The Truth About SB 202: Who Really Wins?

There’s a phrase that gets thrown around a lot in Frankfort:
“The best legislation is one where no one is happy.”

If you’ve spent any time trying to change laws, you’ve probably heard this line. The idea is that a “fair” law should be a compromise—something that no one loves but everyone can live with.

But let’s be honest: that’s not what happened with SB 202.

The only ones unhappy with this bill are those in the hemp industry. Meanwhile, wholesale package distributors and liquor stores are ecstatic—and why wouldn’t they be?

Senator Julie Raque Adams didn’t regulate hemp-derived products. That was already established. She cut an entire category out and handed it over to the alcohol industry.

Well, “handed” might not be the right word. That makes it sound like an act of generosity. It wasn’t.

It’s no coincidence that in the last eight years, Adams has received almost $12,000 in campaign donations from the alcohol industry. Just in the last two years, beer and wine wholesalers’ trade associations poured nearly $55,000 into campaign donations, primarily to Republican candidates.

Representative Matthew Koch, sponsor of HB 734, received $3,500 between November 2023 and November 2024.

This is how power works in Frankfort.

The hemp industry was fed double-speak and outright lies from legislators. We were told that regulation was necessary to ensure safety and consistency. Instead, what we got was a power grab that benefits big alcohol at the expense of Kentucky farmers and small business owners.

At the end of the day, we can’t ignore the reality of who funds legislation. Advocacy matters, but so does money—and right now, the alcohol industry is spending big to take what we’ve built.

We won’t stop fighting. But let’s be clear-eyed about what we’re up against.