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With less than 20 days left in the 119th Congress’ legislative session, Coalition for Adult Beverage Alternatives (CABA) Chair Diana Eberlein held a webinar yesterday on which she stressed that the recently introduced Barr-Craig bill to regulate hemp beverages with a three-tier system based on the alc biz framework represents the beginning of the fight for a standardized system for legal cannabevs, not the end of it. While Diana admitted “getting a bill across is extremely difficult and the chances of doing that before November 12th are slim to none,” she added that if she was a “betting woman,” Congress would likely move the date back to Dec before including the bill’s provisions in the year-end funding package. But only if CABA’s members and supporters keep pushing. “People keep saying things like, ‘they won’t take this away, it’s too much of an opportunity, too much tax revenue, too much all this.’ It can go away. They can and they will and they’re very close to doing it.” “When they Keep Seeing Products on the Shelves They Assume the Problem’s Been Solved” With 7 state AGs having signed a letter asking for clarity and support from various state orgs, Diana said it’s tempting to think the bill’s passage is a fait accompli, but it’s not true for several reasons, she believes. Firstly, states without a legalized cannabis industry like SC and GA have been the most engaged with CABA, but the broader anti-marijuana sentiment within their borders acts as something of a natural defense. Second, awareness of the Nov deadline isn’t where Diana would have expected, given cannabevs’ popularity. “My biggest concern with consumers right now,” she explained, “is when they keep seeing products on the shelves they just assume the problem’s already been solved.” While that’s likely to change as stores begin to wind down their inventory, it leaves little time to organize before the drop-dead date. Urging members to leverage relationships with social media influencers, wholesalers and celebrities, Diana reminded members that “if you’re not bringing awareness to this issue… it’s a completely missed opportunity” as it takes “10 seconds to send these letters to Congress.”“We Want to Be Regulated” Even in the case of an extension, Diana wants to see safeguards put into place. “We want to be in the three-tier system,” she said, reinforcing org’s consistent view. “We want to work within the safest alcohol regulatory framework in the world.” To that end, “hemp beverage does have a leg up on a lot of the other categories. We do. Adult beverages already exist. People are comfortable with them as a category.” Acknowledging that “there is not a congressperson on earth that isn’t worried about the public safety of their constituents,” Diana posited that the proposed ban would have the opposite effect as intended. “We’ve seen this happen with other intoxicating products,” she explained. “The illicit market will thrive and bad actors will continue to do bad things. It will just be harder to regulate and enforce. Law enforcement will not have an easier job. It is important that we highlight that.”“The More Eyeballs We Can Get in Front of, the Better” Diana provided talking points to help members make their pitches. Among them: 450K hemp jobs are at stake; the median hemp bev consumer is a woman between 30-45 or over 55; Pinot Grigio is the most common item bought alongside hemp bevs, suggesting they don’t necessarily cannibalize alc sales; hemp is a restorative product for farmers, and can clean soil to the tune of $1 mil per acre; and 42% of Natl Restaurant Assn members didn’t make a profit last year in an environment where ~50% of revs can come from adult bevs. Additionally, she highlighted cannabev partnerships and/or promotions by Total Wine, Southern Crown, Albertson’s/Jewel-Osco, the VFW, Grand Ole Opry, Chicago’s United Center and Navy Pier, among others, as examples of responsible orgs diving into the space. She urged her constituents to get involved however possible, and stay positive, because while “if we hit a stutter-step in November, the fight is not over,” “the more eyeballs we can get in front of, the better. I do not care what campaign you use.”

CABA Chair Diana Eberlein: Chances of Hemp Bill Passage by Nov 12 “Slim to None,” Rollup into Dec Spending Bill Most Likely; Urges Members to Keep Fighting

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