Alcohol Giants Intensify Capitol Hill Push on Hemp THC Drinks

WASHINGTON – Major players in the beer, wine, and spirits sectors disclosed a sharp increase in federal lobbying during the third quarter of 2025, zeroing in on regulations for hemp-derived THC beverages that some executives view as direct challengers to traditional alcohol sales. The effort comes as lawmakers in both chambers weigh measures that could impose strict limits or an outright prohibition on intoxicating cannabinoids in hemp products, a category that has gained traction among consumers seeking alternatives to booze.

Disclosure filings with the Senate and House, covering July through September, list nearly a dozen alcohol-related entities reporting contacts with congressional offices and executive agencies. Their agendas centered on clarifying definitions from the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight but left room [loophole] for intoxicating derivatives like delta-8 and delta-9 variants in low concentrations. Big Alcohol like Anheuser-Busch Companies pressed for policies to “differentiate beer from hemp” in taxation and oversight, while Diageo North America advocated updates to the Farm Bill’s hemp provisions. Other participants included Bacardi North America, the Beer Institute, the Distilled Spirits Council, Moët Hennessy USA, Molson Coors Beverage Company and the National Beer Wholesalers Association, which tracked the status of S. 2112, the HEMP Act, aimed at refining hemp classifications.

This coordinated activity reflects broader anxieties in the $250 billion U.S. alcohol market, where sales of distilled spirits and beer have flattened in recent years. Hemp THC drinks [often marketed as low-calorie, hangover-free options] have carved out a niche, with U.S. sales reaching $809 million in 2025 and projected to hit $1.7 billion by 2032 at an annual growth rate of 11.2%. Globally, the Cannabis beverages segment is on track to expand from $1.3 billion in 2024 to $3.1 billion by 2030, growing at 16.3% annually, driven partly by non-alcoholic infusions that appeal to health-conscious drinkers. Hemp-derived products, in particular, generated $382 million last year and could double to $750 million by 2029, according to industry trackers.

From a business standpoint, the overlap is stark. Alcohol distributors, long reliant on established supply chains, now see hemp beverages flooding convenience stores and bars.

Critics in the hemp sector argue that alcohol’s advocacy smacks of protectionism, given the beverages’ minimal overlap with high-proof spirits. Hemp advocates, including the U.S. Hemp Roundtable and the Hemp Beverage Alliance, countered with their own disclosures, urging Congress to preserve Farm Bill allowances while adding safety measures like labeling and testing. Data bears out the competitive pressure. From March 2024 to March 2025, ready-to-drink THC options racked up $141 million in dispensary revenue, siphoning share from the $28 billion non-alcoholic beverage category dominated by seltzers and mocktails. Yet alcohol firms maintain their push is about equity, ensuring hemp products face similar scrutiny to prevent unchecked proliferation.

The filings also reveal cross-industry alliances. Altria Client Services, the services arm of tobacco [!] giant Altria, lobbied on FDA enforcement for Cannabis alongside alcohol peers, hinting at shared interests in controlled substances policy. Prohibition-oriented groups like Smart Approaches to Marijuana amplified calls to seal the “hemp loophole” for delta-8, aligning indirectly with booze interests.

As negotiations drag into the lame-duck session, the stakes extend beyond beverages. A federal clampdown could cascade into wider hemp applications, from textiles to nutraceuticals, while lax rules might accelerate alcohol’s pivot toward infused hybrids. For now, the alcohol lobby’s Q3 disclosures [the most active quarter on record for Cannabis topics] underscore a simple equation:

In a market where consumers increasingly opt for clarity and wellness, established giants are not standing idle.