WSWA Launches Educational Resource on Intoxicating Hemp Beverages

Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) just launched a new educational microsite dedicated to the regulation of intoxicating hemp-derived beverages. The Regulation of Intoxicating Hemp Beverages offers a comprehensive, fact-based resource on one of the fastest-growing and least understood segments of the adult beverage marketplace.

The microsite outlines why intoxicating hemp beverages should be regulated in a manner consistent with alcohol, according to WSWA, leveraging a proven system that prioritizes age verification, product standards, taxation and state-level control over retail sales. 

States are actively regulating intoxicating hemp beverages, with bills introduced across 27 states and DC in 2025. Republican-controlled states are slightly more active in this space, according to MultiState, introducing 43 bills across 15 states, compared to 26 bills in 8 Democratic-controlled states and DC, with only four bills enacted so far (in Iowa, Kentucky and Maryland). 

Regulating these infused beverages would help establish a national baseline and allow for interstate commerce.

The Latest Information on Intoxicating Hemp Beverages

WSWA’s microsite provides: 

Key data on the size, growth and trajectory of the hemp industry.

A clear breakdown of regulatory gaps and risks in the current environment.

An interactive map tracking state-level approaches and legislative activity.

Educational tools, including a glossary and downloadable materials for policymakers, media and stakeholders.

Critically, the resource also outlines what a comprehensive federal regulatory structure could look like: providing a roadmap grounded in decades of experience with beverage alcohol oversight. 

“If Congress fails to act, these products face a real risk of being removed from the shelves of licensed, responsible retail stores in November, but would still be available to consumers through multiple other unregulated channels” said WSWA president and CEO Francis Creighton in a news release. “Intoxicating products, including hemp beverages, need a clear, workable framework that protects public health and public safety while allowing responsible businesses to operate. This resource is designed to inform that conversation with facts, not confusion.”

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