A booth at Mary Jane Berlin at Messe Berlin in Berlin, Germany, on June 12. (Photo: Michael Kuenne/PRESSCOV/Sipa USA)

The U.S. House of Representatives has delayed an impending federal crackdown on hemp-derived cannabinoid products, giving the hemp beverage industry roughly one additional month to push for a permanent regulatory framework.

The House voted 370-48 on Sept. 1 to approve H.R. 6500, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027. The bill extends federal funding through Dec. 11 and moves the effective date of new federal hemp restrictions from Nov. 12 to Dec. 11.

The Senate previously approved the legislation 90-6 on Aug. 8, sending the measure back to the House with amendments.

The Hemp Beverage Alliance, a trade group representing 375 members in the U.S. and Canada, welcomed the House vote and said the delay gives Congress additional time to establish federal rules for hemp beverages.

“The hemp beverage industry looks forward to working with Congress to create a regulatory framework that protects public health, keeps products away from minors, and permanently removes the bad actors that sell untested, high-potency, copycat gummies and candies that target children,” Christopher Lackner, founder and president of the Hemp Beverage Alliance, said in a statement.

The organization pointed to states including Minnesota, Louisiana, New Jersey and Kentucky as examples of markets where hemp beverages are already regulated.

“Hemp beverages are increasingly popular among responsible adults,” Lackner said, adding that alcohol distributors and retailers are already selling the products in 28 states that regulate the category.

What the Hemp Ban Delay Means

The federal restrictions were originally set to take effect Nov. 12 under legislation passed in 2025. The changes would significantly narrow the federal definition of hemp and affect a range of hemp-derived cannabinoid products, including beverages.

The new deadline gives lawmakers until Dec. 11 to consider alternatives, including proposals that would establish a federal regulatory system instead of imposing broad restrictions.

One such proposal is the HEMP Act, introduced by Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., which seeks to establish federal guardrails for hemp-derived cannabinoid products. Separately, Reps. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, and Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, recently introduced legislation specifically aimed at creating regulatory standards for hemp-derived beverages.

In July, Reps. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.) unveiled the Lawful Hemp Protection Act, a proposal intended to legalize, regulate and tax hemp-derived cannabinoid products while establishing national standards for manufacturing, labeling, sales and distribution.

The Hemp Beverage Alliance said regulation could address safety and youth-access concerns while allowing the legal market to continue operating.

The group also cited its recently released industry data report, which it said found 133% growth in hemp beverages. The alliance argues that continued growth under a federal regulatory framework could generate additional jobs, economic activity and tax revenue.

For now, the House action provides the industry with additional time to make that case before the new Dec. 11 deadline.

(Photo: AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Outlets have reported that the Trump Administration is privately urging Republican senators to delay a hemp ban scheduled to take effect in November. The moratorium would benefit stakeholders across the hemp-derived THC industry, among them the son-in-law of Susie Wiles, President Trump’s chief of staff.

A Senate funding bill released over the weekend would delay the hemp prohibition until Dec. 11, allowing hemp-derived gummies, flower, beverages and vapes to remain on shelves for an additional month. The window would give officials extra time to finalize a comprehensive hemp legalization framework, several of which have already been proposed by lawmakers including Andy Barr and Angie Craig.

Not everyone is on board. Earlier this week, Republican Senator Ted Budd filed an amendment that would keep the original Nov. 12 deadline intact. Budd vowed to close the “life-threatening loophole” in a speech to fellow lawmakers, citing the risks of lookalike name-brand products and pediatric cannabis poisoning.

The following day, Politico reports that Budd received a phone call from President Trump. An anonymous source claims that the President discussed the creation of a federal regulatory framework, but did not ask Budd outright to withdraw his amendment.

A similar conversation reportedly happened behind closed doors on Thursday, when Vice President Vance implored GOP senators to vote yes on the hemp ban extension. Dr Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has also lent his support, voicing “grave concerns” about senior citizens who rely on clinically appropriate, full-spectrum CBD products.

The hemp-derived THC market is valued at approximately $28.4 billion and currently supports an estimated 328,000 jobs across various industries, according to advocates.

