by Heidi Reid | Aug 31, 2026 | Buzz, September 2026
The hemp industry isn’t out of the woods yet.
A billion-dollar industry just bought itself a few more months of legality. On Aug. 4, hundreds of protestors swarmed the legislative building in opposition to a regulatory hemp bill—legislation that would ban almost all THC-infused drinks, gummies and other products in the state. Despite support from law enforcement, lawmakers ultimately backed away from a vote, delaying the issue until after the November election.
And the stakes stretch far beyond gummies. The hemp industry has quietly become a major economic player in NC, meaning a ban would have a detrimental impact on the entire state—not just users. Read: In NC, hemp accounts for a $3.2 billion industry employing upward of 16K residents. “There’s no plan B,” Reilly Dunn, owner of popular local THC bev biz Groovewagon, told RM. “The alternative is do something about it or bust. I have four kids, and if this ban goes through, it’s gonna be bad.”
Undoubtedly, the stalled bill is a big win for the hemp industry (and for democracy)—for now—but THC businesses aren’t out of the woods just yet: The state bill isn’t entirely dead, and the Nov. 12 deadline for a potential federal ban also looms. So what’s next for the NC hemp industry?
“It took a village of hemp advocates and organizations working together to successfully stall a bill that would have shut down North Carolina’s consumable hemp industry,” says Lisa Parker, executive director of the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild. Though the NC vote is delayed, the House made it clear this is an issue they will be revisiting.
“Folks recognize the current state of our law is not tenable,” says House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell). “There are basically no rules. Things being sold that shouldn’t be. Things being sold to kids that shouldn’t be sold. The question is what to do about it.”
The NC House may not have to revisit the matter at all if the federal ban goes into effect as currently planned. “Uncertainty remains,” emphasizes Parker, noting that while the industry is grateful to escape the effects of the NC regulatory bill—for now—work still needs to be done on the federal level.
But hemp-related businesses could still be thrown a lifeline. A bipartisan-supported stopgap spending bill making its way through the Senate* would delay the prohibition on most THC products until Dec. 11. If passed, the bill could buy the industry just shy of a month—time advocates hope will be enough to continue lobbying for permanent regulations and age limits, measures the industry says it has long supported.
“Everybody’s on the same page about protecting children, but you can’t do that by just banning the entire thing,” says Adrian Larrea, co-founder of Raleigh-based THC bev co. HAZE. “We all know that Prohibition didn’t work. We should follow in the footsteps of alcohol and tobacco to protect children.”
Larrea maintains the industry is full of “good actors” doing proper testing and enforcing safety regulations—and he wants those practices to become the standard. “If you start to take that away from entrepreneurs and people who are working hard, you will end up handing it over to the black market.”
Come November, lawmakers at both the state and federal levels will once again help decide the future of North Carolina’s
hemp industry.
*As of press time
Hemp Industry: BTN
- 16,149 NC jobs
- $702.5M in NC wages
- Raleigh Dispensaries: 29
- NC produced 19% of U.S. hemp in 2023
- $87 million in sales tax revenue
- 2,197 estimated NC stores selling hemp products
by Lauren Kruchten | Mar 27, 2025 | April 2025, Buzz
THC and CBD beverages have surged in popularity—now they’re bubbling up all over Raleigh.
Gone are the days when conversations around THC, CBD and hemp—even marijuana—are murmured in a whisper. Now, at almost any Raleigh bar, bottle shop, brewery or restaurant, you’ll find a hemp-derived bev (key word: hemp, which is legal in NC). While THC and CBD drinks aren’t new, they’ve exploded in popularity over the last year-plus, with a bevy of local businesses either brewing their own or adding multiple ops to their menus.
And, no, this isn’t just a Dry January remnant. At an ever-growing clip, people are turning to these NA options as an alternative to alcohol—especially on the heels of the new Surgeon General warning echoing the 1964 smoking report: “Even light to moderate drinking can contribute to cancer risk,” linking it to at least seven types of cancer.
But cropping up even prior, young American adults are progressively drinking less, with 59% of adults under age 35 reporting they drink, per a 2024 Gallup poll, down from 72% in the 2000s—and nearly half of Americans are planning to cut back in 2025. While mocktails certainly had their own NA moment, consumers seeking to take the edge off are realizing these THC tonics serve up similar effects to, say, a glass of wine—sans the hangover.
“THC drinks are being refined and are definitely an option a lot more people are choosing,” says Hibernian Hospitality Group mastermind Niall Hanley, who recently added local delta-8 and delta-9 THC Groovewagon cans to its roster. “Such products are making a move into the booze market for all the reasons people know—easier on the body, no hangover, less damaging side effects. It’s definitely a growing sector.”
Once a stigmatized swap, these “cannabevs,” as Groovewagon co-owner Reilly Dunn calls them, are becoming more mainstream and accepted, even among high-end restaurants that before would turn their nose up to them for fear of “attracting the wrong crowd.” Think from such trailblazers as Irregardless to F&B spots like Johnson Street Yacht Club, Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard, and The Bend—even Stanbury and East End Bistrot, where GM Greta Montellano says patrons are “definitely destigmatized” and warming up to them.
That mindset shift really comes down to education and exposure, as Dunn and Groovewagon co-owner Sasha Klimczak explain. “It’s been really exciting to see it move from the perception of THC as this sketchy thing where you have to meet some dude in the parking lot of a Harris Teeter to [getting] it at the same family-friendly establishments that are selling alcohol,” shares Dunn.
Local breweries are hopping on board with their own offerings. Seeing the hype at State of Beer, Trophy Brewing released its first line, Starry Eyes, earlier this year via two canned ops and one draft, crafted with equal parts THC and CBD in fruit-forward flavors like grapefruit and strawberry lime.
“Some people aren’t drinking or changing the way they’re drinking,” says Trophy co-owner Chris Powers. “We want to be accommodating to that—we’re beverage people; we’re connoisseurs; we like to try new things. It just makes a lot of sense for us to do our own.”
Incendiary Brewing also released its Seditious hemp-infused seltzer with 10mg delta-9 in February, and both Brewery Bhavana and Element Gastropub have plans in the works to drop buzzy drinks later this year. For those still craving spirits, Whiskey Kitchen, Bowstring and Irregardless are already mixing up THC cocktails—with a THC spirit line by Groovewagon in the works to boot.
“The only way this thing is going to be as powerful as it can be is when people expect that anywhere they go is going to have an alternative that does something,” maintains Dunn. “It doesn’t need to be weird, it’s perfectly reasonable—and the audience is everybody.”
FAST FACTS
- THC drinks can contain anywhere from 1mg to 100mg+.
- THC can come up in a drug test.
- Age to buy: 18+ (however, many local establishments adhere to 21+)
- THC has a psychoactive that produces a “buzz” effect, while CBD has more calming properties.
