GAO finds gaps in DEA and FDA drug scheduling procedures • 59-group alcohol coalition urges permanent U.S.-Canada deal before the September 29 import order • Missouri Supreme Court hears cannabis license-scoring challenge

NEW REALM BREWING

Daily Compliance Brief

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Vol. 1 • Edition 42 • Thursday, September 24, 2026 • Alcohol & Hemp/THC Regulation • Federal + All 50 States

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.

Top Story

GAO finds “gaps” in DEA and FDA drug scheduling procedures as marijuana rescheduling review continues

FEDERAL • Marijuana Moment • Sep 23

A Government Accountability Office report published September 23 found that DEA has no policies or procedures for how its staff evaluate or schedule substances, that FDA lacks written procedures for the eight-factor scientific analyses behind scheduling recommendations, and that the FDA–NIH memorandum underpinning those reviews is more than 40 years old. The report said the gaps “may pose a risk to the consistency of DEA’s and FDA’s future operations in the event of staff turnover,” and it lands while DEA’s administrative process on moving marijuana to Schedule III — recommended by HHS — remains open. GAO recommended both agencies adopt comprehensive written procedures.

Why it matters: The scheduling review drives Section 280E federal tax treatment and the competitive landscape for THC beverages; documented process gaps add timing uncertainty for any partner planning inventory, licensing or tax positions around a Schedule III outcome.

Federal

59-group alcohol coalition asks for a permanent U.S.–Canada deal before the September 29 import exclusion

FEDERAL • Shanken News Daily • Sep 22

The Toasts Not Tariffs coalition, representing 59 national and state organizations across the beverage-alcohol supply chain, sent a letter to President Trump urging a permanent bilateral agreement restoring market access for U.S. and Canadian brands on both sides of the border, ahead of the U.S. order excluding most bottled Canadian alcohol imports that takes effect September 29. The coalition said U.S. spirits exports to Canada have fallen 70% to $72 million and wine exports 87% to $60 million since Canadian provinces removed American products from liquor shelves.

Why it matters: Distributors and retailers carrying Canadian labels face supply disruption from Monday’s exclusion order heading into the holiday season — portfolio and inventory decisions on affected SKUs need to be made this week.

New House bill would treat alcohol and cannabis as “high-risk” ad categories requiring platform verification

FEDERAL • Marijuana Moment • Sep 23

Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) and Del. James Moylan (R-Guam) filed the SAFE Platforms Act (H.R. 10433), which would require digital platforms with 100,000+ monthly users or $25 million+ in annual revenue to run enhanced verification on advertisers in designated “high-risk” categories — including alcohol, cannabis, tobacco and other age-restricted consumables — with identity and business documentation and periodic re-verification; the FTC could designate additional categories.

Why it matters: If enacted, digital ad campaigns for beer and THC beverages would carry new advertiser-onboarding and re-verification steps on major platforms — an added process cost for brand and retail marketing teams.

Around the States

Missouri Supreme Court hears challenge to 2019 cannabis license scoring

MISSOURI • Marijuana Moment • Sep 23

The court heard arguments September 23 in Hippos LLC v. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services over whether regulators must award the company 13 cannabis facility licenses after an appeals court found the state’s 2019 application scoring erratic and poorly documented. Hippos’s counsel said “identical answers to the same question received inconsistent scores”; the state argued the Administrative Hearing Commission’s rescoring was proper and is what the court should review. No ruling was issued.

Why it matters: The ruling will set how far Missouri courts will go in ordering license awards over scoring defects — a precedent worth watching for any partner holding or contesting a license in the state.

Oshkosh sets 21+ minimum to buy or possess intoxicating hemp products

WISCONSIN • WBAY • Sep 22

The Oshkosh Common Council voted unanimously to bar anyone under 21 from buying or possessing intoxicating hemp-derived THC products such as delta-8 and delta-9; CBD and other non-intoxicating products are exempt. Retailers must check photo ID, with a $100 fine per violation for sellers and a $100 minimum fine for underage buyers. The council dropped a proposed restriction on sales near schools, parks and hospitals.

Why it matters: Retail partners selling hemp THC beverages in Oshkosh now carry an ID-check duty with per-violation fines — and city-level ordinances like this one add a local compliance layer to track alongside state rules.

On the Radar

September 29 — The presidential order excluding Canadian wine, spirits and beer from U.S. importation takes effect; product imported earlier but not yet entered for consumption stays subject to the existing 50% duty (Shanken News Daily).

Late October — The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority’s preliminary-feedback window on its draft adult-use retail regulations is expected; final rules are due in December, license applications open February 1, 2027, and retail sales launch July 1, 2027 (Virginia CCA).

December 11 — The federal hemp redefinition limiting legal products to 0.4 mg total THC per container takes effect, after Congress moved the date back from November 12 in the funding bill signed September 4 (Marijuana Moment).

Jeremy Barnes | Chief Financial Officer, New Realm Brewing Co.

Prepared for New Realm’s leadership team and valued partners. This brief is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice; it is compiled with AI assistance from the linked sources — please confirm details at the link before acting on them.

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Audio transcript (~2 min read)

This is the New Realm Compliance Brief, Volume One, Edition Forty-Two, for Thursday, September Twenty-Fourth.

Our top story: the Government Accountability Office says the federal drug scheduling process has gaps. In a report published Wednesday, the watchdog found the Drug Enforcement Administration has no written policies for how its staff evaluate or schedule substances, and the Food and Drug Administration lacks procedures for the scientific analyses behind scheduling recommendations. The report said these gaps may pose a risk to consistent operations, and it arrives while the D E A's review of moving marijuana to Schedule Three remains open. The G A O recommended both agencies adopt comprehensive written procedures.

In other federal news, the Toasts Not Tariffs coalition, representing fifty-nine national and state alcohol organizations, sent a letter to President Trump urging a permanent deal with Canada to restore beverage alcohol market access on both sides of the border. The letter comes ahead of Monday, September Twenty-Ninth, when a presidential order excluding most bottled Canadian wine, spirits and beer from importation takes effect.

Also in Washington, Representative Valerie Foushee of North Carolina and Delegate James Moylan of Guam filed a bill that would treat alcohol and cannabis as high-risk advertising categories, requiring large digital platforms to verify those advertisers with identity and business documentation before their ads run.

Around the states: the Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on whether regulators must award thirteen cannabis facility licenses over the state's flawed twenty-nineteen application scoring. And in Wisconsin, the Oshkosh Common Council voted unanimously to set a twenty-one-plus minimum age to buy or possess intoxicating hemp products, with retailers required to check photo I D.

On the radar: the Canadian alcohol import exclusion takes effect September Twenty-Ninth, and the federal hemp redefinition takes effect December Eleventh.

Full details and source links are in today's email. This update is for general information only — it is not legal advice.