The alcohol and weed industries have always been deeply intertwined, but the relationship between the two hasn’t always been smooth. Research has shown time and time again that alcohol consumption is becoming less popular while cannabis consumption is on the rise, and the introduction of hemp drinks into the mainstream market has posed new challenges for beer and wine. Some in the alcohol industry have pressed for increased regulation on cannabis. Others, perhaps recognizing the cannabis industry as a tide that can’t be turned, have opted to take a new approach: a new survey suggests that nearly half of the country’s beer distributors are exploring selling THC beverages.
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Tamarron’s latest Brewer Partnership Compass survey revealed that 46.8 percent of participating beer distributors have either added or explored adding THC/delta-9 beverages to their repertoire. This marks a significant increase from the 2024 figure of 26.5 percent. These drinks are classified as hemp products because of their cannabis content of less than 0.3 percent THC by dry weight.
This makes sense, given recent projections indicating a major boom in infused beverages. Euromonitor International estimates that the hemp drink industry is worth over $1 billion and projects retail sales to reach $30 billion within the next decade. Delta Emerald projects the drinks to outsell craft beer by 2035.
Because of the legal confusion around hemp and its regulation, hemp drinks have been able to find homes at sporting events and convenience stores, including some in illegal states. Lawmakers have proposed regulating hemp, but until they do, the 2018 Farm Bill protects it.
In February, Steve Barclay—the executive director of the Beer and Wine Distributors of Arizona—submitted a bill that asserted that hemp drink companies must use beer, wine, and liquor wholesalers to distribute their products. The bill was passed in the Senate in March but never reached the House. Other alcohol industry leaders have supported similar initiatives, arguing that hemp should be regulated similarly to alcohol.
Despite the alcohol industry’s push to see hemp regulated to some degree, the markets have been allied in multiple aspects. At the Access Live conference in February, the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America acknowledged cannabis’s potential for explosive growth and expressed their wholehearted support of the plant’s legalization.
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With legal attacks on hemp picking up speed and the alcohol business facing declining sales, collaboration may be the way forward. At the very least, this survey indicates there are creative ways cannabis and alcohol can come together to bring fresh, new products to their combined customer bases.