PRESS RELEASE: Hemp Beverage Alliance urges Texas Governor to veto job-killing hemp ban bill
(AUSTIN) – The Hemp Beverage Alliance, the trade association of the hemp beverage industry with more than 300 members in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom, today urged Governor Greg Abbott to veto legislation that would have a catastrophic impact on Texas small businesses, consumers, and taxpayers.
The Hemp Beverage Alliance is strongly opposed to the recent passage of SB3, which severely curtails the sale of hemp beverage products throughout Texas. This legislation will substantially harm small businesses throughout the state and destroy the economic livelihoods of thousands of Texans. More concerningly, the legislation overlooks the overwhelming public support the hemp beverage industry has received from adult consumers who have embraced this new adult beverage category.
“Low-dose hemp beverages are a lifesaver for the craft brewing industry and others who are affected by a downturn in alcohol consumption,” said Christopher Lackner, president, Hemp Beverage Alliance. “Regulation, not prohibition, is the best way to keep THC products away from children and protect public health while allowing responsible adults to enjoy these products..”
The Hemp Beverage Alliance supports regulatory principles that set sensible limits for THC content, keep products away from children, provide robust product testing, and create tax revenues for the public benefit. These principles can be found on the trade association’s website: https://www.hempbeveragealliance.org/principles-overview.
The passage of SB 3 runs counter to the desires of most adults in the state. According to a March 2025 public opinion poll, an overwhelming 68% of Texas voters want consumable THC to remain legal but strictly regulated, with measures such as age restrictions and warning labels.
States throughout the country are increasingly seeing significant employment opportunities, tax revenues as a result of a safe, age-gated, well-regulated hemp beverage industry.
"This ban is a direct hit to Texas jobs, veterans, and responsible consumers – killing an industry President Trump legalized and forcing companies to flee the state just to ship products back in,” said Ben Meggs, HBA member and founder of Houston-based Bayou City Hemp. “We urge Governor Abbott to veto this misguided bill and stand with us in regulating, not eliminating, an industry that saves lives and livelihoods."
Hemp beverages are seltzers, sodas, mocktails, coffees, teas, and other non-alcoholic drinks that contain a small infusion of hemp-derived cannabinoids. Since hemp was legalized in the 2018 Farm Bill, states like Minnesota, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee and others have developed regulatory frameworks to create a safe and thriving industry. The Hemp Beverage Alliance expects other states to develop similar frameworks in 2025.
The Hemp Beverage Alliance will hold its second annual Expo in Atlanta, Georgia this year to build more awareness for the category. More than 1,200 people from around the country are expected to attend the three day event.
About the Hemp Beverage Alliance
The mission of the Hemp Beverage Alliance is to create a safe and thriving industry through education, advocacy, best practices and partnership. We achieve this by providing consumers, retailers, and distributors with the information they need to better understand the industry; developing best practices to create consistency in labeling and manufacturing; working with elected officials and regulators to encourage common-sense regulation; and collaborating with cannabis and alcohol industries to create a marketplace that benefits everyone. More at hempbeveragealliance.org.
The Hemp Beverage Alliance will host its second annual Expo in Atlanta, July 9-11. Visit https://hempbeverageexpo.com/ for more information.
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