Colorado bill to regulate powdered alcohol becomes law

Gov. John Hickenlooper has signed legislation to regulate the sale of powdered alcohol in Colorado.

The bill Hickenlooper signed into law Monday gives the state’s liquor enforcement division authority to regulate powdered alcohol like liquid alcohol and to tax it.

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

Before its approval, five states passed legislation banning Palcohol.

Detractors warn of its ease to sneak into schools and public venues. However, product creators tout its portability to take on long hikes, flights, or to use as an antiseptic in remote locations.