“All retailers selling intoxicating hemp products should be held to similar high safety standards as cannabis retailers.”
By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Currant
For a year, Rhode Island bars and restaurants had the opportunity to secure a license from the state’s former Office of Cannabis Regulation to sell intoxicating THC-infused beverages despite state regulations that prohibit them from being combined with alcohol, tobacco or nicotine.
Over 100 licensed retailers obtained a license between August 2024 and July 2025 when the Cannabis Control Commission put the brakes on issuing any new licenses to establishments that allow onsite consumption of alcohol in “furtherance of public health and safety.”
Now as regulators race to codify rules to catch up with the marketplace, the association representing the state’s hospitality industry is voicing strong opposition to the commission’s recommendation that lawmakers codify a ban on the sale of THC drinks at venues with a liquor license.
“They’re assuming we’re not going to follow the law,” Farouk Rajab, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association, said in an interview Monday.
Rajab said he was disappointed to see the commission recommend a ban in its final report submitted to the General Assembly on March 1. But he was not shocked that it still made the cut.
“I think decisions are already made even before the listening sessions,” he said. “This is targeting an industry, that’s all.”
The 11-page report details Rhode Island’s existing rules governing hemp-derived beverages, along with recommendations over labeling, testing and taxing the products.
Carla Aveledo, chief of policy for the commission, said no one single industry was being targeted.
“All retailers selling intoxicating hemp products should be held to similar high safety standards as cannabis retailers,” she said.
Hemp became legal at the federal level after the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, with drinks hitting the market in Rhode Island as regulators were crafting rules for awarding licenses for retail cannabis establishments. Regulations allowing the drinks sale were approved by the former Office of Cannabis Regulation in 2024, rules that have since been adopted by the state’s Cannabis Office.
But the proliferation of hemp-derived THC drinks led to a debate on whether they should even be legal at all in Rhode Island. Members of the state’s recreational cannabis industry have been largely opposed to allowing THC products to be sold outside the few existing licensed pot shops.
Which is why the General Assembly last year tasked the Cannabis Control Commission to come up with suggestions on how to deal with hemp-derived drinks, most of which are produced out-of-state.
Rajab said the association created training modules that “allow for safe handling” of the drinks. The online course details how the brain’s receptors react to cannabis, onset times, and how to prevent overconsumption of THC.
The association’s module even instructs hospitality workers to never serve THC drinks with alcohol.
“Mixing THC-infused beverages with alcohol can lead to unpredictable and unsafe situations,” it states. “As a server, it is your responsibility to discourage customers from consuming THC beverages alongside alcoholic drinks. Educate them on the risks and promote safer consumption practices to ensure their well-being.”
Drinks are often sold in packs of four cans in liquor stores. State regulations limit the serving of 1 milligram of THC per drink and no more than 5 milligrams of THC “per package.”
Rajab said rather than ban restaurants from selling drinks, the state should codify regulations to guide the hospitality industry. He pointed to Minnesota, which has allowed drinks to be sold at liquor stores, grocery stores, and bars since 2023.
“It’s served safely there,” he said.
The commission’s report similarly highlights how “Lower-Potency Hemp Edibles” are regulated in the land of 10,000 lakes. For a bar in Minnesota to serve hemp-derived products, it must obtain an on-site consumption endorsement, which is selected when completing the license application.
But even Minnesota regulators admit there’s a big question mark as to whether drinks will continue to be sold after federal restrictions regulating hemp’s potency are scheduled to take effect in November.
“That kind of threw the entire industry nationwide through a loop,” Jim Walker, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management, told Rhode Island Current. “If we do get to November and there’s no safety net involved, we as an office would help to offramp a lot of these businesses.”
Congress is considering legislation that would delay enforcement of the ban for two years, which could still allow THC-derived drinks to be sold.
Aveledo said Rhode Island’s Cannabis Control Commission continues to monitor federal hemp policy and acknowledged it may impact regulators’ plans to update the state’s hemp rules.
“The Commission intends to draft updates to the hemp regulations in 2026,” she said. “However, recent federal activity and future actions remain uncertain, which may delay the regulatory drafting to early 2027 to ensure our framework is fully informed and strategically aligned.”
