Colorado bill to regulate powdered alcohol sent to governor

A proposal to regulate the sale of powdered alcohol in Colorado has been sent to Gov. John Hickenlooper for action.

The Colorado House approved the bill unanimously Thursday.

This month, federal regulators approved the product called Palcohol for sale. It is a powder to which water is added for the equivalent of a shot of vodka or rum. The company says it hopes to start selling it this summer.

Before its approval, five states passed legislation banning the product. Colorado’s bill gives the state’s liquor enforcement division authority to regulate powdered alcohol like liquid alcohol and to tax it.

Initially, the bill sought to ban the product pending federal approval and the adoption of state regulation for it.