I wish that I could just spend all my time writing about brands, trends, and exciting things happening in the hemp beverage industry.

But unfortunately we are under attack right now, as multiple key states are attempting to ban or restrict hemp beverages.

I don’t own a brand, I don’t have money to lobby, but I do run a newsletter in the space. With my voice and audience being one of the few things to offer up, I consider it my responsibility to continue to educate politicians and other forms of opposition on why this space should remain intact.

While there are many arguments against hemp beverages and other low dose hemp products, few (if any) of them are founded on any real evidence or insights.

It’s all fear mongering and anecdotal stories that only perpetuate the hundreds of years of cannabis prohibition we’ve already faced.

Today I will break down the two most common arguments that politicians make against hemp beverages, why they are wrong, and why hemp beverages (and cannabis in general) actually do more good to society than harm.

Argument #1: “We’re allowing dangerous products to get into consumers’ hands.”

Counter A: Hemp THC is very safe, but “untested”, “synthetic”, “poisonous” products exist because of refusal to regulate. In fact, bans make products more dangerous for consumers.

The irony of the claims about THC products being dangerous is that THC is far safer than nicotine and alcohol, two of the most widely available legal drugs in the US. There has never been a recorded death from cannabis, and it is essentially impossible to overdose.

Have their been increases in poison control incidents since hemp-derived THC was discovered? In some cases yes. But this is because politicians continue to enforce prohibition and refuse to regulate, which means they are practically begging bad actors to come out and take advantage of the market.

THC products are only unsafe when you let opportunists and conversion-cowboys have free will to do whatever they want.

It’s also naive to think that the demand will just suddenly dissolve once a ban is enforced. If you just shut this down completely, the black market will pick up and you will only increase the likelihood that consumers get hurt.

Don’t believe me? Read what this retired cop from Texas had to say about it.

The good actors are begging for rules to follow, so work with them to start building them. Require lab testing, dosage caps, licensing, and everything else you would from an alcohol or tobacco brand, and you will have now made one of the safest recreational drugs legal for millions of Americans.

Counter B: Alcohol is far more dangerous for consumers, and already widely available.

This is not an anti-alcohol article by any means, but if we are calling hemp THC dangerous…. then what does that make alcohol?

The US Surgeon General made headlines back in January as he called for a cancer warning to be placed on all alcoholic products.

Research is starting to catch up, and our favorite social lubricant is not as good for us as we though. Public health organizations use to advice a certain amount of drinks per day or per week as a “healthy” amount; now we’ve flipped this on its head, and many have admitted that there is essentially “no safe level of alcohol consumption.”

Meanwhile, new studies continue to find therapeutic benefits to THC & CBD for symptoms like pain and anxiety.

I’m all for consumers having the power to make their own choices, but if you are already allowing a beverage that is much more toxic and dangerous for human health, then certainly there is room for hemp beverages on the shelf.

Counter C: Alcohol & nicotine have come under fire multiple times for appealing to kids and yet they haven’t been banned.

Politicians LOVE to use the classic emotional appeal that somehow hemp THC is a massive danger for kids, and that the only way to keep them safe is by banning it all together.

Let’s establish two things before we get into this:

1) There are hemp THC brands that are 100% trying to appeal to kids. They should be banned and punished, just as a alcohol & tobacco company would.

2) Anything that is age-gated and for adults only, will always be appealing to kids. It’s how the world works. Kids want to break rules, try new things, and do anything to seem older and cooler.

The fact that kids have gotten their hands on hemp-derived THC beverages or other products doesn’t mean that they’re inherently unsafe.

Its happened many times in the past with alcohol and tobacco, so let’s review two classic examples:

1) Four Loko: A malt beverage with high concentrations of alcohol and caffeine hit the market in 2005. By 2009, they were in hot water. The company faced scrutiny for allegedly marketing to minors, and the drink was banned on multiple college campuses because it commonly caused blackouts and hospitalizations among students.

Ultimately the FDA stepped in with a warning letter, and now it is illegal to add caffeine to alcoholic beverages. Four Loko was back on shelves just a month later after a reformulation.

2) Juul: A sleek, futuristic looking e-cigarette packed with nicotine was launched by two Stanford students in 2015. While its original purpose was curbing cigarette smoking, it exploded in popularity with high school and college students, many of whom were first time nicotine users. This lead to a wave of youth becoming addicted to nicotine, with some even experiencing life threatening health issues.

While the FDA placed a marketing ban on Juul in 2022, this was reversed in 2024 and the products have remained for sale across the US. Multiple states have banned certain flavors in an attempt to make them less appealing to minors.

