Bloomberg reports the December 11 federal restriction could cost brands tied to Willie Nelson and Cheech & Chong their beverage businesses.
NATIONAL, October 24, 2026: Celebrity-backed hemp beverage brands, including those tied to Willie Nelson and Cheech & Chong, could lose their beverage businesses if the federal restriction on most hemp-derived THC products takes effect on December 11, Bloomberg reported on October 23.
Bloomberg put the size of the hemp drink market at about $1.5 billion and reported that it could leave store shelves unless Congress acts before the deadline. The full text of the feature was not available for this report beyond its headline and summary.
Smaller businesses are also adjusting. Bring Me The News reported on October 20 that two Minnesota breweries, Indeed Brewing and Bauhaus Brew Labs, said Square will no longer allow THC product sales through its system, so they have moved to cash-only sales. InBound Brew Co. has already stopped selling THC products, and Blacklist Beer in Duluth plans to end production and sales on October 31, according to the report.
No new federal agency action or congressional vote on the hemp definition was identified this week. None of the replacement bills had received a hearing or markup as of October 21, according to a LearnBrands post, and the Senate framework bill from Sens. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., had not been reported as introduced.
Forma works embedded on hemp and THC beverage formulation and commercial scale-up, from compliant dosing and label claims through co-packer qualification. This wire is a byproduct of the same regulatory tracking that informs that work.
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