New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill (D) signed a bill pushing the date of the ban on liquor stores and smoke shops selling intoxicating hemp seltzers back by one month.
It aligns New Jersey with the federal government. Congress passed a law that President Donald Trump (R) signed in September 2026, pushing the beginning of the ban by 1 month to December 11, 2026.
The newest NJ intoxicating hemp bill was numbered S 4635 and A-5604. It was literally called “Aligns State restrictions on sale of hemp products and intoxicating hemp beverages with federal law.”
The bill was sponsored by NJ Senate President Nick Scutari (D-22-Union and Somerset) in the NJ Senate. Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak (D-18-Middlesex) was the primary sponsor with Will Sampson IV (D-31-Hudson) as his co-sponsor in the Assembly.
The bill was rammed through the NJ Legislature. The NJ Senate Judiciary Committee passed its version of the intoxicating hemp seltzer beverage bill by October 15th after it was introduced October 1st. The NJ Senate and the NJ Assembly Appropriations Committee passed the hemp beverage bill by wide margins by October 23rd. It passed the NJ Assembly with little fanfare on October 29th.
The liquor industry and the convenience store lobby testified for it several times amidst their heavy push for the bill in Trenton.
Scutari remains opposed to allowing an informational show hearing of a home cannabis gardening legalization bill. This is likely in part due to the lack of vocal support for the issue in his district. He is up for re-election next year in 2027 along with the rest of the New Jersey Legislature.
Hemp Industry versus Cannabis Industry
From the outside, it can be difficult to determine who in the intoxicating hemp industry are the babies making and selling quality, well-labeled products. And who is the bathwater selling mediocre, shady products to minors?
A great deal of adult-use cannabis operators likely believe all of the intoxicating hemp industry to be bathwater.
In states where there is no adult-use cannabis, the federally legal intoxicating hemp industry has many prominent supporters and defenders. For example, the Texas Democratic Senator-Elect James Talarico has defended the hemp industry in Texas amidst Republican attacks. The legendary musician and Texas native Willie Nelson agreed with Talarico, according to Celeb Stoner.
Intoxicating Hemp and the Feds
The federal intoxicating hemp ban itself was passed as part of a larger federal spending bill last year in November 2025.
However, there is talk by hemp industry advocates and their alcohol industry allies of establishing a way for the intoxicating hemp seltzers and other beverages to remain in liquor stores.
According to Marijuana Moment, a couple of bills introduced in Congress would do just that.
Trump and Hemp
Notably, according to Politico, Trump’s now-former Chief of Staff Susan Wiles has been accused of meddling in hemp policy to advance her family’s business interests.
Her son-in-law Bret Worley sits on the board of the Hemp Industry and Farmers of America. It listed him as the CEO of MC Nutraceuticals and Vivimu. The Colorado Attorney General announced in January 2026 that their office reached a fine payment settlement with MC Global Holdings, owned in part by Worley.
Wiles also previously served as a lobbyist for the large Multi-State Operator (MSO) Trulieve prior to becoming White House Chief of Staff.
So her departure might influence Trump’s position on the issue.
Notably, the Democrats won back control of Congress in the elections last week, beginning with the new session in January. So, the Republicans might have a lot of other things they might want to address during the lame duck session of Congress before they lose power.
