Jean Cronin, Executive Director, CT Package Stores Association
By Jean Cronin, Executive Director, Connecticut Package Stores Association
THC infused beverages have been around for a few years. Some stores and areas of the state seem to be selling more than others. The Connecticut General Assembly looked to regulate these beverages once they learned that they were being sold in the state. In some of the original language, the General Assembly was looking to ban the sale of these products in package stores and just allow for the retail sale of them to be in dispensaries.
CPSA along with other groups in the industry lobbied to have package stores continue to sell the THC infused beverages. After much effort, the General Assembly decided on a new license and framework, as well as a cap on the amount of THC that would be allowed in the seltzers. The General Assembly creating an entirely separate license to sell these beverages with a dollar fee on each can was something they thought was a fair agreement to allow package stores the ability to sell these products.
Flashforward to the fall of 2025 and the Federal Government passed legislation in a large bill that sets the limit of products to 0.4 milligrams per product. This limit eliminates most of the products that are currently on the market. Dozens of states have regulations currently on these products and how they are structured for distribution and sale.
So, what is the industry to do? There has been a heavy lobbying presence on Capitol Hill to remove the ban or at least extend the date for when the ban would take effect.
On Nov. 12, 2026, the ban is set take effect across the nation. An effort to delay this one month is underway, with the hope that after a new election there might be more legislators elected that would be open to removing the ban completely. From what those close to the policy issue have stated, the issue seems to be a bipartisan push to remove the ban.
The White House is also rumored to be open to removing the ban as well, citing that many states have regulation in place and the industry has grown considerably in the last 10 years. If advocates are successful in delaying the ban by any amount of time, this would give lawmakers the chance to craft national regulations for this beverage industry. As of right now, those in the industry and the three tier system are being told to anticipate the ban. All those that are involved have been advised to sell their remaining product before November and to not have sitting stock of a product that will essentially be banned for purchase come this fall.
This is disheartening to hear, since it has been a long time since there has been an entirely new type of product introduced since Prohibition was ended. Time will tell if lawmakers in Washington, D.C. can delay the ban or craft a regulatory framework for sale of these products. Until then, it appears that the curtain could be closing on this product that we have fortunately been able to sell.
Find out more about any of these issues and the benefits of membership at ctpsa.com.
Jean Cronin is the President of Hughes & Cronin Public Affairs Strategies, where she is responsible for developing and implementing legislative initiatives for the firm’s clients, and directing a variety of trade and professional associations managed by the firm. Cronin joined the firm in 1986 after serving as a communications strategist for the Connecticut Senate Majority Office, where she became well-versed in the politics and insight of the State Capitol. She is the Executive Director of the Connecticut Package Stores Association, following the passing of longtime director, Carroll J. Hughes.
