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A Texas liquor store chain has added a hemp-infused seltzer containing THC to its shelves throughout the state.
Spec’s Wine & Spirits is now carrying Hi Seltzer’s delta-8 beverages in more than 200 of their stores in 100-plus municipalities across Texas, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
“Our leadership team spends considerable time analyzing the trends and reviewing consumer habits, which led us to investigate the THC-infused space in late 2022,” Spec’s Lisa Rydman-Lindsey told the newspaper.
“This was around the same time Hi Seltzer introduced its brand, and we enjoyed the tasting.”
Spec’s move comes only months after a Texas appeals court upheld an injunction halting a ban on delta-8 products in the state.
Hi Seltzer says its products have no calories or sugar and each 12-ounce can contains 5 milligrams of delta-8.
The mainstream crossover is another big win for the industry as retailers nationwide have been reluctant to sell low-dose, hemp-infused beverages despite their legality under the 2018 Farm Bill.
MJBizDaily last year chronicled the low-dose, hemp-derived THC beverage boom in Minnesota, where the state’s homegrown grocery chain Cub – widely known as Cub Foods – is carrying these types of beverages.
In November Total Wine & More launched a dedicated THC beverage section at several of its stores across Minnesota, marking one of the first industry distribution deals with a national retail chain.