Center for Alcohol Policy urges Montana committees to preserve control-state rules, warns of direct-to-consumer and THC beverage risks

Kelly Roberson, executive director of the Center for Alcohol Policy, told a joint meeting of the Montana House Business and Labor and Senate Economic Affairs committees that Montana’s control-state alcohol system protects public health, preserves tax revenue and maintains product integrity.

Roberson said the center is not lobbying on a particular bill but offered history, survey data and policy cautions as lawmakers consider alcohol-related measures during the session. “I am not here to lobby you on any bill,” she said.

Roberson told the committees the center’s 2025 national survey found strong public support for existing alcohol-regulatory systems, and she repeatedly framed maintenance of the three-tier/licensing model as tied to consumer safety and recall effectiveness. She said 85% of respondents were satisfied with their state’s system and 82% agreed that loosening regulations would make problems worse; she also said 79% agreed alcohol should move through a tracked three-tier system from supplier to consumer.

Roberson warned lawmakers about several trends she said risk undermining those protections: direct-to-consumer shipping that can evade state tracking and taxation; new beverages marketed with health claims or containing hemp/THC products that operate outside established regulatory channels; and cross‑tier ownership that recreates “tied house” dynamics by combining supplier and retail interests. She cited examples of cross-tier disputes in other states involving OXXO (a Mexican convenience chain) and FEMSA, and referenced the PepsiCo “Hard Mountain Dew” experiment as an example of supplier/distributor conflicts.

On direct-to-consumer shipping, Roberson told the committee that packages containing alcohol can enter states without reliable labeling or tax collection, and that common carriers may not provide climate control or tracking comparable to wholesaler distribution. “I would imagine it's happening; we just don't know about it because it's under the radar,” she said, describing how unreported shipments make it difficult for regulators to know what is entering the state.

Committee members pressed Roberson on specifics. Representative Carter asked for clarification about the survey rankings; Roberson summarized the survey’s top priorities as reducing drunk driving, protecting public health and safety, and reducing underage drinking. When asked whether survey results showed most Americans thought alcohol could be sold and consumed safely, Roberson replied she would like to explore open-text responses further to understand dissenting views.

Roberson also urged lawmakers to ensure enforcement capacity, saying underfunded regulators effectively become “unenforced laws.” She noted that strong traceability and well‑funded oversight let wholesalers pull recalled product from store shelves quickly, which she described as a public-safety benefit and a financial cost borne by local wholesalers.

There was no formal motion or vote attached to Roberson’s presentation. After a brief Q&A and committee remarks, the chair recessed the joint committees to await the next bill sponsor.

The presentation included references to national materials and organizations Roberson said she represents and works with, including the Center for Alcohol Policy and the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association.