Some Ohio craft brewers are optimistic changes will be made at the federal level to allow THC-infused beverages to continue to be manufactured and sold past next year.
Ohio Senate Bill 56 allows five milligram THC beverages to be manufactured, distributed and sold until Dec. 31, 2026. The bill also says that if the federal government legalizes THC beverages, Ohio will consider “a more robust regulatory framework of these products,” according to the bill’s language.
“I’m excited we have another year,” said Collin Castore, the co-founder of three central Ohio breweries. “I’m optimistic that the federal side will get cleared up. …The more regulation we can get and clarity on things, the better.”
Ohio Republican lawmakers passed the bill, sending it to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk for his signature. DeWine has said he will sign the bill.
“I think (the bill is) positive,” said Bobby Slattery, founder of Fifty West Brewing Company in Cincinnati.
“I would have hoped that this bill would have, if the federal extends, this bill would have an automatic extension built into it. That’s not exactly how it played it out, but I think it’s something that we can fix down the road.”
However, not all brewers are as hopeful.
“I’m not optimistic that the federal piece that would trigger that clause will happen in time before the end date of this Ohio bill,” said Scotty Hunter, co-owner and founder at Urban Artifact Brewing, which produces Coastalo THC sodas.
“I’m still optimistic that the federal (government) will get a regulatory framework in place. I just don’t expect that to happen in under a year … I expect some period of prohibition in Ohio.”
THC-infused beverages have no alcohol in them and are regulated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
“One of the requirements of these beverages is that you actually have to send your product out to a lab to verify that it meets the milligrams that you are advertising on the can,” Slattery said.
Fifty West Brewing produces Sunflower THC Seltzer, which has quickly become popular.
“On the trajectory that it’s on, we can see within the next two years this overtaking and us producing more THC products than craft beer,” Slattery said.
People looking for an alternative to alcohol turn to the THC-infused beverages, Ohio brewers said.
“If you talk to customers that are drinking them, it’s not because they get you higher or anything along those lines,” Slattery said. “Most of them, they’re just looking for a healthy alternative, whether it be lower calories or it doesn’t mess with their sleep.”
Castore was glad THC-beverages were separated out from intoxicating hemp products in the bill.
“This is a different category and should be treated differently,” he said. “We felt like we were kind of being good players who were getting tossed into the maybe not so great players.”
THC-infused beverages make up 10-15% of their wholesale business and about 5% on the retail side, said Castore, the co-founder of Seventh Son Brewery, Antiques on High, and Getaway Brewing.
Until he hears otherwise, Castore is keeping things status quo when it comes to THC beverages. He said his breweries are doing some new flavors of THC drinks next year. He said they were going to roll out a 10 milligram THC beverage, but are now changing it to five milligram beverage.
“We’re overall glad about the regulation, and overall slightly optimistic that things are moving in the right direction,” Castore said.
A pair of Democratic senators from Oregon recently introduced federal legislation that would undo the federal hemp ban and would, among other things, allow THC-infused beverages to contain up to 10 milligrams per container.
This story was originally published by the Ohio Capital Journal and republished here with permission.