Target Begins Selling THC-Infused Cannabis Drinks As Congress Debates Possible Hemp Law Reversal
The retail giant Target is soft launching sales of THC-infused beverages at select stores in Minnesota, an executive of one cannabis drink company participating in the rollout and other industry leaders told Marijuana Moment.
In one of the latest examples of the normalization of cannabis in mainstream commercial marketing, Target’s move in Minnesota—where the company is headquartered—reportedly involves putting a dozen THC drink brands on shelves in 10 select stores in the state.
The move comes as Congress is debating legislation to recriminalize hemp-derived products with a quantifiable amount of THC, and as states across the country continue to evaluate their own laws.
“Given everything that’s going on around hemp and the conversations about regulation versus prohibition, Target getting into it now is monumental,” Jason Dayton, co-founder of Trail Magic, told Marijuana Moment. “And this is a moment that shows that regulation work.”
“I think all of us, collectively, would say we want more regulation—not less,” he said. “We want age-gating, we want testing, we want all of the rules of the road that have allowed the alcohol industry to become a $250 billion a year category, with everything included: Countless jobs and tax revenue associated with that.”
Whether the test pilot leads to a more national expansion of hemp beverages at Target locations beyond Minnesota is yet to be seen.
But the move also comes at a precipitous time in the state and federal hemp policy debate, with some lawmakers angling for a ban of cannabis products containing any amount of THC—despite the federal legalization of the crop and its derivatives under the 2018 Farm Bill, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump during his first term.
The mainstreaming of cannabis beverages comes as a new polls shows that a majority of Americans believe marijuana represents a “healthier option” than alcohol—and that most also expect cannabis to be legal in all 50 states within the next five years.
Another survey found that four in five adults who drink cannabis-infused beverages say they’ve reduced their alcohol intake—and more than a fifth have quit drinking alcohol altogether.
Target isn’t alone in joining the cannabis train as state laws continue to evolve.
Home Depot, one of the largest employers in the United States, last year shifted its employee drug testing policies to remove cannabis from screening panels entirely and stop pre-employment drug testing of most of its workers, according to a document obtained by Marijuana Moment.
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