Absinthe Now Legal In The USA

Submitted by brian on Wed, 06/27/2007 - 19:55.

Thank you Lucid absinthe!  Lucid has challenged the status quo in regards to the FDA’s ban on products containing thujone.  While the ban stands, the margin of error has changed.  Products, including absinthe, are now allowed to contain up to 10mg of thujone.  Lucid absinthe meets this regulation and is starting to be sold in America.

I’ll be watching closely to see how the absinthe industry responds to this change.  For instance...

  • How will the European web retailers of absinthe adjust to this change?  Their bread and butter is the US market and if good absinthe is available stateside, why bother buying it from Europe? 

  • How will the distillers of absinthe in France, Switzerland and Germany adjust to this change?  Will the US market soon be flooded with top quality absinthe distilled under 10mg of thujone limit?  If so, which will be first few through the door?
  • Will this be the beginning of the end for thujone-hyped oil mixes that masquerade as absinthe?  I hope so.  If US consumers are eager to try absinthe, the real stuff will be readily available.  The crappy oil mixes will still have to be imported.  If consumers take the path of least resistance,  they’ll be introduced to good absinthe first.  This wasn’t the case in much of Europe and Canada. 
  • Will Lucid be the rising tide that lifts all boats?  What potential does absinthe have in America?  Will it be a small niche or something that will be readily available? 
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