Records suggest that lobbyists have joined the battle. Nonprofit group Team Hemp has paid $300,000 since the beginning of the year to the lobbying firm of Marty Obst, a longtime Republican strategist who worked on the 2016 and 2020 Trump presidential campaigns. Hemp Industry & Farmers of America has spent $415,000 on lobbyists in the same time frame, and claims to have “participated in substantative meetings with White House officials” on its website.

A connection between the Trump cabinet and the hemp industry has also drawn scrutiny. The New York Times reports that the moratorium campaign was led in part by Bret Worley, who married Caroline Wiles, daughter of Trump chief of staff Susie Wiles, in June.

Worley is the CEO of MC Nutraceuticals, a Denver-based company that claims to the single largest global supplier of cannabinoids. Its website offers wholesale solutions for distillate, concentrates, disposable vapes, edibles and pre-rolls, all made with hemp-derived THC.

When asked for comment, White House spokesman Kush Desai told the New York Times that Worley has “nothing to do” with the Trump administration’s stance, insisting that the hemp extension push is intended to help veterans and patients.

(Photo: Cann)

NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade is dribbling from the basketball court to the golf course with a California sober drink launch.

On Tuesday, Wade joined forces with Cann to unveil a pair of Half & Half flavors: One dosed with three milligrams of hemp-derived THC plus six milligrams of CBD, and the other with zero milligrams of each. The drinks reimagine the classic golf libation with a blend of Bergamot Lemonade and Yerba Mate Iced Tea, delivering the same amount of caffeine as a standard shot of espresso.

Since these are social beverages — and not merely THC-delivery vessels — the drinks also contain a functional blend of ingredients including magnesium, electrolytes and L-theanine, which are said to boost mood, hydrate and take the edge off, respectively. Eight packs are now shipping online to all 50 states at a suggested retail price of $33.

“I’ve been a fan of Cann for quite a while now,” Wade shared in a news release. “Finding something that I can drink, catch a small buzz, and still feel great after was a game changer for me as a Dad and entrepreneur with a busy and active lifestyle. My passion for golf inspired my Half & Half flavor. When I really got into the creation of the flavor, I wanted to create something that felt refreshing, familiar, and easy to enjoy.”

Wade is no stranger to a drinks venture. Following his departure from the Miami Heat in 2019, the athlete-turned-entrepreneur made investments in just about every corner of the industry, including a stake in LeBron James’ tequila brand, Lobos 1707, and his very own wine imprint, Wade Cellars.

His latest partnership opens the doors to the fast-growing THC and functional beverage markets. Founded by Stanford and Harvard graduates Jack Bullock and Luke Anderson in 2018, Cann is at the forefront of a new genre of brands ushered in by the federal legalization of hemp-derived THC. Though the category now sits at a precarious crossroads, a recent deadline extension suggests that the government is working towards a comprehensive framework that may secure its future for years to come.

“When Dwyane Wade decided to invest in Cann initially, it signaled that elite athletes and the wellness community understood our vision,” Jake Bullock added. “Our Half & Half reflects Dwyane’s own duality as both an athlete and a dad, just as it mirrors our consumers’ desire to wind down without the hangover.”

(Photo: NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx 2022, AP Images)

A Senate funding bill released over the weekend includes a month-long moratorium on the federal hemp ban, granting lawmakers more time to determine the future of the $28.4 billion hemp-derived THC market.

The resolution, which is expected to go to a vote this week, delayed the hemp prohibition from November 12 to December 11. Synthetic cannabinoids not derived from cannabis will still be banned come November, but everything else — be it flower, gummies, tinctures, vapes or beverages made with hemp — could remain on shelves for the time being.

If the bipartisan resolution passes the Senate, it would still need approval from the House of Representatives and the President.

Industry leaders such as the U.S. Hemp Roundtable have applauded the move, calling it “welcome news” for hemp farmers, small businesses, retailers and manufacturers across the country. They warn, however, that there is still much work to be done before the end of the year.

“The coming weeks will be critical as lawmakers continue debating how hemp should be regulated moving forward. For now, we celebrate this important step forward and thank the elected officials who recognized the need to protect America’s hemp farmers and businesses,” the U.S. Hemp Roundtable said in a press release.

The current landscape was set by the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized products with less than 0.3% THC by dry weight. The law ushered in an era of widely available hemp products and supports an estimated 328,000 jobs across various industries.

