Beverage Regulatory Parity Act

The Beverage Regulatory Parity Act establishes a federal framework for regulating hemp-derived non-alcoholic beverages containing naturally occurring cannabinoids, such as delta-9 THC and CBD. The bill assigns primary regulatory authority to the Tax and Trade Bureau, which will enforce a three-tiered distribution system requiring separate permits for manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers, while also setting strict labeling, advertising, and age-restriction requirements modeled after alcohol regulations. Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration will oversee product safety by defining standards for adulteration and misbranding, ensuring that beverages do not contain synthetic cannabinoids or harmful additives like alcohol or nicotine. The legislation imposes a federal excise tax of 8 cents per milligram of intoxicating THC content on these products and explicitly preserves state and local authority to enact more stringent laws or prohibit the sale of such beverages within their jurisdictions.