The Center for Alcohol Policy endeavors to educate policymakers, regulators and the public about alcohol’s uniqueness and its regulation. This includes education around effective and appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, an intoxicating beverage. As part of this mission, the Center regularly commissions national public opinion surveys to gauge public sentiment on alcohol regulation and related issues. For more than a decade, these surveys have provided valuable insights into Americans’ views on alcohol policy, emphasizing that legislative decisions, whether through action or inaction, impact all residents of a jurisdiction, including those who do not consume the product.
In 2018, Congress passed the Farm Bill, which included the Hemp Farming Act of 2018. This legislation removed hemp—a type of cannabis plant containing less than 0.3% THC by dry weight—from the Schedule I list of controlled substances. Historically used in sectors such as construction, textiles, and manufacturing, hemp was reclassified as an ordinary agricultural commodity. Since the passage of the Farm Bill there has been a rapid development in the availability of hemp-derived THC products, including beverages.
In partnership with New Bridge Strategies, the Center commissioned a national survey to better understand Americans’ views on beverages containing hemp-derived THC and their regulation. The survey explored public awareness, availability, perceived intoxicating effects, and attitudes toward potential regulation of these products.
It should be noted that the Center does not take a position on the legalization of these products; rather in the spirit of education, it seeks to provide policymakers and stakeholders with objective information to guide thoughtful decision making.
Three major findings emerged from the survey:
- There is significant confusion and lack of awareness among the general public regarding the existence, availability, and intoxicating effects of hemp-derived THC beverages.
- After receiving a brief description of hemp-derived THC, a strong majority of Americans support regulating the sale and availability of these products.
- Moreover, a majority of Americans see the existing successful regulatory framework provided by alcohol as an appropriate model for the future regulation of hemp-derived THC beverages, should they be made available in a state. The Center’s most recent alcohol regulation sentiment survey found that 85% of Americans are satisfied with the existing system for purchasing alcohol in their respective states.
This memo, prepared by New Bridge Strategy, presents the findings from a national survey of 1,011 adults aged 21 and older across the United States. Interviews were conducted online, with the sample proportionally distributed and demographically representative of this population.
The Center has also provided access a series of slides summarizing the survey results, which may be useful for presentations or further discussion.