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For nearly a hundred years it has been common—including here within the Wormwood Society—to say that "absinthe is illegal in the United States", although this is not completely true or accurate.
There is no law which prohibits absinthe by name, but any drink which contains in excess of 10ppm of thujone is prohibited from being imported into, or produced for sale and consumption in, the United States.
NOTE: No regulations have changed. Prior to May 2007 it was not widely known that the official threshold for thujone analysis—10ppm—is such that it permits, or effectively "legalizes", many European absinthes. Currently several authentic absinthes are now available for purchase at liquor stores and bars in the US. This is a major breakthrough, as many brands will follow.
Accordingly, the absinthe referred to in the below statutes would be absinthe which is non-compliant with the current limits or is illegally introduced to the country.
Most of the laws which impact absinthe in the US are out-dated, unfair, convoluted, illogical, self-contradictory, un-evenly enforced and misunderstood even by those responsible enforcing them. In short, it's a collection of bad law.
These laws and rules are presented in an effort to aid our members and guests in making well-informed and wise decisions, as well as to help illustrate the complex legalities involving absinthe.
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