American country music star Willie Nelson's $200 million THC drinks business faces ban

American country music star Willie Nelson's cannabis drinks business, which expects about $200 million in sales this year, could be forced off the market when a federal ban on intoxicating hemp products takes effect in December.

Willie's Remedy+, a line of THC-infused seltzers, shots and bottled "social tonics" that Nelson runs in partnership with California beverage maker JuneShine Brands, would be among the hardest-hit brands if Congress does not act before Dec. 11. Greg Serrao, JuneShine's co-founder and chief executive, said the company would consider shutting the line down if lawmakers fail to step in. He described the products as "wildly profitable" and said sales were on course for roughly $200 million this year, up from about $30 million in 2025, its first year.

The ban was written into the spending package that ended the record 43-day US government shutdown in November 2025. It redefines legal hemp to exclude any finished product containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container, a fraction of the dose in a typical THC drink. Willie's Remedy+ sells servings of 5 milligrams and 10 milligrams. The ban was due to start on Nov. 12, but a stopgap funding bill signed in September pushed most of the restrictions back to Dec. 11.

A loophole that built a market

Hemp drinks grew out of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp containing no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight. Beverage makers found that a can of seltzer could deliver a full dose of THC and still fall under that threshold, because the limit is measured as a share of the product's weight. US hemp drink sales have since grown to about $1.5 billion a year, and the wider hemp THC industry, including gummies and vapes, stands to lose $28.3 billion in retail revenue under the ban, according to a September estimate by Whitney Economics.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who championed the 2018 hemp provision to help farmers in his state, pushed the new restrictions into the spending bill and has argued that the products put children at risk. Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Tim Sheehy of Montana are drafting a bridge bill that would limit sales to adults over 21 while a permanent set of federal rules is written. In the House, Representatives Andy Barr and Angie Craig introduced the Lawful Hemp Protection Act in July, which would tax and regulate hemp drinks the way alcohol is regulated. Neither measure has left committee.

Nelson, 93, has lobbied for regulation over prohibition. "Banning hemp won't solve problems. Smart regulation will," he said in February.

How the brand grew

Nelson and Long Play Inc., the company behind his cannabis and wellness brands, set up Willie's Remedy+ with JuneShine in early 2025. JuneShine, best known for hard kombucha and canned cocktails, handles sales, marketing and distribution, and about 50 of its employees work on the brand. Forrest Dein, JuneShine's co-founder and chief marketing officer, is also a co-founder of Willie's Remedy+.

The drinks launched at Nelson's Luck Reunion festival near Austin, Texas, in March 2025, first as 750-milliliter bottles selling online for $69.99 and then as canned seltzers. The brand sold out three times in its first 10 months. In February it raised $15 million in a Series A round led by LeftLane Capital, with Second Sight Ventures taking part, to move into retail chains including Total Wine, Lowes Foods, Binny's Beverage Depot and Texas convenience store operator TXB. It also sells through Gopuff and DoorDash.

The business is an extension of a cannabis portfolio Nelson has built for more than a decade. Willie's Reserve sells cannabis flower, edibles and vapes in states where marijuana is legal, and the original Willie's Remedy line sells CBD-infused coffee, tea and balms. Willie's Reserve operates under state marijuana licenses rather than the federal hemp rules.

Nelson is not alone. Brandon Harshbarger, who runs the holding company for comedy duo Cheech & Chong, has said about 80% of that company's business comes from THC products that would be banned.