Toppling Goliath dives into THC, CBD beverages
Why it matters: Local makers of consumable cannabis products have faced hurdles due to restrictions signed into law last year that capped THC at 4 milligrams per 12-ounce container.
How it started: The Decorah brewery started developing THC drinks in early 2024 as hemp products grew more popular in Iowa and surrounding states, Sam Lewey, TG's spokesperson, tells Axios.
Initially, they wanted to launch 5- and 10-milligram options, but the new law resulted in them delaying their products.
Details: Iowans can get 4-milligram strawberry and lemon-lime drinks, while more potent, 10-milligram orange cream and strawberry drinks are sold in states like Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Behind the scenes: While Toppling Goliath's beer is brewed here, because of Iowa's hemp laws, the brewery contracts with a Minnesota producer to handle its THC drinks because the 10-milligram drinks can't enter the state, Lewey says.
Yes, but: Following clarifications on state law, the company plans to sell a 5-milligram, 16-ounce drink that is being made in-house.
Where to find it: Merry Rain is mostly distributed in eastern Iowa at the moment, with plans for wider distribution into central Iowa this year.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
5 hours ago
- Axios
Giving in to the Ninja Cremi hype
The Creami, a line of countertop ice cream makers from Needham-based SharkNinja, is a home-grown hit and probably the only thing Americans in 2025 can agree on. Why it matters: Net sales for the company's food prep products were up 50 % in the year's second quarter, buoyed in no small part by the viral success of the Creami and this year's Swirl model that makes hard and soft ice cream. Why it matters to Deehan: I have a tremendous sweet tooth and like the idea of ice cream-on-call. The big picture: SharkNinja tells Axios the Creami has almost 2 billion impressions on social media even though the company does very little advertising. SharkNinja says the popularity of the device is driven by customers coming up with thier own recipes and a preference for staying home instead of going out. What it costs: The Creami line goes for around $200 to $250, while the Slushi varieties that pour out frozen drinks are between $320 and $350. The Swirl is $350.
Axios
5 hours ago
- Axios
These Tampa Bay industries are most reliant on noncitizen workers
Tampa Bay's farming and mining industries have the greatest shares of foreign-born noncitizen workers, per U.S. Census data. Why it matters: The region is reliant on undocumented immigrants even while Florida works to expel them, a paradox mirrored across the nation as states carry out President Trump's mass deportation order. By the numbers: Foreign-born noncitizens — including those who are legal residents or have work visas — make up 7.6% of Tampa Bay's total workforce, based on a 2019-2023 average of U.S. Census Bureau estimates. They account for 44.3% of the region's workers in agriculture and mining; 17.2 % of those working in construction; and 10.3% of transportation and utilities workers. The big picture: Agriculture and immigration are so tied in Florida that when lawmakers proposed putting the agriculture commissioner in charge of enforcement, Gov. Ron DeSantis said it would be a "fox guarding the henhouse." Threat level: Fidel Sanchez, who owns a strawberry farm in Plant City, tells Axios that the state's aggressive crackdown on immigration has hurt his business. He had 80 workers before Florida began its immigration reform in 2023, some of whom he had worked with for decades. Now, with increased scrutiny from the state, he says he's down to half that. Sanchez says that to find help, he's been relying on subcontractors, who hire temporary workers on H-2A visas. That's made hiring more expensive, even while the workforce has shrunk. "I hardly have anyone working with me now," he says. "If the economy is not good for us, then we cannot plant more. We will plant less." Zoom out: Around 40% of crop farmworkers lack work authorization, per USDA estimates. Between the lines: Trump earlier this summer acknowledged that his mass deportation effort is "taking very good, long time workers away from" the farming and hotel industries, and promised changes. Yet there's still no major policy decision from the White House, which must balance economic realities with MAGA demands to deport as many people as possible.
Axios
5 hours ago
- Axios
Scoop: White House loyalty rating for companies
The West Wing has created a scorecard that rates 553 companies and trade associations on how hard they worked to support and promote President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," a senior White House official tells Axios. Why it matters: Trump works transactionally, and companies have rushed to pay demonstrative homage. Now, senior aides will have data to consult when considering corporate requests. The unusual spreadsheet fits this administration's proclivity for micromanaging companies and administering loyalty tests. Factors in the rating include social media posts, press releases, video testimonials, ads, attendance at White House events, and other engagement related to "OB3," as the megabill is known internally. The organizations' support is ranked as strong, moderate or low. Axios has learned that "examples of good partners" on the White House list include Uber, DoorDash, United, Delta, AT&T, Cisco, Airlines for America and the Steel Manufacturers Association. How it works: The data, which is being circulated to White House senior staff, will be used as a reality check when someone from K Street calls and says, for instance, that they'd "love to catch up — was so great working with you to pass the big, beautiful bill." The ranking "helps us see who really goes out and helps vs. those who just come in and pay lip service," the official said. Separately, a running list on the White House website tracks announcements of "Trump Effect" investments in U.S. manufacturing, production, and innovation. What's next: We're told this is an evolving document, with the organizations' engagement on other presidential initiatives to be added. "If groups/companies want to start advocating more now for the tax bill or additional administration priorities, we will take that into account in our grading," the official said. Zoom in: Companies on the White House "good" list took a variety of approaches to supporting the megabill, often singling out specific benefits for their industry. DoorDash deliverer Maliki Krieski of Ripon, Wisconsin, wore a red " DoorDash Mom" T-shirt as she stood behind President Trump at a White House event promoting the bill the week before final votes. She later plugged the "no tax on tips" provision in a Fox News Digital interview. "No Tax on Tips is now law," Uber cheered on a blog for drivers. "No Tax on Tips, first proposed by President Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign, is a proposal to change how tips are taxed. Now that this has become law, you won't pay federal income taxes on your tips that are reported to the IRS on a 1099 form." Chuck Robbins — CEO of Cisco, who's also chair of Business Roundtable, the association of top U.S. CEOs — posted on X: "Encouraged by the House #reconciliation package's corporate tax provisions. By preserving a competitive rate, retaining FDII, & restoring immediate R&D expensing, this bill will strengthen America's pro-growth tax system — allowing US companies to better innovate & invest at home." AT&T announced"plans to more quickly build fiber infrastructure thanks to pro-investment policies in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress." Airlines for America (A4A), which represents major U.S. airlines, issued a statement saying it "strongly supports the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and applauds the inclusion of a critical investment of $12.5 billion in modernizing the Federal Aviation Administration's air traffic facilities, systems and infrastructure."
