beverages, with sales doing relatively well.
“ We’ ve had THC beverages for at least two years now,” he says.“ We started off with CBD products, which were doing relatively well. When they began allowing places to bring in THC, we were a little hesitant at first, but then we started integrating it into our business model this last year.”
Moreno’ s Liquors has been adaptive to the change in consumer drinking preferences, changing up their shelves to match market shifts. The store recently reformatted their craft beer aisle to include an endcap for THC drinks.
“ Our number-one seller would be Marz. Marz Brewing also makes THC beverages that are incredibly popular here in the Chicagoland area,” Moreno notes.“ But we also have Cheech and Chong, Breeze and Cantrip, among many others.”
Minnesota has also become a hotbed for THC innovation in beverage alcohol retail stores, led by the Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association. Executive Director Paul Kaspszak said during a panel at the NABCA Administrator’ s Conference in October 2025 that some liquor stores have begun selling edibles as well, everything from gummies to cookies. Edibles now represent about 27 % of THC sales for Minnesota beverage alcohol stores that carry them. But the big draw remains drinks.
“ Liquor stores have become the largest seller of THC drinks,” Kaspszak said.“ You can still buy them at dispensaries, but people gravitate towards the liquor stores because you have the larger selection there.”
The category has proven so successful that the Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association has even canned their own house brand, Muni Sota. Additionally, consumers can now buy THC beverages at certain on-premise businesses.
“ It’ s not widespread yet, but it has saved numerous craft breweries,” Kaspszak said.“ A lot of them have started to produce THC drinks. It’ s keeping them afloat.”
Target stores in Minnesota have even begun testing sales of hemp-derived THC drinks. Sales began in early October 2025, with brands such as Cann, Wynk, Señorita and Wyld, among others, available in select Target locations in the state. The beverages are capped at 5mg per serving.
“ There are some studies out there that suggest that THC is not necessarily a replacement for alcohol. It can be a supplement and a compliment to consumers’ alcohol choices,” says Jim Higdon, CCO and co-founder at Cornbread Hemp.“ Consumers are just adding THC beverages to their menu of options.”
The reality is that consumers are purchasing these infused beverages, and by selling them at on- or off-premise beverage alcohol locations, it can greatly enhance your bottom line. New Bill Threatens the Hemp-Derived THC Industry Sitting amongst the cannabis-infused beverages on store shelves are hemp-derived THC drinks, which include Delta−8 and Delta−9 THC.
As described in an article by Robert Shade on thehempdoctor. com, hemp-derived Delta−9 THC, or simply THC, is extracted from industrial hemp— a type of cannabis containing less than 0.3 % THC by dry weight, and thus is federally
Target stores in Minnesota have even begun testing sales of hemp-derived THC drinks, with Señorita beverages being one of the few brands sold.
legal under the 2018 US Farm Bill, now called the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.
On the other hand,“ marijuana-derived Delta−9 THC is sourced from marijuana, a type of cannabis plant with notably high THC content and contains beyond the allowed 0.3 % THC by dry weight limit,” according to the article.
Products made from Delta−9 extracted from marijuana are prohibited at the federal level. At the state level, marijuana-derived Delta−9’ s legality hinges on state regulations for medical and recreational programs.
While marijuana-derived THC products are protected by state medical and recreational programs, hemp-derived THC products are now at risk of being banned due to a new funding bill, based on language introduced by Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell.
Buried in the bill is language that will recriminalize most consumable hemp products, restrict the legal definition of hemp and impose a 0.4 milligram cap on total THC per container. It also expands the definition of THC to include Delta- 8, Delta−10 and other isomers, along with any cannabinoids marketed as having similar effects.
According to the funding bill, a full ban will go into effect on November 12, 2026. Intoxicating hemp-derived products will be barred from interstate commerce but permitted for intrastate sales as regulated by the respective states.
Over the last three years, hemp-derived beverages sales have exploded, with Texas reporting in a recent economic report $ 5.5 billion of annual revenue and major multi-item retailers such as Target, Circle K and Total Wine vigorously stocking them.
“ THC products’ dosage is measured by milligrams( MGs) of Delta−9 THC ranging from: 1−2.5 MGs‘ Microdose;’ 3−5 MGs‘ Low Dose;’ 10−15 MGs‘ Moderate Dose;’ 20−30 MGs‘ High Dose;’ 50−100 MGs‘ Acute Dose’ and 100−500 MGs‘ Macrodose,’” Steven M. Schain, of counsel, Malkin Law, says.“ As hemp-derived intoxicating beverages are sold exclusively to those 21 and older usually at the Low-Dosage and Microdose level, the Act wildly overshoots its target and obstructs a safe and profitable business.”
www. beveragedynamics. com Spring 2026 • Beverage Dynamics 25