What’s Actually in the Beverage Regulatory Parity Act

You’ve probably seen the headline by now: Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Greg Landsman (D-OH) have introduced a bill that would keep hemp-derived THC drinks legal by regulating them like alcohol, instead of banning them outright. We’ve mentioned it in passing in our last two updates on the federal hemp deadline — but we’ve never actually walked through what’s in it. Here’s what the Beverage Regulatory Parity Act (H.R. 10079) actually says, what it would mean for a can like ours, and where it stands right now.

What the bill would actually do

Introduced August 10, 2026, H.R. 10079 would pull hemp-derived THC beverages out of the current 0.4mg hemp definition entirely and give them their own federal regulatory lane — modeled directly on how the U.S. already regulates alcohol, not cannabis.

• A three-tier system: producers, wholesalers, and retailers would each need a federal permit — the same structure that already governs beer, wine, and spirits.
• Oversight moves to the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), in consultation with HHS and the FDA — not the FDA alone.
• A nationwide 21-and-over purchase age, with no state-by-state exceptions.
• Mandatory product testing for every batch.
• Hemp used in these products would have to be grown and processed in the United States.
• Synthetically derived cannabinoids would be banned outright — this bill is written for real, hemp-derived THC, not lab-made analogs.
• Labeling and advertising rules that specifically prohibit packaging designed to appeal to kids.
• States keep the right to set stricter rules or ban the category entirely within their own borders — this is a federal floor, not a ceiling.

The numbers that actually matter

This is the part worth reading closely, because it’s not just “legal vs. banned.” As written, the bill caps servings at 5mg of total intoxicating THC — half of what’s in a can of San Buzi today. Multi-serving containers are capped at 750mL. And it comes with a federal excise tax of 8 cents per milligram of intoxicating THC, on top of whatever state and local taxes already apply.

We said this in our last update and it’s still true: if H.R. 10079 becomes the actual regulatory fix — replacing the ban outright, not just delaying it — it’s not a free pass. It’s a real dose ceiling, and one that’s lower than what’s in every can of San Buzi we make today. We’d rather tell you that plainly now than have it be a surprise later.

Who’s backing it

The bill picked up two more cosponsors on August 20 — Reps. Susie Lee (D-NV) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) — bringing it to four total sponsors, evenly split across both parties. On the industry side, it’s been endorsed by the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), along with a list of alcohol-distribution trade groups including Total Wine & More, the Texas Package Stores Association, Specs Wine/Spirits/Fine Foods, the Coalition for Adult Beverage Alternatives, and the Hemp Beverage Alliance.

Rep. Van Duyne put it this way when she introduced the bill: “The Beverage Regulatory Parity Act brings long-overdue certainty to” the hemp beverage sector through “the same proven structure that has successfully governed alcohol for decades.”

Where things actually stand

• Introduced: August 10, 2026.
• Referred the same day to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee.
• No hearing, no markup, no floor vote scheduled yet — as of this writing, it hasn’t moved since its committee referral.
• It’s separate from, and slower-moving than, the H.R. 6500 deadline delay we’ve been tracking — that one is signed law with a fixed December 11, 2026 date. This one is still an early-stage bill with real bipartisan and industry support, but no guaranteed path to a vote.

This is general information, not legal advice, and reflects our understanding of a fast-moving situation as of September 18, 2026. For the deadline this bill is trying to solve, see our earlier posts, House Passes Bill Delaying Federal Hemp THC Ban to December 11 and Trump Signs Bill Delaying Hemp Ban to Dec. 11, or our explainer, The 2026 Hemp Beverage Ban, Explained.

Sources

• H.R.10079 — Beverage Regulatory Parity Act (Congress.gov, official bill tracker and text)
• Rep. Van Duyne Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Bring Regulatory Clarity to Hemp-derived Beverages (official press release)
• Bipartisan Bill Would Regulate Hemp-Derived THC Beverages Like Alcohol, WSWA Endorses Legislation (WSWA)
• Beverage Regulatory Parity Act: 5 Smart New Rules (Cannabis Legalization News)