How a liquor store owner learned to love hemp THC beverages

Jon Halper (courtesy photo)

This is part of a regular series of MJBizDaily interviews with major THC industry players. To be considered for an interview, contact editorial@mjbizdaily.com.

Minnesota liquor store owner Jon Halper was reluctant to start carrying hemp-derived THC beverages. Not a regular cannabis consumer, during tastings he would spit out products avoid getting high.

Still, he took a chance and added hemp THC drinks to his store shelves in June 2023, the first day Minnesota alcohol retailers were allowed to carry hemp THC products.

It proved so popular that Halper’s Top Ten Liquors now offers more than 300 hemp-derived THC beverage brands, as well as hemp THC edible products, at 14 of its 15 stores.

And his customers have responded positively, with 25% of them purchasing intoxicating hemp products last year, he told MJBizDaily.

“The biggest challenge is how do we attract the other 75% of customers to the category,”  said Halper, who spoke at MJBizCon 2025.

“It takes a lot of effort and education to get them over the hump.”

How a liquor store owner learned to love hemp THC

Halper offers tastings and ensures his staff is properly trained to answer questions from customers, who are in turn more comfortable purchasing them.

But a looming federal ban on hemp THC, set to take effect in November, threatens the more than $1 billion hemp beverage sector, as it promises to stifle a new product line that’s been a lifeline for many small businesses like Halper’s.

Hemp THC industry lobbyists are pushing Congress to regulate rather than ban – or at least delay imposing a ban, with no luck so far.

If they’re not successful, Halper will be forced to liquidate his inventory and do away with the category.

“The lion’s share of the business is alcohol, but the whole equation would change in a massive way,” he said.

On a dollar basis, beverages account for 75% of the intoxicating hemp products Top Ten sells.

Edibles are a part of the equation too, and because of their lower cost – $8 to $10 for a 50-milligram package versus $15 for a 40 mg four-pack of beverages – edible sales are higher on a per-unit basis.

But many in the legal cannabis industry still oppose hemp products, arguing they represent unfair competition.

Halper sees it both ways.

“Are there people who would have gone to a dispensary and choose not to go because they’d rather go to a liquor store? Of course,” he said.

“But some people have come in and tried this and will now go to a dispensary.”

Standing out in a crowded market

Although Top Ten carries hundreds of brands of hemp THC beverages, Halper is discerning when it comes to which ones he stocks.

“We look at the quality, the packaging, and it has to be a compliant product,” he said.

“We also need to understand how it sells. The rate of sales is very important.”

Halper also wants to make sure that brands are on board with in-store tastings, which are key to ensuring a product’s success.

Shelf placement, packaging and the ability to drive reorders through tastings and customer engagement are vital.

“A lot of brands feel like the win is getting placed,” Halper said. “You have to get placed to sell, but you have to sell to get reorders.”

“A lot of brands celebrate the win of placement, not the win of reorders.”

The THC beverage market operates differently from the alcohol industry, where national brands dominate.

In the cannabis space, most consumers are discovering brands for the first time, creating opportunities for smaller players to make an impact.

But that also means that brands must work harder to build recognition and loyalty.

The road ahead: Collaboration or competition?

Halper sees hemp beverages as a bridge – helping to normalize cannabis use and break down lingering stigma, while also laying the groundwork for broader legalization efforts.

Halper envisions a future where age-gated environments like liquor stores play a significant role in cannabis sales. Mainstream retailers like Circle K, Target and Total Wine are selling hemp THC beverages.

For retailers like Halper, the focus is on staying adaptable, advocating for fair policies and delivering products that resonate with consumers.

“Whether you drink alcohol and are supplementing or you don’t drink alcohol, but you want to engage in a mood-altering area, hemp beverages do that,” Halper said.

“Not everyone wants an edible, not everyone wants to smoke. Drinking and holding something is just the social norm.”

Margaret Jackson can be reached at margaret.jackson@mjbizdaily.com.