Green ' s Beverage Stores
While no doubt an existential threat for this category, there has been positive movement in Washington DC. Lobbyists and industry professionals have appealed Congress for a delay and for proper regulations.
To be clear: Anyone who operates seriously and legitimately in the cannabis drink space wants appropriate federal laws to govern this industry. If leaders in our Capitol want inspiration for what perceptive, pro-business regulations might look like, perhaps they should look down the Eastern Seaboard to South Carolina.
“ There’ s legislation here that we’ re about to get through,” Reddic says.“ It hasn’ t faced any obstacles yet.” The proposed bill would limit THC drinks in grocery and similar channels to 5 mg. Liquor stores could sell 6 to 10 mgs. Notably, and critically, the proposed law includes exception for 750−ml. bottles, which can have 10 mg per servings, with 17 servings per container.
This comes at a good time, as these products“ are a game changer,” Reddic says.“ For customers who are 21 to 30 years old, they are leading a completely different lifestyle. They’ re more focused on their health. They don’ t have the time or the interest in having a hangover. A lot of them are up and at the gym every morning at 7 or 8 a. m. These people have decided that alcohol is not the only option.”
The result have been robust sales at Green’ s for cannabis beverages.
“ We’ re up 300 % in THC drinks this year,” Reddic reports.“ Currently, our dollar sales of THC are 33 % more than craft beer.”
What about nonalcoholic drinks? Much has also been written about this category in terms of attracting younger / Gen Z consumers.
“ We’ ve seen some movement in Atlanta, which is a market that’ s more current,” Reddic says.“ But in South Carolina, the mindset is,‘ Why would I want to drink something that’ s nonalcoholic?’”
Even in Atlanta, Reddic says that it’ s only two or three nonalc brands that see any meaningful movement.
“ We just haven’ t seen people coming into the store and asking for these products,” he says.
WINNING IN WINE
Outside of wine-based RTDs, the wine category has not exactly excelled in recent time. Much the opposite, doom and gloom persists in this industry, with eye-opening reports of vineyards shuttering and vines being ripped from of the soil.
Reddic is not as downcast.“ I don’ t have the same concerns
“ We’ re up 300 % in THC drinks this year, Currently, our dollar sales of THC are 33 % more than craft beer.”
– LOCK REDDIC, CEO
as much as other people do, as wine has become a bigger percentage of business for us the last decade,” he says.
What gives?“ My son-in-law, who we got from Gallo, has energized that section for us,” Reddic explains.
What’ s working for Green’ s is the high-end of the category. Reddic’ s son-in-law, Justin Daniels— who represents the fourth generation— focuses on high-end buyers who want to fill their cellars with premium bottles.“ It helps that we’ re now getting more allocations of DRC,” Reddic says.
“ Of course, those numbers mask the underlying concern that wine is eroding for everybody,” he adds.“ But the business Justin is doing makes up for what’ s lost in day-to-day wine. Mid-high to high-end wine is very healthy. It’ s the budget and just above budget that’ s taking a licking.”
Reddic thinks that a newly wealthy generation sees wine as a status symbol.“ There’ s a direct correlation between the massive wealth transfer going on the last four or five years, with more money transferred generationally than ever before,” he says.“ There really is no limit to what people will spend. Some of these people are also wealthy tech company owners, and they’ re in a different stratosphere of buying.”
“ There’ s lots of ways that they try to justify it,” he continues.“ They say that they’ re going to save it for their kids, or that it holds value, but whatever their justification, wine has a certain allure for people who want to spend money.”
WHAT’ S NEXT?
Historically, Green’ s has been a business in growth mode. The ongoing industry drawdown, however, has Reddic reconsidering his strategy— especially when it comes to opening more stores.
“ The return on investment right now is not what it once was,” he says.“ When we open a new store, which usually includes the building and the land, and possibly a lease, that’ s typically a $ 3−million investment. And the rate of return in our industry is already low.”
To wit: Reddic has two more open licenses right now in South Carolina.“ Instead of actively looking for potential new locations, I’ m only passively searching,” he says.“ If I was made aware of a location, I would consider it. But I’ m not out looking every week, like I was one year ago.”
Reddic believes now is the time for caution as the industry remains in a cooling-off phase following the Covid−19 sales spikes.
“ Maybe THC drinks will change that,” he says.“ Maybe that will reignite this industry.” •
14 Beverage Dynamics • Summer 2026 www. beveragedynamics. com