A push led by Senator Mitch McConnell undid the language less than a decade later. Legislation passed at the end of 2025 set a one-year window for the prohibition of hemp products with over 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container. Advocates say that the ban will erase 90% of non-intoxicating goods currently available on the market.

Lawmakers have proposed a handful of paths forward that will be considered as the moratorium draws to a close. In July, Reps. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.) unveiled the Lawful Hemp Protection Act, a framework for the legalization, regulation and taxation of hemp-derived cannabinoid products. If passed, the law would create a regulatory system overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which would be tasked with creating cannabinoid limits, packaging standards and a three-tier distribution system akin to alcohol.

A press release from Barr’s office claimed that the proposal has the backing of the White House, though neither the Trump administration nor the President himself have publicly endorsed the bill.

(Photo: AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Marijuana has officially overtaken alcohol and tobacco in the daily habits of Americans, according to recently released federal data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The organization’s 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 21.4 million Americans over the age of 12 reported daily marijuana consumption, an increase of nearly 4 million compared to just five years prior. That figure places daily marijuana use above daily cigarette use for the first time in the survey’s history, with the latter currently sitting at around 19.9 million daily users.

The same survey found that 17.2 million Americans reported drinking alcohol every day or most days, suggesting that it too has fallen behind the habitual consumption of THC.

The statistics paint a familiar picture to anyone who’s followed headlines over the past few years. Marijuana, now permitted in 41 states for medical use and 24 states for recreational use, is closer than ever to federal legalization. Long gone are the days of a joint hastily rolled in a neighbor’s garage; in 2026, consumers in most markets have their pick of the litter from gummies, tinctures, vapes and drinks in every dosage variety, marketed not only to long-time users, but also to parents, executives and the increasingly buzzy “active lifestyle.”

It’s difficult to say where alcohol fits into the equation. Booze consumption has fallen from its peak in 2021 due to a variety of headwinds, chief among them inflation, trade tensions, the proliferation of weight loss drugs and — some would claim — marijuana use.

But trends can change fast. According to the latest Bevtrac survey from IWSR, the drinking rate among legal-age Gen Z consumers has stabilized at 74%, an 8% increase from three years prior. The long-standing assumption that younger Americans are trading alcohol for marijuana doesn’t seem to be entirely true; if anything, they’re now partaking in more of both.

The other caveat worth noting is the divide between daily and casual use.

Popular as marijuana may be, it’s yet to become a casually accepted option for most Americans. Nearly 140 million respondents reported consuming alcohol at least once in the past month, compared to less than 44 million who said they consumed marijuana in the same time frame. On the flip side, only 13% of monthly alcohol consumers reported drinking daily, while daily marijuana use was reported as high as 50%.

The moral of the story? Marijuana has grown increasingly popular within a small subset of consumers, while alcohol has witnessed overall declines with a far broader audience base. As the THC industry innovates toward shinier, newcomer-friendly products, it may soon capture the mainstream appeal that booze has long enjoyed in the routines of drinkers worldwide.

(Photo: RYTHM)

Lollapalooza attendees will be able to purchase hemp-derived THC beverages at the festival for the first time this summer as Chicago-based Señorita becomes the event’s official THC beverage partner.

The partnership will make Señorita’s non-alcoholic Mango Margarita and Lime Jalapeño Margarita available to festivalgoers 21 and older at select general admission cocktail bars, GA+ locations and VIP bars throughout Grant Park during the four-day music festival, which runs July 30 through Aug. 2.

The move marks another milestone for the rapidly growing hemp beverage category, which has expanded beyond liquor stores and specialty retailers into stadiums, arenas and major live entertainment venues over the past year.

Each 12-ounce can contains 5 milligrams of hemp-derived THC and is made with organic blue agave, real fruit juice and Himalayan pink salt. The beverages were developed by winemakers Joel Gott and Charles Bieler as a non-alcoholic alternative to traditional margaritas.

“Chicago is Señorita’s hometown, so this partnership feels like coming home,” Ben Kovler, chairman and interim CEO of RYTHM, Inc., said in a news release. “Lollapalooza has shaped music culture for more than three decades, making it the perfect place to introduce fans 21+ to Señorita, which offers a premium THC, non-alcoholic option for festivalgoers.”

