Alcohol Retailers Push Congress To Delay Hemp THC Ban While Regulations Are Crafted

Major alcohol retailers are coming together to encourage Congress to delay the enactment of a law President Donald Trump recently signed that will federally recriminalize hemp-derived THC beverages and other products.

The newly launched Beverage Alcohol Merchants Coalition’s (BAMCO) founding members include Total Wine & More, BevMo! by Gopuff, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Spec’s Wine and Spirits & Finer Foods, as well as a group of hemp product wholesalers.

“We know how to sell regulated products,” BAMCO spokesman Jonathan Grella said in a press release. “We do it every day.”

The coalition is calling on lawmakers to pass recently introduced legislation, the Hemp Planting Predictability Act, that would give the hemp industry two more years before a federal ban on THC products would take effect—which stakeholders hope will better position them to negotiate a broader regulatory compromise.

The law is currently set to become effective this November.

“This coalition is here to help policymakers land in the right place—with a pragmatic, responsible approach that voters already understand and support. We’re creating the space for smart regulation by showing broad alignment among consumers, merchants, and experienced operators,” Grella said.

BAMCO launches today: Top alcohol merchants united for responsible federal regulation of low-dose adult-use hemp beverages. We know how to sell regulated products—we do it every day—using the proven three-tier system for safe, transparent access.⁰Read: https://t.co/PHhNDlX8VF

— Jonathan Grella (@JonathanGrella) January 21, 2026

“This isn’t about delay for delay’s sake—it’s about doing it right,” he said. “The polling is clear. Every day Americans want these products. Businesses want clarity and consistency. And regulators already have a model that works—the three-tier alcohol system.”

The coalition says it wants to apply the same regulatory structure that governs beverage alcohol producers, distributors and merchants to hemp drinks “to ensure safe, transparent access.”

Other alcohol industry groups such as Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America have also backed regulating hemp products instead of prohibiting them.

BAMCO, for its part, says its regulatory priorities include limiting sales to adults over 21, having THC serving limits, mandating testing and labeling, ensuring responsible marketing and directing tax revenue to fund enforcement efforts. It also wants to have a multi-tier system of distribution through licensed retailers and wholesalers while giving states “flexibility layered over a clear federal framework.”