“Big Alcohol” lobbying against nationwide cannabis legalization

Is “Big Alcohol” lobbying against nationwide cannabis legalization—and against other THC products?

Big Alcohol’s cannabis strategy: not one war—two fronts

For years, legalization advocates have argued that “Big Alcohol” has an incentive to slow cannabis reform: if consumers substitute cannabis for beer, wine, or spirits, alcohol loses share. The historical record suggests that, at least in some state-level battles, alcohol-industry players have helped bankroll anti-legalization efforts. In 2016, The Guardian reported that “pharma and alcohol companies have been quietly bankrolling the opposition to legal marijuana,” pointing to contributions connected to alcohol wholesale interests in ballot fights. (The Guardian)

But in Washington today, the more aggressive and coordinated alcohol-industry pressure isn’t always aimed at adult-use cannabis itself—it’s aimed at hemp-derived intoxicants that have surged under the 2018 Farm Bill’s hemp definition. These products—especially THC drinks, delta-8/converted cannabinoids, and broadly distributed edibles—often compete in convenience and liquor-adjacent retail channels without the same tax and licensing structures as state-legal cannabis or beverage alcohol.

That’s why alcohol trade groups have increasingly demanded either strict regulation or a temporary pullback. A coalition of alcohol associations wrote that “Manufacturers of beverage alcohol…urge Congress to act immediately to remove hemp-derived THC products from the marketplace until a robust federal regulatory framework is established.” (Marijuana Moment)

Industry leaders also argue for parity: the Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS) stated, “intoxicating hemp products in any form should be treated as equivalent to marijuana products in terms of regulations, taxation and retailing,” backing legislative language to close what it calls a Farm Bill “loophole.” (distilledspirits.org) The Beer Institute has echoed the same theme, criticizing the “current patchwork” of rules that “do not meet the same standards” as beer regulation. (Beer Institute)

Meanwhile, mainstream business coverage has been explicit about the competitive stakes. Reuters reported that a federal provision curbing hemp-derived THC drinks was designed to stop the spread of intoxicating beverages that “pose a threat to alcohol sales.” (Reuters)

Bottom line

• On nationwide cannabis legalization: there’s evidence of selective, state-level opposition funding and political activity by some alcohol interests, but not a single, monolithic anti-legalization front. (The Guardian)

• On hemp-derived intoxicating THC products: alcohol trade groups have been much more publicly and consistently active, pushing to restrict or pause the market until regulation matches alcohol/cannabis frameworks. (Marijuana Moment)

• Reuters
• washingtonpost.com

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