The announcement comes as consumer interest in THC beverages continues to grow. According to the company, nearly nine in 10 consumers say they would be interested in trying a new cannabis beverage brand at a live event, reflecting increasing demand for alcohol alternatives at concerts and festivals.

With daily attendance exceeding 100,000 people, Lollapalooza is among the largest music festivals in the United States, making it one of the highest-profile events yet to embrace hemp-derived THC beverages.

The partnership builds on RYTHM’s expansion across Chicago’s entertainment scene. Earlier this year, the company’s beverages became the first THC drinks sold at the United Center and the Navy Pier, and they have since expanded into venues operated by 16″ on Center, including The Salt Shed, while also appearing at events such as Windy City Smokeout, Sueños Music Festival, the Chicago Pride Parade and Taste of Randolph.

Señorita THC Margaritas are currently available nationwide through licensed retailers and via direct-to-consumer shipping in more than 30 states through the brand’s website.

(Photo: Adobe Stock)

The nation’s largest trade group representing wine and spirits distributors has voiced its support behind proposed bipartisan legislation that would regulate hemp-derived THC beverages instead of allowing a sweeping federal ban to take effect later this year.

The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America on Wednesday endorsed the Lawful Hemp Protection Act, legislation introduced by Reps. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.) that would establish the first comprehensive federal regulatory framework for intoxicating hemp-derived products.

WSWA said the legislation appropriately recognizes hemp-derived beverages as a distinct category and applies many of the same regulatory principles that have governed beverage alcohol for decades.

“This legislation takes an important step by recognizing that hemp-derived beverages can be regulated using the principles of the three-tier system that has governed beverage alcohol safely and successfully for more than 90 years,” Dawson Hobbs, WSWA’s executive vice president of federal affairs, said in a statement published Wednesday.

WSWA said the proposal would move the hemp beverage industry away from regulatory uncertainty while preserving state authority and strengthening consumer protections.

Among the provisions WSWA highlighted are:

• A federally permitted three-tier distribution system requiring manufacturers to sell only to wholesalers, wholesalers only to retailers, and retailers only to consumers
• A nationwide 21-and-over purchase requirement
• Mandatory product testing by accredited laboratories
• Clear THC content disclosures and ingredient labeling
•  Packaging restrictions designed to reduce youth appeal
• Federal licensing, taxation and enforcement requirements

The organization also backed the bill’s provision establishing a default potency limit of 5 milligrams of total THC per serving for oral products, including beverages, if federal regulators fail to create their own standards within one year.

While praising the legislation, WSWA said it hopes Congress further refines several provisions before final passage.

Specifically, the organization called for clearer definitions of the enforcement responsibilities of the Food and Drug Administration, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and other federal agencies overseeing the new framework.

WSWA also said it supports the bill’s prohibition on tied-house and exclusive dealing arrangements and wants lawmakers to ensure federal potency standards are “clear, enforceable and appropriate” for beverage products.

The group also indicated that it expects additional discussion around the bill’s proposed federal excise tax of 5 cents per milligram of THC on hemp beverages to ensure parity with beverage alcohol.

“We don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” Hobbs said. “The beverage alcohol model has worked for more than 90 years. These beverages are intoxicating products and should be treated like beverage alcohol.”

The endorsement adds another major beverage industry voice to the growing coalition supporting the legislation, which has also been backed by organizations including the Hemp Beverage Alliance, Hemp Industry & Farmers of America, the Kentucky Hemp Association and the U.S. Hemp Roundtable.

The legislation faces a tight timeline. Without congressional action, federal restrictions approved last year are scheduled to take effect on Nov. 12, a move that many hemp beverage producers say would effectively eliminate much of today’s marketplace.

WSWA said it plans to continue working with lawmakers and federal regulators to refine the proposal into what it called a balanced and enforceable framework that protects consumers while preserving a legal market for compliant hemp-derived beverages.

(Photo: Eva Russo/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced legislation that would replace a looming federal crackdown on hemp-derived THC products with a nationwide regulatory framework modeled in part on the alcohol industry.

Reps. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.) on Wednesday unveiled the Lawful Hemp Protection Act, a proposal that would legalize, regulate and tax hemp-derived cannabinoid products while establishing national standards for manufacturing, labeling, sales and distribution.

