Say Goodbye to THC Drinks at KY Bars!

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Cannabis-infused drinks can no longer be sold at Kentucky bars and restaurants as of June 1, 2025.

The General Assembly passed Senate Bill 202 , which regulates THC beverages in Kentucky. Now, cannabis-infused beverages can only be purchased by the box at liquor stores.

“It’s not often that we get a right taken away from us, but on June 1 that happened in Kentucky," co-founder of Cornbread Hemp, Jim Higdon, said Monday.

Higdon said single-can sales at bars and restaurants represents 30 percent of the adult beverage market.

"It’s a segment that our customers, consumers and Kentucky citizens have come to take for granted, and now it’s being taken away," he added.

“In my opinion, it’s a health issue and safety issue," Raque-Adams said. “We were hearing reports of children getting their hands on them, and they were being sold in places that did not traditionally sell intoxicating products. So, we really needed to wrap our arms around it, and put some guardrails on cannabis-infused beverages."

There is one exception to the law: THC drinks may be sold by-the-can at fairs and festivals for the rest of 2025.

Higdon said the THC drinks are an alternative to alcohol and can give more options to bar-goers.

"These beverages give them something to drink that prevents them from being tempted to drink alcohol if they’ve had trouble with alcohol in the past," Higdon said.

Cornbread Hemp's products were mainly in the Germantown neighborhood at bars along Goss Avenue. He said his clientele wants to see them stay.

“THC beverages have been a key component in that non-alcoholic offering that has now been taken away," Hidgon said.

Raque-Adams said opinions about the drinks from bar owners were a mixed bag.

"They didn’t know what the effect was when someone consumed alcoholic beverages and consumed a THC-infused beverage, and so a lot of bars and restaurants were concerned about the liability," she said.

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