The Alco-Chronic
It’s incredible to think that at the beginning of the twentieth century, our nation decided to ban alcohol. Drinking was considered a vice and something that should be discouraged. The idea was that prohibiting alcohol sale and usage would make Canada a better place.
But that was when the industry surrounding alcohol rose up in protest. Obviously, beer and liquor companies fought hard against prohibition. There was also support from farmers who produced and sold grain to the liquor industry. Bars and Tavern owners came out in strong support as well, as their entire business model was focused around alcohol use. Although this prohibition did come to be, it only lasted three years federally (though from 1901 – 1948 alcohol was prohibited in Prince Edward Island).
Now, exiting the shadow of cannabis prohibition in Canada, the previously outlawed alcohol producers are working with cannabis producers to create cannabis-infused alcoholic beverages. Included amongst the companies at the forefront of this emerging trend is the Heineken subsidiary, Lagunitas. US alcoholic beverage companies have been selling cannabis infused products in legal states for some time now. It is important to note, however, that with THC or CBD as the active ingredients, that these previously alcoholic beverages will be non-alcoholic. The flavour, however, has a lot of room for creativity. Terry Lake, the vice-president of corporate responsibility for HEXO Corp. says that drinks could have the flavour of dealcoholized beer but could also take on fruity or coffee flavours.
But it is not only the alcohol producers that are taking advantage of cannabis-infusing technology. Others are trying to create smoke-free ways for consumers to enjoy cannabis. Today, even soda producers are entering the cannabis scene. Coca Cola has reportedly been in talks with Aurora Cannabis in hopes of creating a cannabis infused drink that could be sold in Canadian markets. The beverage would contain a cannabidiol that would be infused with standard Coca Cola products. This is hardly surprising considering that CBD has long been an ingredient in wellness beverages. It is curious to ask if this will be the future for more soda producers in the future who, as the technology in infused beverages continues to grow, will have cheaper means of creating cannabis corollaries to their standard products.
Other Smoke-Free Options
Another development in cannabis-infusion is the possibility of softgels. Aurora Cannabis has already launched a softgel capsule which it is now producing 1.4 million units of a week, in Quebec. Not only will this option be smoke-free but it will also allow patients to more easily get a consistent dosage of cannabis while medicating.
Distribution is now a question at the top of the minds of legislators who are hoping to make cannabis-infused beverages available while still keeping it safely out of the hands of minors. The course of action that it appears legislators will take is to allow the cannabis-infused beverages to be sold only at the Ontario Cannabis Store as well as at the licensed private cannabis retailers that are slated to be up and running by April 1st of this year. The biggest loser in this deal, however, are restaurants and bars who would be happy to serve the CBD and THC drinks alongside their alcoholic offerings, but have been left out of the list of legal retailers.
The Future
As smoke-free options become more and more popular, producers will have to find new and exciting ways to consume THC and CBD. For now, cannabis-infused beverages appear to be the direction of the market. But with the introduction of softgels, the possibility for various smoke-free options are making themselves more apparent every day. Hopefully the OCS and private licensed retailer solution to distribution is enough to satisfy consumers. But if it is not, we will hopefully see more liberal distribution which would allow restaurateurs and bar owners to sell the new cannabis-infused beverages. Regardless, the new offerings should excite most cannabis enthusiasts and should give us a taste of what is to come in terms of creative cannabis products after legalization.