NBWA Recap thing that we ’ re always looking at ,” he said . “ I think all of our brands recognize the value of having these products in retail environments , especially next to their competitors . There is a huge growth opportunity for brick-and-mortar distribution .”
The legislation coming out on hemp and cannabis may give you whiplash , but most of it is intended to better the industry and create safer products for consumers . Take the 2018 Farm Bill , for example .
On Nov . 16 , 2023 , President Biden signed into law H . R . 6363 , the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act , 2024 , which extended the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 , more commonly known as the 2018 Farm Bill . This extension allows authorized programs to continue through Sept . 30 , 2024 , according to the U . S . Department of Agriculture .
Lackner reiterated the need for an updated Farm Bill during his seminar , noting that the current bill “ has several trillion dollars worth of money invested in it , and the definition of hemp is all of three or four pages . The priorities that the Farm Bill had were big ticket items , such as value crop insurance , climate change , etc . And those are the big things that are on the ballots , which are significantly negative for our industry .”
Keith Hochheiser , partner at Hochheiser & Akmal PLLC , also discussed THC-infused beverages in the seminar “ Strategies to Strengthen the Independent Beverage Distributor .” Despite the regulatory uncertainty , many distributors still want to get their hands in the THC market . But there ’ s some factors that wholesalers need to be aware of , first .
“ The biggest risk here is your company because you have a federal permit ,” he said . “ If your company violates the federal law , you can lose your permit and licenses .”
To prevent these losses , Hochheiser advised wholesalers to use a separate entity as your THC distribution .
“ Another concern is insurance and product liability ,” he said . “ Everyone in the selling chain is liable for product liability , but when you have a separate , responsible supplier , they ’ re primarily liable and can take care of the claim themselves .”
“ MAKING MOVES ” RACKS IN RECORD ATTENDANCE
NBWA ’ s Building Relationships and Empowering Women ( BREW ) initiative and the Alliance for Women in Beer cohosted the largest Making Moves to-date , with more than 430 attendees joining the two-day event .
“ Since we launched Making Moves three years ago , it has rapidly grown into a must-attend event for beverage professionals in all stages of their careers ,” said Kim McKinnish , NBWA chief operating officer who leads the BREW and Alliance programs . “ Women and men alike come to Making Moves to find connections , leadership training and timely industry insights they can ’ t find anywhere else . We ’ re thrilled about the overwhelming response to this year ’ s event and look forward to continuing to deliver a world-class experi-
Founder and CEO of BuzzBallz Merrilee Kick .
NBWA outgoing chairman Jim Fabiano .
ence for beverage leaders .”
Former CEO of Barstool Sports , Erika Ayers Badan , kicked off the event with an electric keynote about how to set your career up for success . “ I ’ m a huge proponent of failure ,” she said . “ If you are constantly putting yourself in a place where you ’ re uncomfortable and learning how to fail and get back up — it trains you to handle a lot .”
The event also featured a star-studded lineup of speakers from across the beer and beverage industry , including Merrilee Kick with BuzzBallz and Southern Champion , JB Ryan with Molson Coors , and Laura Merritt with Diageo Beer Company , just to name a few .
NEW INCOMING CHAIRWOMAN
On the final day , NBWA wrapped up its 87th Annual Convention and Product Showcase by naming Alabama ’ s Rebecca Maisel as its new board chair . The organization highlighted her significant experience in the industry , including serving as Senior Vice President of Legal and Government Affairs www . beveragewholesaler . com Winter 2024 • Bevearge Wholesaler 7