Rythm Inc. Has Big Plans For The Hemp THC Space
October 21, 2025Illinois-based Green Thumb Industries is among the leading cannabis companies in the U.S. with revenue rising 8% to $1.1 billion last year, led by its Rythm cannabis brand and Rise dispensaries. In August, affiliate company Rythm Inc.—which is traded on the Nasdaq exchange—acquired the intellectual property rights to Green Thumb’s Rythm, Dogwalkers, Beboe, and other brands with a view toward rapid expansion in the hemp THC category. Rythm Inc. in turn licensed manufacturing and distribution to Green Thumb.
That move followed Rythm Inc.’s acquisition last year of the Señorita brand of hemp THC drinks—stocked at retailers like Total Wine, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, and Binny’s, among others—from winemakers Charles Bieler and Joel Gott. In addition, the company recently launched Rythm branded THC drinks in Sativa and Kush varieties, selling at around $19 a four-pack of 5mg cans and $23 a four-pack of 10mg cans. SND executive editor Daniel Marsteller met with Ben Kovler, CEO of both Green Thumb and Rythm Inc; chief revenue officer Dominic O’Brien; and Bieler to discuss the company’s growth plans for the hemp THC space.
SND: Green Thumb is known as a national leader in the cannabis space. What’s behind your big push into the hemp THC category with Rythm Inc.?
Kovler: The THC drinks category is approaching $1 billion today, and we think it can go to over $10 billion over the long term. That’s why we’re investing. We went from under five people a year ago to over 50 today. We’re in 15 states and going to 20 with national market aspirations as the product becomes more ubiquitous.
There are other folks who’ve made big investments to go direct to retail. We believe long-term the best approach is leveraging the three-tier system. We’re big believers in the three-tier system and the value that wholesalers bring to the value chain.
SND: What went into the decision to acquire Señorita?
Kovler: The consumer’s top two reasons to consume THC beverages are taste and effect. The truth is most of the brands out there don’t taste that great. We did tons of due diligence and found that Señorita is the best-tasting out there. We have four SKUs, Lime Jalapeño Margarita, Mango Margarita, Grapefruit Paloma, and Ranch Water, all agave-based.
The second reason is the effect, and Rythm’s heritage is 10 years cultivating the best cannabis, so that brand is more effect-based. The Sativa version has caffeine and THCV, designed for more energy and focus, and the Kush is more relaxing with CBD.
Bieler: When we started Señorita, we understood that the Margarita is the number-one cocktail, and that hemp THC drinkers drink everything. They like exploring, they’re not brand loyal, they’re not abstainers. It’s a real complement I think to the beverage alcohol world and adds a whole category that it turns out a lot of people have been looking for.
SND: What advantages does the Rythm Inc. structure bring?
Kovler: With the product in almost 5,000 stores across the country, available on DoorDash, GoPuff, Shopify, it allows us to think about marketing on a regional and national basis. It allows us to do celebrity partnerships. We can do strategic deals because we have a Nasdaq-listed company in Rythm Inc. with equity currency. Our ability to now market but also strategically partner or work with Hollywood or music or things like that is much more open for us because Rythm Inc. does not touch the plant.
O’Brien: There was initially a big boom of small companies that don’t necessarily understand the beverage game getting into hemp THC and not supporting the velocity at retail with marketing, sampling, and so on. And so some wholesalers have started to trim the number of brands they’re carrying. We bring all of those tools to support the brands and make sure they gain traction.
SND: What’s your view on the evolving regulatory environment for hemp THC?
Kovler: It’s incredibly complex and constantly changing. In that complexity and that challenge is our opportunity. We’re experts at delivering proper, safe, compliant product. I think the regulatory environment will continue to change. States aren’t going to let their tax revenues go down. On the federal side it’s very hard to handicap. I’m biased because we’ve had four years of zero federal change, but we’ll see what happens as to whether there’s a reschedule, whether there’s farm bill discussion or not. We don’t think that the low-dose THC drink category is going away.
We’ll have more on Rythm Inc.’s hemp THC plans in the second part of this interview.
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