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Despite tons of attention and advocacy, various proposals and signals from the White House, the outlook for intoxicating hemp looks about the same as it's been: hindered by confusion and disunity, so still headed toward a near complete ban in Nov. So showcased a unique round robin of hemp-focused panels at Natl Alcohol Beverage Control Assn's Annual Conference in Phoenix yesterday. Three sets of panelists from different corners &mdash; public policy, hemp advocates and spirits advocates &mdash; shared their varied perspectives three times each, with attendees rotating from room to room, capturing not just the wide variance in views but also a bit of the whiplash that has marked the category for a couple yrs now. No Clarity, No Consensus, No Change by Nov It isn't just that folks from different arenas have different perspectives. "There wasn't a singular voice or a consensus" from within the hemp world, reminded Tyler Klimas, consultant and lobbyist at THC-focused Leaf Street Strategies in DC. And frankly, "there may never be a total consensus," he acknowledged. "Certainly there is on the beverage side," he said, a perspective well known to members of the alc bev biz and explained again by atty Michelle Bodian of Nowadays brand and the Hemp Bev Alliance.But "there's still not [consensus] in the halls of Congress," Tyler continued, and "there are advocates that disagree" within hemp and especially within the broader landscape of THC/cannabis. That's "usually not a recipe&hellip;to get good policy" or "to prevent some kind of policy mechanism that's already passed from taking effect," he said. Speaking of what Michelle called a "ticking federal bomb that's threatening to wipe out all hemp products" this fall, Tyler pointed out that "all of that confusion had a large part to play in this particular language that is going to take effect in November." And that "language is going to remain," he thinks.What Happens When 'Full Weight' of Ban Hits? Adding to the complications: it's an "election year in Congress," Tyler reminded. So he finds it hard to see a "savior framework" or "delay" passing by Nov, tho some "protection" for non-intoxicating CBD might come with pushes from the White House. It'd be "disruptive to the category," but also "potentially a debt clearing exercise" that could help build a "level playing field," including bringing "regulated marijuana and hemp&hellip;closer together."Operating from that expectation, "once the full weight" of the ban "actually settles," Michelle thinks it's more likely that "change will happen." That "oh $#!t" moment could spur more folks into action "once we see all the farmers that are impacted" and "all the non-intoxicating products" that come off shelves, "the number of breweries" hit by the ban and "as tax revenue starts getting pulled out" in the states. In a separate room, the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers' Assn's Chelsea Crucitti took a similar stance. Reminding how "stay-at-home moms" are big buyers of hemp bevs at outlets like Total Wine, when those folks "see that they're not on their shelves any more&hellip;that's when they're going to become involved," she thinks. By then, tho, it might be "a little too late."Enforcement Could Get 'Chaotic,' Funds & Focus Needed Presuming the ban takes effect, "enforcement is a-whole-nother question," Tyler commented. It seems likely that it's "going to be a little chaotic no matter what," in his view. Indeed, the "biggest problem is essentially rolling back what has been a full-throated industry" with hundreds of products sold at thousands of outlets, Riley Nelson of Mississippi's Dept of Revenue commented on another panel. "How do you&hellip;get those products off the shelves" and especially shut down what is a "booming online marketplace?" The idea is "burdensome to any law enforcement agency," he commented, hoping for "some direction" (and funding) from lawmakers. Plenty of intoxicating hemp products are currently illegal in his state, he said, but they're still widely available with uneven attention from counties and cities. So it's about determining "how much bandwidth does law enforcement have." Multiply that confusion by 50, at least, and yes, a little bit of chaos feels likely. (This article appeared in our sibling publication Insights Express yesterday.)

NABCA CONFERENCE: Hemp as Hazy as Ever Even as it Heads Toward Nov Ban & Potential Chaos to Follow

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