June 12, 2026 · show notes

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Bart Watson, President and CEO of the Brewers Association, joins Ian Dominguez to translate thirty-plus years of craft beer's regulatory experience into a working playbook for the cannabinoid beverage category. The conversation moves from the coalition mechanics that made the Craft Beverage Modernization Act permanent, to the franchise-law carve-outs that let small brewers leave a distributor, to the demand-erosion story that oversupply headlines miss.

Watson implores the THC beverage industry to lead with tax dollars, treat distributors as customers, speak with one voice across competitors, and design a regulatory framework for the market you will have in ten years rather than the one you have today.

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IN THIS EPISODE

ian dominguez

# bart watson

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SHOW NOTES 🔗

00:00:00Introduction

00:00:22Introductions

00:03:28The Brewers Association's Origin Story

00:05:43Demand Erosion vs. Oversupply

00:10:57Making the Three Tiers Work Together

00:17:57Speaking With One Voice: Industry Unity

00:20:18Does THC Actually Take From Beer?

00:23:55Brewers as Beverage Platforms

00:27:00Franchise Laws and the Fight for Carve-Outs

00:31:23Self-Distribution, DTC, and License Design

00:36:06Leading With Dollars: The Craft Beverage Modernization Act

00:39:53Taxing by Potency vs. Volume

00:43:03Funding the TTB: Regulation as Competition Policy

00:45:51License Design, Pricing, and Brand Loyalty

00:51:51Build a Framework for the Future

00:53:27Closing Remarks

TRANSCRIPT 🔗

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