The legislation arrives as the hemp industry faces a Nov. 12 deadline, when language approved by Congress last year is scheduled to take effect that would effectively outlaw most consumable hemp products sold today.

Instead of prohibition, the new bill would create a federal regulatory system overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration while allowing states to maintain stricter rules if they choose.

One of the most significant provisions would raise the federal definition of legal hemp from the current limit of **0.3% delta-9 THC** to **1% total THC on a dry-weight basis**, potentially preserving many hemp-derived products that would otherwise become illegal.

The proposal would also:

•  Restrict sales of hemp cannabinoid products to consumers 21 and older.
• Require new packaging, labeling and marketing standards.
• Direct the FDA to establish cannabinoid limits for finished products within 12 months. If the agency misses that deadline, the legislation would automatically cap ingested products at 5 milligrams of cannabinoids and inhalable or topical products at 50 milligrams.
• Create a three-tier distribution system for hemp beverages similar to the one used for alcohol, separating producers, distributors and retailers.
• Impose a 5% retail excise tax on hemp cannabinoid products, along with an additional 5-cent-per-milligram THC tax on hemp beverages.

The legislation would also prohibit cannabinoids that do not naturally occur in cannabis or are synthesized, a provision aimed at restricting intoxicating hemp-derived compounds such as delta-8 and delta-10 THC.

Barr said the bill would provide long-awaited certainty for Kentucky’s hemp industry while establishing consumer protections.

“Kentucky farmers helped build America’s hemp industry and they deserve certainty,” Barr said in a statement. “The Lawful Hemp Protection Act protects Kentucky agriculture, safeguards consumers, and establishes a commonsense regulatory framework.”

Craig said the proposal would provide regulatory clarity for farmers, brewers and small businesses while preserving consumer choice.

The measure has already attracted broad support from hemp and beverage organizations, including the Hemp Beverage Alliance, Hemp Industry & Farmers of America, Kentucky Hemp Association, Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America and the Coalition for Adult Beverage Alternatives.

Jonathan Miller, general counsel of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, called the legislation a “serious, science-based, and bipartisan solution” that would replace prohibition with responsible regulation, according to Law360.

Not everyone agreed.

The American Trade Association for Cannabis & Hemp criticized the proposal, arguing it would effectively revive the market for intoxicating hemp-derived products that Congress sought to eliminate when it approved the federal hemp restrictions last year.

The bill is one of several competing hemp proposals now before Congress, including measures that would delay implementation of the November ban, leave regulation entirely to the states or preserve only CBD products.

Chad Wolf, Former Acting Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2019-2020), and Homeland Security and Immigration Chair America First Policy, speaking at a hearing of the Senate Budget Committee hearing about sanctuary cities at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via AP Images)

Former acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf is calling on Congress to investigate what he describes as the growing influence of Chinese-linked criminal organizations in America’s hemp-derived THC industry.

In a letter sent Tuesday to leaders of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Wolf urged lawmakers to examine what he called the “growing role that Chinese-linked actors and foreign criminal organizations are playing in the proliferation of hemp-derived tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products and illegal marijuana operations” across the United States, Fox News reported.

The letter was addressed to committee Chairman Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Ranking Member Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.

Wolf argued that the hemp market has expanded well beyond Congress’s original intent when it legalized industrial hemp through the 2018 Farm Bill, creating what he described as an underregulated market for intoxicating hemp-derived THC products.

“What began as a narrowly tailored effort to legalize industrial hemp and non-intoxicating cannabidiol (CBD) products has evolved into a dangerous and unregulated market for high-potency THC hemp products that are being sold across the country with little to no oversight,” Wolf wrote.

He claimed many hemp-derived THC products—including gummies, beverages and vape products—are marketed in ways that appeal to children and lack consistent age restrictions, labeling standards and safety requirements.

Wolf also pointed to the White House’s 2026 National Drug Control Strategy, which warns that transnational criminal organizations, particularly those with ties to China, have expanded their involvement in illegal marijuana cultivation in the United States. The strategy cites Oklahoma, where law enforcement officials estimate Chinese criminal organizations operate a majority of illegal marijuana and hemp farms.

According to the strategy, those operations have also been linked to alleged human trafficking, money laundering and the use of unregistered pesticides.

