Good morning — here’s the regulatory picture for alcohol and hemp/THC beverages, readable in about three minutes. Every headline links to the original source. A quiet weekend docket means fewer items today rather than padding. TOP STORY First store closures follow Virginia’s 2 mg hemp THC cap VIRGINIA • Chatham Star-Tribune • Aug 14 With Virginia’s 2 milligram total-THC-per-package limit now in effect — U.S. District Judge Robert S. Ballou declined to block the law on Friday — retailer THE Dispensary closed its Danville, Chesterfield and Fredericksburg stores rather than risk violations, affecting roughly 15–18 employees. Store manager Lindsay Diaz said the company decided closure was preferable to operating under legal uncertainty, while nearby operator Xzatix LLC said it will stay open by removing every product above the 2 mg limit. Why it matters: The cap is live — hemp-derived THC beverages above 2 mg total THC per package can no longer be sold in Virginia, so distributors and retail partners there should confirm noncompliant SKUs are off shelves, out of fulfillment, and routed for returns or credits. |
FEDERAL TTB proposes four new viticultural areas; Columbia Hills final rule publishes Monday FEDERAL / TTB • Federal Register • Aug 14 TTB published proposed rules Friday to establish the Rancho Santa Fe (CA), Llano Uplift and Hickory Sands District (TX), Kaw Valley (KS) and Mill Creek–Walla Walla Valley (WA) American viticultural areas, with comments due October 13. A final rule establishing the 29,387-acre Columbia Hills AVA in Washington State is scheduled for publication Monday and takes effect September 16 — routine label-designation activity on the wine side, with no beer-labeling changes attached. AROUND THE STATES Massachusetts potency audit flags 13 of 63 tested products for label inaccuracy MASSACHUSETTS • MJBizDaily • Aug 14 The Cannabis Control Commission said its first THC potency audit found 13 of 63 flower products — about 20 percent — tested outside the allowed 75–125 percent of labeled THC, and regulators placed holds on the failing products pending retest, relabel, recall or destruction. Chair Chris Harding said label accuracy “is also a matter of health and safety for medical patients,” and executive director Travis Ahern said future audits will add random checks for pesticides, heavy metals, mold and bacteria. Why it matters: State THC markets are moving toward alcohol-style label-accuracy enforcement — anyone producing or distributing THC beverages should expect potency-verification audits and hold/recall exposure for out-of-spec labels. ON THE RADAR Aug. 19 — New U.S. tariffs on roughly $28 billion in Canadian imports take effect unless negotiators reach a deal; officials aim to present a framework to the president, talks continued through the weekend, and U.S. alcohol’s return to provincial store shelves remains among the open items. November 2026 — Federal recriminalization of hemp products above 0.4 mg THC per container remains scheduled to take effect; the Senate-passed delay and the House’s Beverage Regulatory Parity Act (Reps. Van Duyne and Landsman) are both still awaiting House action. Sept. 9 — North Carolina ABC Commission’s next meeting in Raleigh, where the tabled minimum liquor-pricing proposal returns to the agenda; comments on TTB’s four AVA proposals are due Oct. 13. |