Report ·
The THC Seltzer Clock Is Half Reset
The Senate voted 37-0 to push the liquor store THC drink cutoff to at least December 11. Until the Assembly and the governor act, November 13 is still the law.
Live · Updated 22 Oct after the Senate vote · Assembly result pending · S4635 / A5604 · NJ Legislature · CRC guidance
How to read this
- Documented
- A public record exists — USPTO filing, court docket, state licence, dated press release, or a dated post I read directly.
- Reported
- Stated by a named, credible industry figure or publication, but not verified against a primary record.
- Claimed
- One party's assertion about a contested fact. Recorded because it was said, not because it is established.
The New Jersey Senate voted 37-0 today to move the cutoff for THC drinks at liquor stores. I've been tracking this one every week, and this is the first vote that actually changes the math.
THE SHORT ANSWER
What's true right now
State law still says liquor stores and dispos stop selling hemp THC drinks on November 13, 2026.Documented
S4635 swaps that hard date for a "federal compliance date." That's December 11, 2026, or whenever the federal hemp rules take effect, whichever comes later.Documented
It only counts if the Assembly passes it and Governor Sherrill signs it before November 13. That gives them three weeks.
WHERE IT STANDS
Where it stands
| Step | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| S4635 introduced (Sen. Nicholas Scutari) | 1 Oct 2026 | Done |
| A5604 introduced (Asm. Robert Karabinchak) | 5 Oct 2026 | Done |
| Senate Judiciary Committee | 15 Oct 2026 | Passed 10-0, one not voting |
| Assembly State and Local Government Committee | 15 Oct 2026 | Passed 7-0, sent to Appropriations |
| Full Senate | 22 Oct 2026 | Passed 37-0 |
| Assembly committee hearing | 22 Oct 2026 | Result not posted yet |
| Full Assembly | Not scheduled | Pending |
| Governor signs | Before 13 Nov to matter | Pending |
Nobody has voted no. The risk here is the calendar. I'll update this as each step moves.
THE BILL
What the bill actually changes
- Liquor stores and wholesalers licensed by the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, plus licensed Class 5 dispensaries, can keep selling these drinks until the federal compliance date.Documented
- That date can't land before December 11, even if federal funding lapses.Documented
- Hemp producers keep their processing exception for the same stretch.Documented
- It takes effect the day it's signed.Documented
The date floats. In plain words, if Congress delays its hemp rules again, Jersey's cutoff moves with it and nobody has to write a new bill.Documented
One snag to watch. On October 15, liquor retailers asked lawmakers to fix a container rule they say leaves only cans and 750 ml resealable bottles legal. If either house amends the bill, both have to pass the same text, and that eats days.Reported
HOW WE GOT HERE
How we got here
12 November 2025 · Congress redefines hempDocumented
Section 781 of Public Law 119-37 caps hemp at 0.4 mg of total THC per container and bans cannabinoids made outside the plant. It was set to start a year later.
New Jersey writes the date into its own lawDocumented
The state's 2025 hemp law, P.L.2025, c.215, ties the drink cutoff to that federal change and sets it at November 13, 2026.
2 September 2026 · Congress delays most of itReported
A stopgap funding bill pushes most of the federal changes to December 11. Jersey's statute still says November 13, so the two fall a month out of step.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU
What it means for you
Some things change November 13 no matter what Trenton does. Per the bill's own statement, products with cannabinoids the plant can't make naturally become federally illegal that day.Documented
If you grab regular hemp delta-9 seltzers at the liquor store, your date depends on the Assembly and the governor. Best case, you get until December 11. After that, drinks over the federal limit count as cannabis in Jersey, and only licensed dispensaries can sell them.Documented
This bill buys a month, and I think it's the right call. Making shops dump stock early pushes people toward untested stuff with no age check. The December 11 wall is still coming, though. Here's what that wall does in Jersey.
Here's what I'd do at the counter
- Plan for November 13 until the governor signs. Don't stock up counting on December.
- Ask for the certificate of analysis on any hemp THC drink. Every legal one in Jersey needs lab testing.
- If THC drinks are your thing, see what your dispo carries now. That's where they live after the federal date.
- Check back here. This page moves when the bill does.
Sources
- S4635 bill text and statement (NJ Legislature)
- A5604 bill text (NJ Legislature)
- P.L.2025, c.215 (NJ Legislature)
- S4635 bill history and votes (FastDemocracy)
- S4635 bill history and companion status (LegiScan)
- Intoxicating hemp FAQ (NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission)
- Changes to the Statutory Definition of Hemp (Congressional Research Service)
- Committees advance S4635 and A5604 (The Marijuana Herald)
- Senate Judiciary hearing coverage (Heady NJ)
- Section 781 deadline tracker (Next Level Leaf)
Right of reply
I haven't asked Sen. Scutari, Asm. Karabinchak, the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control or the CRC for comment yet.
How this was put together
Written October 22, 2026. Bill text from the NJ Legislature, bill history and votes as posted via LegiScan and FastDemocracy, rules from the CRC's hemp FAQ, and hearing testimony as reported by Heady NJ.
Questions people actually ask
Can New Jersey liquor stores sell THC drinks after November 13?
Not yet. New Jersey law still ends hemp THC drink sales at liquor stores and dispensaries on November 13, 2026. The Senate passed S4635 37-0 on October 22 to move that cutoff to December 11, 2026, or whenever the federal hemp rules take effect, whichever is later. It still needs the Assembly and Governor Sherrill's signature before November 13. After the new date, drinks over the federal limit count as cannabis and only licensed dispensaries can sell them.
What is S4635?
A bill from Senate President Nicholas Scutari that swaps New Jersey's November 13, 2026 hemp drink cutoff for a federal compliance date: December 11, 2026, or whenever the federal hemp rules take effect, whichever is later. A5604 is the Assembly version.
Did the hemp drink extension pass in New Jersey?
Only the Senate has passed it so far, 37-0 on October 22. The Assembly still has to pass it and the governor has to sign it before November 13.
Does this make THC drinks legal at liquor stores for good?
It only moves the end date to match federal law. After that, drinks over the federal limit count as cannabis in Jersey and only licensed dispensaries can sell them.
What changes on November 13 no matter what?
Per the bill's own statement, hemp products with cannabinoids the plant can't make naturally become federally illegal that day.