Can The Illinois THC Drink Ban Be Stopped? Hemp Industry Advocates Sue To Try

CHICAGO — Advocates for the sale of hemp-derived products are suing top state officials in a last-ditch effort to stop a state law from going into effect that could decimate the fledgling industry in Illinois. On Thursday, the Illinois Healthy Alternatives Association, a trade group for the hemp industry, asked a judge to grant a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and a host of other state officials one week before the Illinois Hemp Act takes effect on Nov. 12. The group wants a pause on the state s Hemp Act, which would ban the sale of hemp-derived THC beverages and cannabinoid products outside of licensed dispensaries. Advocates argue the new law could prove disastrous for breweries and other businesses that have pivoted to the sales of such products in recent years. If successful, Thursday s litigation would prevent the state from reclassifying hemp products as cannabis along with stopping what advocates argu