# Legal question about homeopathic alcohol **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 23, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029 "2013-10-23T14:14:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/1 "2013-10-23T14:14:44Z")
Could I get in trouble for selling homeopathic alcohol products? Let’s say I wanted to sell, either online or in the stores, a 200c solution of 30 year old whiskey(food coloring added, but guaranteed on the label not to effect potency)-would I have any problems with laws about alcohol and/or medicine? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/2 "2013-10-23T14:19:35Z")
Is the question whether or not sticking “homeopathic” in the name exempts you from all otherwise relevant laws? I think you know the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/3 "2013-10-23T14:20:24Z")
For what purpose? Homeopathic beer for teen agers, for instance? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/4 "2013-10-23T14:28:56Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > For what purpose? > > Homeopathic beer for teen agers, for instance? Novelty bottled water. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/5 "2013-10-23T14:30:35Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Is the question whether or not sticking “homeopathic” in the name exempts you from all otherwise relevant laws? I think you know the answer. If I knew the answer, I wouldn’t be asking the question. What relevant laws are you talking about? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/6 "2013-10-23T14:38:06Z")
So everyone understands, you are talking about a 1 part per bazillion ratio so the alcohol would basically be undetectable in the mixture, right? I think Amateur Barbarian is thinking the mix would still be alcoholic so obviously he is referring to alcohol sale laws. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/7 "2013-10-23T14:40:07Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Could I get in trouble for selling homeopathic alcohol products? Let’s say I wanted to sell, either online or in the stores, a 200c solution of 30 year old whiskey(food coloring added, but guaranteed on the label not to effect potency)-would I have any problems with laws about alcohol and/or medicine? You’d probably want to examine laws regarding alcohol content, but my first guess is that a beverage that is less than 1/100[sup]200[/sup]th alcohol will be exempt. This is especially true considering that there are, at most, 10[sup]80[/sup] [atoms in the observable universe;](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observable_universe#Matter_content_-_number_of_atoms) a 200C dilution of an earthly quantity of whiskey has, to a very high certainty, zero whiskey molecules left in it. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/8 "2013-10-23T14:41:28Z")
Near beer or non-alcoholic beer (both of which contain minimal alcohol) are the closest analogs, I think. There are local/state rules and regulations about both that vary quite a bit - [Low-alcohol beer - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-alcohol_beer#Legal_drinking_age) In many states it would be essentially unregulated. In others it’s still regulated. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/9 "2013-10-23T14:43:55Z")
So, alcohol law-wise I’m pretty much in the clear. Is there any sort of training or certification needed to call a product “homeopathic”? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/10 "2013-10-23T14:51:52Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > So, alcohol law-wise I’m pretty much in the clear. > Is there any sort of training or certification needed to call a product “homeopathic”? Probably a homeopathic college. Millions of students-one book. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/11 "2013-10-23T14:53:58Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Probably a homeopathic college. > Millions of students-one book. More like one letter from one book. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/12 "2013-10-23T14:56:19Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > More like one letter from one book. White font color on white paper stock. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/13 "2013-10-23T14:57:57Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Is there any sort of training or certification needed to call a product “homeopathic”? You need a Masters degree in selling bullshit to suckers. Fortunately, I offer it as an online course for $500 a semester. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/14 "2013-10-23T15:11:55Z")
A little looking shows that Homeopathic preparations are [covered by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (1938)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Food,_Drug,_and_Cosmetic_Act#Homeopathic_medications) IF it is listed in the _Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States_. I doubt whiskey dilutions are in there so it would probably be covered other FDA regulations. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/15 "2013-10-23T15:25:07Z")
I can’t seem to find anything at all concerning homeopathic alcohol dilutions. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/16 "2013-10-23T15:32:22Z")
Can’t check _The Homœopathic Pharmacopœia of the United States_ without first subscribing…and I’m not paying anything from $100 for a 1 day subscription to $15,000 for an unlimited subscription. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/17 "2013-10-23T15:34:39Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > I think Amateur Barbarian is thinking the mix would still be alcoholic so obviously he is referring to alcohol sale laws. Yes, I missed that point. I was thinking of the current crop of “medicines” that clearly seem to be trying to get around FDA rules and regulations by calling themselves homeopathic. If Czar wants to market C200 bourbon, I think his primary opposition will come from the ATF, which gets bitchy about subtleties of alcohol-related products, particularly labeling terminology, ingredient listings, certain forbidden words etc. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/18 "2013-10-23T15:40:33Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Yes, I missed that point. I was thinking of the current crop of “medicines” that clearly seem to be trying to get around FDA rules and regulations by calling themselves homeopathic. > > If Czar wants to market C200 bourbon, I think his primary opposition will come from the ATF, which gets bitchy about subtleties of alcohol-related products, particularly labeling terminology, ingredient listings, certain forbidden words etc. I thought about that, then I remembered seeing products labeled “apple beer”, “root beer” and “ginger beer” that have no alcohol in them at all. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/19 "2013-10-23T15:40:50Z")
Like cures like, right? So would you be selling it as a hangover cure? ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029/20 "2013-10-23T15:41:19Z")
Homeopathic Bourbon elixir? Maybe label with the Latin word for snake oil? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-about-homeopathic-alcohol/672029.md?page=2)