oHHo’s THC seltzers creating a buzz nationally

The Bedford-based company seeks clear marketplace regulation at federal and state levels while continuing to educate the public on its feel-good drinks and products. Will Laird photo

oHHo's seltzers are flavored with natural ingredients. Will Laird photos

By AMY SOWDER

Bedford’s location of oHHo The Old Firehouse has them. So do a growing number of retailers nationwide.

The botanical wellness company’s fruity, flowery THC seltzers possess the chemical compound of cannabis that’s provided people with a high for centuries.

When oHHo founders Nicola and James Stephenson launched the seltzers in the spring of 2024, they launched a small pilot run. It sold out within a matter of weeks. 

Then they officially launched the seltzers into wholesale in June 2025, shipping more than 75,000 cases through the rest of 2025, the Stephensons said. 

Today, the drinks are sold and distributed in more than 20 states. The brand is sold at hundreds of independent stores in Connecticut and New Jersey and in large retailers such as Total Wine nationwide. oHHo also sells its products online and ships nationally.

The most suitable market for these THC-infused seltzers isn’t at a marijuana dispensary, where consumers seek higher potency products, Nicola said. These alcohol-free drinks are best marketed alongside wine, beer and spirits.

“Selling the product where alcohol is sold is helpful, as the industry is already set up for an over 21 market and requires IDs,” Nicola said. Plus, “THC seltzers have become a great adjacent product for people looking to perhaps drink less alcohol for all sorts of reasons but still wanting to relax.”

The percentage of U.S. adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to 54%, the lowest rate in Gallup’s study of Americans’ drinking behavior since 1939.

Each 12-ounce THC-infused seltzer contains two servings at 20 calories per serving. Customers can choose a fast-acting dose of 3, 5 or 10 milligrams of cannabinoids for a smooth onset and steady duration, according to the product description. The company states that its signature blend of THC, CBD and CBG has mood-boosting and pain-relieving benefits.

Seltzer flavors include pink grapefruit and elderflower; white peach and lemon; red cherry and lime; and blood orange and pomegranate.

Selling cannabis legally

The legalities of selling oHHo’s drinks, plus the company’s other products — tinctures, lotions, gummies and chocolates bars — remains an ongoing challenge, even as cannabis has shifted from an illegal, underground economy to authorized for medical purposes, then recreational uses.

“Like any emerging new industry, it is fraught with complexity, with legislators playing catch-up and trying to understand how to create a fair and robust regulatory framework,” James said. “Initially, the hemp industry was not aligned, and companies were flooding the market with high-dose THC products, marketed to kids and sold in your local gas station. That had to stop; this is an over-21 product and needs to be regulated as such.”

Hemp and weed — marijuana — are different varieties of the cannabis sativa plant, which differ in THC content and legal status.

Since 2018, the cultivation and processing of hemp has been federally legal. Hemp-based CBD and THC products are allowed to contain up to 0.3% THC.  Hemp-derived THC is the same, naturally occurring molecule as THC from cannabis; there’s just a lot more of it in cannabis. These seltzers use hemp-derived THC.

In the last 12 months, many states have implemented regulations with clear routes to market. “And that has been extremely helpful,” James said. “The downside is that there is not clear federal regulation, and so the bad actors continued. This resulted in a potential all-out ban of hemp products, which could be implemented as soon as November 2026.”

The Stephensons said they are optimistic that a compromise will be reached before November at the federal level so that low-dose THC products will have a clear and secure path forward. 

“Consumer adoption and demand for these products is very real, but we have to have clear industry standards to allow the credible companies to succeed,” James said. “If legislation is not successful, those bad actors will go underground and continue to thrive, generating less tax dollars and creating more consumer risk.”

When oHHo was planted

While oHHo’s roots can be traced to 2019 in New York City, the oHHo brand launched at the start of 2021 as a full spectrum CBD company with its move to Bedford during the pandemic. 

The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp, paving the way for hemp to be farmed and for products like oHHo’s to be produced and distributed nationwide. Full-spectrum CBD contains all the compounds in the cannabis plant, including trace amounts of THC.

oHHo founders James and Nicola Stephenson. Rhonda Smith Photos

“Full spectrum means we use all of the cannabis plants in our products: CBD, THC, CBG and CBN,” James said. “THC supercharges the efficacy of CBD, making it much more powerful. We believe for products to be successful in this category, they have to work.”

In 2023, New York launched its recreational cannabis program, and oHHo was one of the first brands to participate in that launch. 

James said it was oHHo’s original intention to launch its THC seltzers for the New York market. But then, the market for low-dose THC derived from hemp exploded, and the opportunity to sell those products nationally was much more interesting, he said. 

“THC seltzers have been around for a really long time, but they had never really gathered momentum in the dispensary channel, as that customer is really focused on flower and high-potency products,” James said. 

Drinks in dispensaries represent less than 1% of overall cannabis sales. 

“The consumer for low-dose THC products is much more your everyday consumer, and we feel that the market opportunity is far larger,” he said, mentioning the 500 dispensaries in New York but more than 20,000 grocery and liquor stores combined.

Throughout oHHo’s growth, the brand has been featured in Vanity Fair, Forbes, The Strategist and other major publications. The products are meant for a more mainstream audience.

“oHHo’s consumer is probably not headed to a dispensary because they are not looking for a smokable product or a high-dose product,” James said. “We fully support the dispensary channel and its growth providing legitimate access to cannabis for people throughout the country, but it is a different experience and often a different consumer.”

The future of hemp-derived THC

oHHo’s business in Kent, Conn., is thriving due to clear regulations and a great distributor partnership. 

“Overall, the category itself is growing month over month, and new consumers continue to be introduced to these products and are trying them for the first time,” James said.

The Stephensons are campaigning hard for federal legislation as well as launching into three new markets this spring: Georgia, Illinois and Rhode Island.

This summer, oHHo will launch a new cantaloupe and honey flavor of seltzer. Also this summer, oHHo will launch its first non-THC seltzer. 

“This product is an incredible natural, clean adaptogen drink for energy and focus,” James said.

They’ve secured some national accounts and are in the process of finalizing their tristate distribution model. 

“It compliments our existing, relaxing hemp seltzers and opens up new opportunities and new consumers to the brand,” he said.