Oregon Regulators Ban THC & CBD From Beer

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission, the state’s cannabis regulation agency, has banned CBD and THC from alcoholic drinks effective January 1, the New York Daily News reports. Commission spokesman Mark Pettinger said that while people are using CBD for wellness, there is “little scientific evidence” about how the compound interacts with other substances including alcohol.

“We’ve wanted to address the issue of CBD getting into alcohol and because there are a lot of unknown unknowns about the effect of taking CBDs,” Pettinger said in the report, adding that the agency could reverse the decision once the federal government published guidelines for CBD in the wake of last year’s legalization of hemp.

Several companies in mostly legal states have introduced alcoholic beverages that include CBD as an ingredient, including Heineken-owned, California-based Lagunitas Brewing Company, Black Hammer Brewing, Oregon-based Coalition Brewing, and Vermont’s Long Trail Brewing Company and Green Empire Brewing, among others.

Last year, the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission quashed plans by Down the Road Beer Co. to sell their CBD-infused beer – Goopmassta Session IPA – but the brew ultimately made its way to consumers but without the CBD. The federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau also announced last year that it would not approve any alcohol formulation containing CBD or THC.

Additionally, the OLCC is “encouraging patrons and establishments to use an abundance of caution” when using CBD as a mixer in cocktails and told Willamette Week that the agency would eventually seek to ban the cannabinoid from all drinks that contain alcohol.