AUGUSTA, Maine — They’re often tucked next to sodas and sports drinks in gas station coolers and corner store fridges across Maine: brightly labelled beverages, marketed as “social soda.”
Many contain intoxicating levels of THC—the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. But unlike the products sold at licensed dispensaries, the THC in these drinks is derived from hemp, not cannabis.
That distinction has allowed these “sodas” to bypass state regulations.
Currently, there is no minimum age to purchase these intoxicating hemp drinks, which can get users high just like a joint. Often, it’s up to the individual retailer where to place these products and who to sell them to.
Now, Maine lawmakers are looking at new legislation to change that. A bipartisan bill would ban the sale of intoxicating hemp products to anyone under 21, aligning their purchase requirements more closely with cannabis laws already on the books.
The proposal has gained bipartisan support, with legislators from both sides of the aisle acknowledging the regulatory gap and the potential risks to youth. Supporters of the bill argue that while banning access to minors is an important step, it’s just the beginning of what should be a broader regulatory overhaul.
“These beverages are now sold in gas stations, convenience stores, and cafes all over Maine,” Matt Wellington, director at the Maine Public Health Association, said. “If we don’t take action now, it’s only going to grow, and it’s only going to [get] harder to backtrack and put in place some common sense guardrails around them. I think it’s a win-win for everyone to make sure that if these products are sold, they’re sold responsibly.”
Wellington and other public health advocates are pushing for a full moratorium on the sale of hemp-derived THC beverages, similar to policies adopted in California.
NEWS CENTER Maine reached out to several companies that manufacture and distribute these drinks in Maine to get their perspective on the proposed age restrictions. As of publication, none have responded to requests for comment.
