We have entered the Alice in Wonderland era of THC beverages. Sip this one to ease your pain, enjoy another later to send you to sleep. Save that one for the concert on Friday.
But do they work as they promise? Scientists and governmental bodies have some questions.
The FDA has issued a raft of warning letters to companies with beverages that make health claims . In some cases, the FDA says that not only are the claims unsubstantiated, but the products “pose risks of serious harm to users.”
As opposed to cannabis-based products, producers of hemp-derived THC drinks exploited a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill that essentially legalized the sale and interstate shipment of these beverages. Cannabis, which has a higher concentration of THC than hemp, is a federal Schedule 1 drug and is banned from interstate trade.
What started out as a trickle of products became a tsunami, as the market for hemp-derived THC products has exploded. Sales in 2024 amounted to about $1.1 billion, according to a report in the Cannabis Business Times .
One thing is clear. People are thirsty for THC beverages.
The search for more than just a buzz
For many across the booze biz, THC beverages have been used to prop up bottom lines amid sagging sales of wine, beer, and spirits.
“We’ve been selling THC beverages for two-and-a-half years since it was legal in Minnesota,” says Jon Halper, owner and CEO of Top Ten Liquors , which has 15 (soon to be 16) outlets across the state. The chain now sells more than 300 hemp-derived THC beverages and multiple hemp-derived edibles.
“I never expected the sales to become as big of a part of our business, but last week, they generated 15% of our sales, and that’s pretty typical,” he says. “This category has plugged the hole in declining alcohol sales and has helped us grow our business overall.”
Are people seeking a high? Yes, but it’s not quite that simple.
Related: Alcohol vs. THC: What’s the Healthier Option? Here’s Where the Research Stands
“There are a lot of stereotypes about the typical THC beverage consumer, and to a certain degree, some of them are true,” says Halper. “We do get the soccer mom who loves her Chardonnay but is getting older and doesn’t want to feel like crap the next day. We also get the senior citizen who can’t sleep, and the veteran struggling with pain.”
Halper says he’s very careful not to make medical claims, but he’s noticed that buyers are most actively seeking out products that promise help with sleep and body pain.
Kelsy Raap is director of education at Upstate Elevator Supply Co. in Burlington, Vermont. The company offers THC beverages and products that pledge to improve sleep, calmness, mood, focus, and provide relief. She agrees that people are looking for more than “just” a high.
“Consumers want more than an enjoyable treat, although they want that, too,” says Raap. “Among our products, we’re seeing the greatest growth in THC beverages with other cannabinoids and functional ingredients like reishi, cordyceps, and lion’s mane mushrooms, that offer therapeutic benefits. Our best sellers aren’t the drinks that get you the highest. They’re the ones with adaptogens designed to do more than that.”
Sleep claims look the most promising
Many THC products are marketed to do more. Whether or not they deliver is an open question.
James Stephens, a flavor chemist and microbiologist who cofounded Sinful Brands , which produces a range of THC beverages, gummies, and vape cartridges, is cautious about health claims made by producers.
“Cannabis interacts with the endocannabinoid system, a regulatory network that modulates sleep, mood, stress response, and arousal,” says Stephens. “That’s biology, not marketing. What’s less settled is whether specific commercial formulations can reliably produce targeted outcomes like ‘intimacy’ or ‘energy’ in a predictable, repeatable way across different consumers.”
Stephens says that claims about sleep are on more solid footing.
“A 2025 meta-analysis in Sleep Medicine Reviews found that cannabis formulations containing THC and/or CBN, but not CBD alone, were associated with significant improvements in subjective sleep quality, with CBD-only products showing no meaningful effect,” says Stephens. He says that he’s concerned about “dose opacity” in the industry.
Nanoemulsion technology dramatically accelerates the onset of effects in THC products, which means the dose-response curve is “steeper and less forgiving,” he says. “Products that don’t clearly communicate this are setting consumers up for bad experiences.”
Plus, studies that show sustained sleep improvements over time have also highlighted the need for ongoing dose monitoring. Does the same amount still work for long-term users, or do they build up a tolerance?
Sorry, but the science isn’t all there
Daniele Piomelli, PhD, director at the UCI Center for the Study of Cannabis at University of California, Irvine , is blunt. He dubs the claims “not scientifically valid,” but understands why so many believe them.
“Some are scientifically plausible because they are based on existing literature about the effects of THC and other cannabinoids,” says Piomelli. “To be scientifically valid, they would have to rely on studies done on each specific product. Marketing should not make any health claims, since none of them is supported by reliable data.”
Related: We Tasted 6 THC Seltzers — The Winner Didn’t Taste Like a THC Drink at All
Michael Flemmens is the executive vice president of research and technical business development at SōRSE Technology , a leading hemp and terpene emulsion formulator, supplier, and compliance lab. He says that there’s very little reliable data because full clinical research cannot be conducted due to the Schedule 1 restrictions of cannabis.
“We’re operating in a space where consumer feedback and anecdotes are driving formulations more than randomized clinical trials,” he says. “ Cannabis rescheduling would potentially change that. It would allow meaningful research and help validate what we think we know.”
Can regulation be the key to remedy 'incorrect and irresponsible' claims?
Unsubstantiated claims of health benefits, or that THC beverages are inherently safer than alcohol “is not only incorrect, but also irresponsible,” says Piomelli.
Consumed in large enough quantities, THC products can impact driving as much as alcohol, he says.
Dawson Hobbs, executive vice president of government affairs at Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), a national organization that advocates for distributors and the alcohol beverage industry, agrees.
“Hemp-derived beverages are being sold in the marketplace today without a clear, comprehensive federal regulatory framework governing labeling and marketing claims,” says Hobbs. “Unlike alcohol, there is currently no uniform federal guidance specific to hemp-derived beverages. That’s why we believe hemp-derived beverages should be regulated like alcohol, so that all information presented to consumers is transparent and consistently regulated.”
The WSWA recognizes that hemp-infused THC beverages are now mainstream. The group believes the three-tier alcohol system, which includes age verification, testing, labeling standards, and taxation, could be replicated in the THC beverage space.
That‘s notable because — huge buzzkill warning — federal legislation set to take effect in November would essentially end the hemp-derived THC biz, and the broader hemp business, worth an estimated $30 billion .
Related: How Congress’s New Hemp Rules Could Deflate America’s $4 Billion THC Drink Boom
The WSWA is among the groups pushing Congress to regulate, not prohibit, THC beverages. Watch this space to see if the controversial bill actually becomes a legislative reality.
In the meantime, before taking health advice from any packaged product, consult a medical professional whose salary is not funded by the THC industry.
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