THC drink companies rush to sell inventory as Illinois ban takes effect

Illinois has banned most hemp-derived THC products, forcing drinks companies to sell off remaining stock or move it to states with different rules. The change matters to producers and retailers because the state ban took effect this month even though a federal ban has been delayed until December, leaving businesses to navigate overlapping rules.

The new limit is 0.4mg of THC per container. A lawsuit by a trade group representing about 250 Illinois businesses pauses the ban only for the companies that brought the case, despite headlines suggesting a wider reprieve. Playdate discounted its THC rosé and plans to ship less than a truckload elsewhere; Go Brewing cancelled a planned batch after making its last one, while Chicago-based Perfectly Dosed sent a metric ton of THC emulsion to Wisconsin.