Circle K Plans to Sell Hemp THC Beverages Nationwide in 2026
Hemp THC beverages are about to get their biggest mainstream test yet. Circle K says it will start stocking hemp-derived THC drinks across the United States in 2026, after a smaller regional debut late in 2025. The rollout pairs Circle K with Horticulture Co., kicking off with an Allen Iverson branded line in the Carolinas and Florida. Those first cans are expected to sit at about 10 mg THC per can, which has become the go-to single serving for this category. If the pilot lands, Circle K plans to widen availability to states that permit hemp THC beverages, tapping a North American footprint that spans close to 10,000 locations through its parent company, Alimentation Couche-Tard.
This shift matters because placement in a national convenience chain moves THC seltzers from boutique fridges and niche web shops to the place most Americans already buy their energy drinks and sparkling waters. The c-store cold box is the most valuable real estate in beverage. Getting in there usually means better logistics, steadier supply, and real consumer discovery at scale. It also forces the category to mature: more consistent dosing, clearer labels, better QA, and packaging that educates first-time buyers without confusing them.
Circle K’s timeline also gives the industry a long runway. Brands, co-packers, and distributors can tune recipes and compliance, retailers can plan sets and planograms, and regulators can clarify what they expect on potency caps, age gating, child-resistant features, and placement rules. By the time 2026 arrives, shoppers should see a cleaner, more consistent aisle than the experimental patchwork of 2023–2024.
The rules of the road
Hemp beverages live in the lane created by the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp production and opened the door for hemp-derived cannabinoids, provided products stay within federal limits and relevant state laws. That federal baseline is only the start. States decide whether and how these drinks can be sold, including rules on potency per serving, packaging language, age verification, and where in a store the products can sit. The practical result is a checkerboard: some states enable a thriving hemp beverage market, some limit it tightly, and others are still rewriting the rules. Circle K’s plan threads that needle by focusing expansion only where state law allows.
That legal reality shapes everything from flavor development to label copy. Expect cans to highlight THC per serving and per container, list total cannabinoids, and include very plain-English guidance on onset and serving size. You’ll likely see ID checks at the counter, shelf tags that make it crystal clear this is a THC product, and placement away from conventional soda where required. Because convenience is built on trust and repetition, major chains tend to demand extra quality controls: validated batch testing, scannable COAs, stability data on cannabinoid drift, and packaging that stands up to months in a refrigerated set.
For consumers, this framework is actually helpful. It means the drink you grab on a road trip in a green-light state should deliver a predictable experience. Labels will be easier to read, flavors will be dialed to mass-market palates, and multi-packs or promotions will appear once distribution stabilizes. For the category, it also means fewer gimmicks and more emphasis on sessionable formats that feel familiar to anyone used to sparkling water, kombucha, or non-alcoholic beer.
What it means for shoppers, brands, and the aisle
If you’re hemp-curious or looking for a lighter, social alternative to alcohol, 2026 could be the year THC beverages become simple to try. Circle K’s coolers are everyday touchpoints: a post-gym stop, a fuel break, a candy run. Putting THC seltzers there normalizes the format and removes friction. The most visible SKUs will likely be 10 mg single-serve cans with crisp, fruit-forward profiles and clean ingredient decks. You’ll also see session-friendly options with lower per-serve THC and clear language about stacking servings safely. That helps first-timers ease in without overdoing it.
For brands, this is a legitimacy jump and a stress test. National chains reward consistency and penalize sloppiness. Expect a wave of reformulations to improve mouthfeel, reduce bitterness, and stabilize emulsions so cans taste identical whether you buy them on day 5 or day 95. Expect packaging to get smarter too: QR codes to batch results, simple icons for onset windows, and bolder age-restricted callouts that still look good in a cold case. Collabs will be part of the story — athlete lines like the Iverson launch are built to stand out next to energy drinks — but staying power will come from reliability and flavor, not just a name.
Retailers will refine the set the same way they refined the energy aisle: anchor SKUs with clear roles, rotate limited flavors to keep the section fresh, and use price ladders so there’s an entry, a core, and a premium tier. Promotions will shift from curiosity discounts to routine multipack deals as volumes rise. That competitive pressure should push prices toward the mainstream seltzer neighborhood rather than boutique-beverage territory, especially where distribution densifies.
There’s also a responsibility angle. With greater access comes a greater need for clarity. Good labels will spell out dose, onset, and don’t-mix-and-drive warnings. Staff training at the register matters, as does merchandising that doesn’t blur the line for kids. The chains that do this best will treat the category like a functional beverage with adult-use guardrails, not a novelty.
The upshot is simple: Circle K’s move takes hemp THC drinks from a trend to an aisle. It rewards brands that can scale quality and storytelling, it gives curious shoppers a low-friction way to sample, and it sends a signal to the rest of retail that this isn’t a fad. Availability will still depend on your state’s rules, and the 2025 pilot needs to prove its case, but the direction of travel is clear. If the timeline holds, 2026 looks like the moment THC beverages become a normal part of the convenience store run.