In his letter, Wolf argued that Congress should also investigate whether Chinese-linked organizations have become involved in the intoxicating hemp-derived THC supply chain, including financing, chemical manufacturing, cultivation and money laundering.

The request comes as lawmakers continue debating federal regulation of intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids. Congress approved legislation last year intended to close loopholes involving intoxicating THC hemp products, though implementation and additional legislative proposals remain under discussion.

Wolf warned that efforts to weaken or delay those restrictions could create additional opportunities for criminal organizations to exploit the U.S. hemp market.

The House Select Committee has not yet announced whether it plans to open an investigation in response to Wolf’s request.

Dried flowers of HHC in a transparent plastic bag are posed on a table on May 12, 2023, in Creteil, France. (Photo: Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via AP)

Two hemp companies have sued the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration over a new rule that classifies a hemp-derived cannabinoid known as HHC as a Schedule I controlled substance, setting up what could become one of the most significant legal battles yet over the future of hemp-derived products.

According to petitions first reported on by Law360, Bluestar Operations LLC and IHC Investments filed separate challenges this week in federal appeals courts, arguing the DEA unlawfully exceeded its authority when it moved to classify hexahydrocannabinol, or HHC, as a Schedule I substance.

The companies contend the agency’s action conflicts with the 2018 Farm Bill, which federally legalized hemp and hemp-derived products containing no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC.

In court filings, the companies argued Congress intentionally created broad protections for hemp and did not prohibit cannabinoids produced through common manufacturing processes such as extraction, refinement, conversion or hydrogenation.

“The DEA effectively, and thus unlawfully, attempts to expand federal criminal liability through administrative interpretation,” IHC Investments argued in its petition.

The dispute centers on HHC, a psychoactive cannabinoid that can be produced from hemp-derived compounds. While it is less well known than delta-8 THC or delta-9 THC, HHC has become increasingly common in hemp products sold throughout the U.S.

The DEA announced in May that HHC should be treated as a Schedule I controlled substance because it falls within the federal definition of tetrahydrocannabinols, which are already classified under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.

At the time, the agency said it was merely clarifying existing law rather than creating a new prohibition.

The hemp companies, however, argue the DEA’s interpretation ignores both the language and intent of the Farm Bill and unlawfully creates new criminal liability for products that businesses have operated under the assumption were federally legal.

The lawsuits also invoke the “major questions doctrine,” a legal principle that generally requires clear congressional authorization before federal agencies can make decisions with significant economic or political consequences.

According to the petitions, Congress — not the DEA — must decide whether hemp-derived cannabinoids should be criminalized.

The legal fight arrives at a pivotal moment for the hemp industry.

Hemp-derived cannabinoids have rapidly expanded beyond tinctures and gummies into beverages, one of the industry’s fastest-growing categories.

While HHC remains a niche cannabinoid compared to delta-9 THC, it has found its way into a growing number of hemp-derived beverages. Companies including Green Light District, Day Drinker and Green Herbal Care have sold drinks containing HHC, positioning the cannabinoid as an alternative intoxicating ingredient in the rapidly expanding hemp beverage category.

Retailers including Target have expanded sales of hemp-derived THC beverages into hundreds of stores, while entertainment venues such as Chicago’s Navy Pier and United Center have begun adding THC drinks to their menus.

At the same time, lawmakers and regulators have increasingly scrutinized intoxicating hemp products.

In April, Sen. Rand Paul introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting the hemp industry as Congress considered broader restrictions on hemp-derived cannabinoids.

The uncertainty is expected to increase later this year. A recently approved federal spending bill includes provisions that would significantly narrow the definition of legal hemp and prohibit certain cannabinoids synthesized from hemp-derived CBD. Those changes are scheduled to take effect in November 2026.

While the current lawsuits focus specifically on HHC, industry participants are likely to view the cases as part of a broader battle over how federal regulators interpret hemp law and how aggressively they can move against cannabinoids that emerged after passage of the Farm Bill.

The companies are asking the courts to declare the DEA’s rule unlawful and vacate it.

“This is a coordinated defense of the rule of law and the stability of the American hemp industry,” attorney David Sergei, who represents the companies, said in a statement cited by Law360.

“The DEA is attempting to redefine federal law through administrative fiat, causing immediate and irreparable harm to businesses operating in reliance upon the 2018 Farm Bill.”