Less than 40 years after anti-drug campaigns enlisted everyone from Zack Morris to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to scare kids away from marijuana, cannabis products are legally available in 19 states, Washington, D.C., and Guam. And, in places where recreational cannabis is legal, THC-infused beverages like Wunder, Cann, Keef, Kalo, and Hi5 line retail shelves, often alongside beer, wine, and other drinks. Should alcoholic beverage producers worry about competition from weed-infused beverages? Or will weed’s market share be restricted by inherited stigmas? Colleen McClellan is the regional director of client solutions for Datassential, a leading food and beverage insights platform, and a trained sommelier. She has high hopes for the future of THC-infused drinks, so long as they taste good. “I think as more states relax the regulations, we will continue to see an increase in interest and use,” says McClellan. “The critical aspect to adoption is going to be the taste of the product. Taste is extremely important for repeat purchase.” Mendoza says to keep an eye out for cannabinoids like THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin), believed to help increase focus and aid appetite suppression, and the somewhat controversial Delta-8, which she believes will appear in more drinks.
420 Intel – Marijuana Industry News, 11/17/2021 19:00:00