Our Guest Post on GreenState

We're thrilled to share that GreenState — the Hearst-owned cannabis media outlet known for sharp business coverage and thoughtful cultural commentary — published a guest post from Kasey Kollross. The piece, titled United Front: Trade Organizations Bridge the Cannabis–Hemp Divide, went live today and dives into one of the most important and underreported conversations happening in our industry right now: the growing alignment between cannabis and hemp trade organizations on shared policy goals.

If you care about the future of cannabinoid beverages, consumer safety, seed and genetics policy, or just the long-term health of this industry, this article is worth your time.

What the Article Covers

For years, the adult-use cannabis sector and the hemp-derived products sector have operated in almost entirely separate worlds. Different federal frameworks, different state regulations, different advocacy groups, different supply chains. The 2018 Farm Bill's 0.3 percent THC threshold created a bright regulatory line through the middle of one plant — and the resulting fragmentation has slowed progress on both sides while leaving consumers navigating a confusing and inconsistent marketplace.

The GreenState piece explores how that's finally starting to change. It highlights a growing coalition of trade organizations — including the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), the Hemp Beverage Alliance (HBA), the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USRT), the Hemp Industry & Farmers of America (HIFA), and the Coalition for Adult Beverage Alternatives (CABA) — that are finding meaningful common ground on policy principles that matter.

One of the key developments discussed in the article is the work of a cross-industry working group called "the Commission," which brought leaders from across the marijuana and hemp spectrum together to reach consensus on ten shared policy principles. Those principles address product-based regulation, age-gating THC ingestibles to adults 21 and older, uniform labeling and testing standards, interstate commerce, and keeping non-naturally occurring synthetic cannabinoids out of the regulatory conversation. That kind of consensus across historically siloed groups is genuinely unprecedented — and it's the kind of progress that moves policy forward.

Why We Wrote This Piece

At 23rd State, we live at the intersection of cannabis and hemp every single day. Our beverages — SHAKE, FRESH PRESS, and Blush Crush Infused Bubbly — are hemp-derived THC products that meet the same standard of quality, transparency, and consumer experience that the best licensed cannabis operators aim for. We've invested in third-party clinical research through the MoreBetter Real-World Infused Beverage Study to prove it. We believe in this category, and we believe that the path forward requires the kind of cross-industry collaboration this article describes.

Kasey's seat on the NCIA Board of Directors for the 2026–2028 term gives him a front-row view of how these conversations are evolving at the national level. But the piece isn't about any single organization or any single voice. It's about the collective momentum building across multiple groups, each approaching the same set of problems from different angles but arriving at increasingly aligned conclusions.

That's what makes this moment different. This isn't one trade group trying to speak for everyone. It's dozens of organizations, representing thousands of businesses across the full cannabinoid spectrum, choosing collaboration over competition. That shift — from territorial positioning to shared advocacy — is what the article aims to capture.

Seeds, Genetics, and the Foundation Nobody's Talking About

One section of the GreenState piece that we're particularly proud of is the deep dive into seeds and genetics policy. This is a topic that doesn't get nearly enough attention in mainstream cannabis coverage, but it underpins everything else the industry is trying to build.

Hemp farmers have faced persistent genetics challenges since the 2018 Farm Bill took effect. The USDA's approved variety list has consistently lagged behind the science, leaving growers stuck between market demand and legal compliance. A crop that tests even marginally above the 0.3 percent threshold can mean total financial loss — not because the farmer did anything wrong, but because the regulatory framework hasn't kept pace with plant biology.

On the adult-use cannabis side, breeders and genetics companies can't move material across state lines without running afoul of federal law. That bottleneck stifles innovation, concentrates genetic diversity in ways that weaken the industry's resilience, and prevents the kind of open breeding collaboration that drives progress in every other agricultural sector.

The article features perspective from Laura Campanella, CEO of Brothers Grimm Seeds and one of the most effective advocates working on behalf of cannabis seed consumers, breeders, and operators. Her message is clear: seeds aren't the problem — they're the foundation. Getting genetics policy right isn't a niche concern. It's the infrastructure that every product on every shelf is built on.

This issue is also deeply personal to us. Beyond the 23rd State brand, our team is connected to the broader Minnesota hemp and seed ecosystem, and we've seen firsthand how outdated genetics policy creates real barriers for growers and innovators who are trying to do things the right way.

Consumer Access as the North Star

The article's central argument is one we believe in deeply: consumer access has to be the organizing principle behind every policy decision this industry makes. Right now, the consumer experience is wildly inconsistent. A person can walk into a licensed dispensary and buy a product that has met rigorous state compliance standards — tested, labeled, tracked from seed to sale. Or that same person can pick up a hemp-derived product at a gas station with no testing, no accurate labeling, and no accountability.

Both products might contain THC. Only one operates under meaningful oversight. Closing that gap isn't about picking sides between cannabis and hemp. It's about building the kind of regulatory consistency that earns and keeps consumer trust. And consumer trust, once lost, is extraordinarily difficult to rebuild.

That's why the work these trade organizations are doing matters so much. Uniform testing standards, clear labeling requirements, age-gating, and product-based regulation — these aren't bureaucratic abstractions. They're the building blocks of a marketplace that consumers can actually navigate with confidence.

Thank You, GreenState

We want to extend a genuine thank you to the editorial team at GreenState for providing the platform for this conversation. GreenState has consistently been one of the most credible and thoughtful outlets covering the cannabis and hemp space, and having the opportunity to contribute to their business section is something we don't take lightly.

Guest editorial opportunities like this one matter because they bring industry-level policy conversations to a broader audience. Most consumers and even many operators don't have time to track every working group, every coalition letter, every policy memo. Articles like this one distill the signal from the noise and make the case for why these behind-the-scenes efforts deserve public attention and support.

Get Involved

If the article resonated with you, there are concrete steps you can take right now. Operators and industry professionals should consider joining one of the trade organizations mentioned — NCIA, HBA, USRT, HIFA, or CABA — each of which offers membership pathways and advocacy infrastructure. Consumers can use the tools on these organizations' websites to contact their lawmakers directly. You don't need a lobbyist. You need five minutes and a zip code.

Read the full article on GreenState: United Front: Trade Organizations Bridge the Cannabis–Hemp Divide

And if you want to learn more about 23rd State and the research behind our products, explore our site. We're building this brand the same way we think this industry should be built — with transparency, intention, and a commitment to doing the work that earns trust.