So if two products that were causing literal epidemics at high school and college campuses are STILL on shelves and available to buy, don’t you think we could figure out how to make sure hemp beverages don’t get in the hands of children?

It’s clear that its not about looking at real facts and data, this is still about stigmatization around a drug that has proven to be much more safe than most recreational substances.

We can’t be defining “danger” in such a subjective manner when we have many very dangerous products being sold everywhere.

Argument #2: “We can’t regulate this, banning it is the only option.”

I’m paraphrasing, but yes, this is a real quote from a Texas’s Lieutenant Governor just a few weeks back. For so many reasons, this is a terrible argument, and I’ll explain why below.

Counter A: Prohibition won’t work, and never has.

Let’s take a trip across the world and review some failures of countries that have enforced a cannabis prohibition:

France

Background: France has some of Europe’s strictest cannabis policies, and enforce criminal penalties for possession.

Outcome:

• France has one of the highest rates of cannabis use in Europe despite its laws.

• A massive illegal market thrives, with annual revenue estimated to be over €1 billion.

New Zealand

Background: New Zealand has maintained strict cannabis laws for decades, and a 2020 referendum to legalize recreational cannabis narrowly failed (~48% voted yes).

Outcome:

• This has continued racial disparities; Māori people are far more likely to be arrested or convicted for cannabis offenses.

• Despite criminalization, New Zealanders still have one of the highest cannabis usage rates in the developed world.

• Immense cconomic opportunity lost as legalization could have generated jobs and tax revenue.

Indonesia

Background: Extremely harsh anti-drug laws; possession of even small amounts of cannabis can lead to long prison sentences.

Outcome:

• Severe prison overcrowding due to minor drug offenses.

• No reduction in cannabis usage, particularly among youth.

• Reports of corruption, abuse, and bribes surrounding enforcement of drug laws.

If prohibition actually worked, we would have seen it by now, but all it does is keep cannabis use consistent, fuel demand for the legal market, and create racial disparities in the justice and prisons systems.

If you still think prohibition works, then please, provide me with an example!

Counter B: Regulation consistently sees positive outcomes.

Now, let’s take a look at the countries that legalized cannabis, and what outcomes followed it:

Canada

Background: Canada passed nationwide legalization in 2018.

Outcomes:

• No significant rise in teen use; adult use now safer, regulated, and labeled.

• Over 10,000 pardons granted for simple possession; major drop in cannabis-related arrests.

• Over $20B contributed to GDP, thousands of new jobs, and over $1B+ in tax revenue.

• Reduced black market through legal access to tested products.

Uruguay

Background: In 2013 they became the first country to legalize cannabis at a national level.

Outcomes:

• Now over 70% of users now get cannabis from legal sources.

• Studies show no dramatic increase in consumption.

• Reduced the stigma by shifting cannabis from criminal justice issue to public health approach.

• Pioneered government-controlled distribution, influencing future legalization debates.

United States

Outcomes (in legal states like CA, CO, IL):

• Multi-billion dollar industry with tens of thousands of jobs and local tax revenue.

• Sharp drop in cannabis-related arrests.

• No spike in teen use; some evidence of reduced opioid prescriptions in legal states.

• Safer products with dosage labeling, testing, and ingredient transparency.

My only caveat here is that while the regulated cannabis markets did a lot of good for Americans consumers, they created an over-taxed, restricted, and artificial state-by-state market that have destroyed many businesses. That is why we fight for hemp, because it allows for the best of both worlds: better consumers access, and business economics that make sense.

There is strong evidence that when cannabis legalization is done right it kills black market demand, creates tax revenue for governments, and improves the justice systems.

Every year more countries are waking up to the fact that it makes no sense to oppose cannabis anymore, and there are numerous benefits to unlock that will improve the lives of citizens, the government, and society as a whole.

So with all the evidence laid out — politicians… what is your argument again?

Do you object to a safer recreation drug, safer cannabis products, lower crime rate, and more tax revenue? Or are we just going to keep hiding behind myths and fear mongering.

Hemp is the path forward. We’ve experimented with state regulated cannabis markets for over a decade now, and they are too restrictive and never solve the important problems. It’s time to take back control from the cartels & bad actors, and create a supportive environment for hemp operators that want to play by the rules.

It’s 2025, let’s do better.

Last week I shared my thoughts on why I believe THC beer is one of the biggest opportunities in the cannabev space. Miss it?

Check it out below 👇

About Me

Hey! I'm Daniel Crocker, and I'm a cannabev enthusiast who's spent over 2 years in the space. Right now I live in Washington DC, and I work at BRĒZ as the Head of Content Strategy. I publish a new edition of Spill the T (HC) every Tuesday, so make sure to subscribe if you want to stay up to date.