Kentucky Senate Proposal Would Expand THC Beverage Sales to Bars & Restaurants

A bill in the Kentucky Senate seeks to expand the locations and business types that are allowed to sell hemp-derived THC beverages in the state, WKYT reports.

The proposal, Senate Bill 223, would create licenses allowing for the sale of THC-infused beverages at bars, restaurants, fairs, and festivals. The licenses would need to be approved by the state Department for Public Health, and sales would be limited to adults aged 21 and older.

The bill has not yet been assigned to a committee, according to the report.

Currently, hemp-derived THC beverages are available for sale in Kentucky only in licensed liquor stores and online. The products are still available in Kentucky under the original interpretation of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized the farming and manufacturing of industrial hemp products. However, the products are set to be federally banned in November under a spending bill signed last year by President Trump (R) as part of a deal to reopen the federal government.

Kentucky lawmakers last year passed a ban on hemp-derived THC products like pre-rolls and vaporizers, but left a carve-out for THC-infused edibles and beverages that uses a three-tiered system similar to the state’s alcohol regulations.

Meanwhile, the Kentucky medical cannabis program became fully operational last December with the opening of the state’s first licensed dispensary.