Cannabis-beverage bill clears House committee

Cannabis-beverage bill clears House committee March 12, 2025

Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville, explains the updated version of Senate Bill 202 to the House Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations Committee on Wednesday. The bill would impose new regulations on cannabis-infused beverages. A high-resolution photo can be found here.

FRANKFORT — A Senate bill that would impose new regulations on cannabis-infused beverages in Kentucky took another step toward final passage on Wednesday.

Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville, told the House Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations Committee that Senate Bill 202 would put reasonable, common sense public health guardrails in place for cannabis-infused beverages.

Adams said she began working on the bill after hearing about the beverages and their potency during an interim meeting in September.

“This is some really serious stuff that’s out there,” Adams said. “Everybody from that September meeting started coming to the table and talking about how we can put some controls on this to protect kids from getting their hands on it.”

Individuals under the age of 21 would be prohibited from purchasing a cannabis-infused beverage under SB 202.

Adams said the recently updated version of SB 202 would define a cannabis-infused beverage as a cannabinoid-liquid, intoxicating product that does not contain more than 5 milligrams per a 12-ounce serving.

The drinks would fall under the purview of the Division of Distilled Spirits and retail regulations enforcement would be handled by the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), Adams said. The state Cabinet for Health and Family Services would continue to regulate the manufacturing and testing of the products, she added.

For retailers that currently have products on the shelves at more than 5 milligrams, Adams said they would have until June 1 to remove those products from their stores.

Festivals and fairs would have until Jan. 1, 2026, Adams added.

SB 202 would also require businesses who want to sell cannabis-infused beverages to hold a license.

Several consumers and representatives from the hemp industry testified against SB 202 in committee on Wednesday. They believe the bill would harm the hemp industry, Kentucky businesses and recovering alcoholics who use the products to stay sober and prevent withdrawal symptoms.

Jim Higdon, co-founder of Cornbread Hemp, asked the committee to consider changing the milligram cap from 5 to 25, which other states, like Tennessee, have done.

Rep. Anne Gay Donworth, D-Lexington, asked the group about hemp’s economic impact on Kentucky since hemp was legalized around a decade ago.

“It’s a $330 million economy that employs 3,000 people,” Annie Rouse, a licensed hemp manufacturer, distributor and retailer, said.

House Minority Caucus Chair Al Gentry, D-Louisville, asked Adams how she determined the limit should be 5 milligrams in the legislation.

Adams said several things influenced that decision, including a study from Johns Hopkins University.

“The Johns Hopkins study put 3.75 is when (the beverages) begin the intoxicating effects, so we thought 5 milligrams was above that study,” she said. “We thought that was a good place to start.”

On treating cannabis-infused beverages similarly to alcoholic beverages, Gentry said he agrees there should be parity, but he doesn’t think SB 202 hits that mark.

“I don’t believe the bill as it is written today does that because it bans all the products above 5 milligrams,” he said. “I think we should be more focused on putting guardrails about that, warning what the products are.”

The committee voted 16-2 with two pass votes to advance SB 202 to the House floor.

Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Oakland, who voted “yes” on the legislation, said he remembers when the general assembly passed the hemp bill.

“I really don’t think when that was contemplated back in 2011 or 2012 that we contemplated anything like this proliferation in this space,” he said, adding he doesn’t think the bill is perfect right now, but he’s seen it improve as it’s made its way through the legislative process.

Adams said SB 202 is just a starting point.

“We revisit bills all the time, and will we revisit this? 100%,” she said. “Should we talk about it in the interim? 100% Will we get to an even better place? 100%. But we have got to stop this proliferation. We have to stop the ability of these products getting into the hands of our kids.”

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https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/publicservices/pio/release.html#SB202-031225