Lawmakers hope to further regulate hemp infused drinks.

Supporters of a plan to do that say commonsense guardrails are needed for the beverages and that they should be treated the same as distilled spirits.

These nonalcoholic drinks won't get you drunk, but can leave you impaired.

As our Jane LaFleur reports, the hip industry in Kentucky worries how changes would cut into their profits.

A Republican from Louisville says carbonated and canned hemp infused drinks are appearing on more store shelves.

You know, I had an anecdotal situation where a guy, one of my constituents, he was driving to Florida, thought he was going in to buy a energy drink because it said nonalcoholic on the can and had to pull off the road 20 minutes later because he he was intoxicated.

Senator Julie Rocky Adams proposes new regulations for these drinks in Senate Bill 202.

Hemp, liquor and convenience stores would need a license to sell these products, which would be regulated by the state Department of Alcohol Beverage Control, or ABC.

It would set a five milligram cap on the amount of THC or other intoxicating cannabinoid in each drink.

This consumer says it's too low for her husband, who's in recovery from alcohol.

I do understand the commonsense effort to control milligrams, but because of my husband's issues, five milligrams is like water to him.

He literally needs 100mg to even sleep, and he will not be able to drink this many five milligram beverages.

Kentucky's hemp businesses say that cap would get rid of products they've been producing or selling.

If this bill were to pass, it would wipe out two thirds of our business operations and considerably diminish a return on a $2 million investment that we're making into Kentucky's economy over the next two years.

Another business owner says the legislature's wide ranging tax overhaul and House Bill 775 would tax him unfairly.

We were surprised yesterday by a shell bill in, appropriations of revenue that taxed these products like distilled spirits instead of like, beer.

I would like, the committee or, you know, to to reconsider that notion.

You're allowing us a light beer equivalent.

That would be it.

We're being taxed like as wild turkey.

The bill's sponsor says she's tried to accommodate the hemp industry's requests while acting with urgency.

She had proposed a temporary ban on these products initially.

The house licensing occupations and Administrative Regulations Committee advanced Senate Bill 202.

The full Senate voted on it today.

One Democrat says the measure unfairly pits a newly thriving hemp industry against Kentucky's distillers.

I'm a huge supporter of our bourbon industry, always have been in a nine year voting record that says that it's an important industry to the state.

That's why I believe in parity.

But I don't think we have parity right now.

A majority did pass the bill in a 77 to 17 vote.

This body has never voted to legalize recreational marijuana.

And I will tell you the five milligram cap, it's a gift.

It's going to allow these to stay in business.

Senate Bill 202 heads back to the House to approve the Senate's changes.

For Kentucky edition, I'm June Leffler.