxicating cannabinoids (like delta-8 THC and delta-9 THC) to food is illegal.” — The letter, via Just Drinks 

The letter was signed by Amanda Nguyen, president and CEO of American Distilled Spirits Alliance; Beer Institute chief Brian Crawford; Chris Swonger, president and CEO of Distilled Spirits Council of the US; Jim Trezise, president of WineAmerica; and Robert Koch, president and CEO of the Wine Institute. 

The groups argue that the 2018 Farm Bill meant to restore industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity rather than allow “an entirely new industry of highly intoxicating products.”