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Business & Economy

A new buzz: Cannabis-infused beverages offer a new high for consumers

Some of Nirvana's bestselling cannabis beverages.
Matthew Chasney
/
Ideastream Public Media
Some of Nirvana's bestselling cannabis beverages.

Now that recreational marijuana is legal in Ohio, the canna-curious have questions about the wide range of products available. Edibles, gummies and cannabis flower may grab more attention, but marijuana-infused beverages are another option for both the recreational and medical market, according to entrepreneurs and industry observers.

Wesley Bryant, a Brook Park hemp manufacturing wholesaler, makes handcrafted THC drinks through his 420 Craft Beverages retail enterprise. Most of Bryant鈥檚 hemp-derived seltzers and juices contain 25 milligrams of THC per 12-ounce can, comparable to the effects of smoking a single joint, he said.

鈥淭hey are very intoxicating, and those are full-flavored beverages meant for a single dose,鈥 said Bryant. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to drink three or four of these to get where you want to go. We do have our lower-dose stuff that you find in bars, restaurants, backyards and stuff like that.鈥

Concentrated cannabis beverages are for people who have built up resistance, just like use of any substance will lead to development of tolerance, Bryant said. Meanwhile, 5-milligram drinks are available for new consumers seeking a gentle buzz 鈥 although he said even novices must imbibe several beverages to get their desired result.

While Bryant鈥檚 more potent products are bigger sellers than his microdose offerings, low THC drinks still have their place at tailgates and other settings where a lighter high is preferable, he noted.

Bryant conceived the idea for a cannabis beverage business in 2020, initially creating drinks with less than 0.3% THC by volume to keep within regulations set forth by the 2018 Farm Bill. He also believed his all-natural wares could gain traction in a market overwhelmed with medicinal-tasting synthetic products.

鈥淚 was looking for a single serving where I could come home, consume it, and it tasted good,鈥 said Bryant. 鈥淚 was actually doing a single-dose (container) when it came to each individual beverage. We had good reception immediately, and have stuck with it ever since.鈥

A different experience聽

Preparations for recreational cannabis sales have kept Roberta Rosa and her team at Nirvana Center occupied over the last few months 鈥 part of that hectic workload is educating new and veteran patrons about THC beverages that comprise 15-20% of dispensary sales.

Nirvana provides a variety of beverages such as sodas and juices, along with powders that can be made into drinks or sprinkled on food. Cannabis drinks might appeal to individuals looking for a fast-acting effect compared to gummies or other edibles, as THC from beverages is absorbed more rapidly into the bloodstream, Rosa said.

Rosa, general manager of the Elyria location of the Phoenix-based medical and recreational dispensary company, said some customers consider THC-enhanced refreshments a viable alternative to alcohol.

鈥淧eople want to party, but don鈥檛 want to drink, and they鈥檒l get a 5-milligram drink and sip on that and they鈥檙e fine,鈥 said Rosa. 鈥淚t鈥檚 better than alcohol to me.鈥

Roberta Rosa is the general manager of Nirvana Center in Elyria, Ohio.
Matthew Chasney
/
Ideastream Public Media
Roberta Rosa is the general manager of Nirvana Center in Elyria, Ohio.

According to market research firm Grand View Research, the global cannabis beverage market is , though questions about mainstream acceptance remain. Cleveland beer entrepreneur Sam McNulty, who owns six restaurants and brew pubs in Ohio City, is not yet worried about THC drinks stealing market share from craft alcohol.

鈥淓specially in the early years, there was a lot of speculation that legalized marijuana would compete directly with craft beer in particular,鈥 McNulty said. 鈥淭hankfully, we鈥檝e seen that鈥檚 not been the case. The reason is pretty simple: The increased connectivity craft beer brings is wildly different from the social experience of smoking weed or taking a gummy.鈥

Point and counterpoint

McNulty has been approached by marijuana growers and processors to collaborate on infused beverages. Though the beer entrepreneur hasn鈥檛 ruled out the possibility of a THC drink, a higher-dose product in particular would not align with the brew pub experience, he said.

鈥淔or the most part, a THC seltzer or beer is something folks want to buy and consume at home,鈥 said McNulty. 鈥淲hereas we鈥檙e in the business of bringing people into the brew pub. If everyone is enjoying THC cocktails or beers during a party, it鈥檚 probably going to be a very quiet party.鈥

Additionally, the single-serving aspect of a 25-milligram cocktail contrasts with the desire to have multiple craft beers. Nor does McNulty believe a milder THC beverage would sell in a pub setting, suggesting that there's no real demand for any variation of the product currently.

McNulty is not a particularly enthusiastic consumer of THC drinks himself 鈥 the beverages he鈥檚 tried tasted like carbonated sugar water and left a strange aftertaste, he said.

Yet, McNulty is not completely dismissing the possibility of including a cannabis product on some future drink list.

鈥淲e would be open to crafting an infused canned beverage and distributing it if we found the right opportunity,鈥 McNulty said. 鈥淲e would have to get the dosage right.鈥

420 Craft Beverages owner Wesley Bryant has been selling more drinks these days than he can make. An assembly line purchased last winter became outdated within two months due to demand 鈥 he expects the call for THC drinks to get louder as Northeast Ohio鈥檚 legal market takes root.

鈥淎s far as consumers are concerned, if you guys want to see more of these beverages on the market, make sure you鈥檙e doing your part and reaching out to lawmakers,鈥 said Bryant. 鈥淏ecause this is a gathered effort from everyone 鈥 it shouldn鈥檛 just be left to the producers to fight on the consumer鈥檚 behalf.鈥

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Business & Economy Ohio NewscannabissodaMarijuana
Douglas J. Guth is a freelance journalist based in Cleveland Heights. His focus is on business, with bylines in publications including Crain's Cleveland Business and Middle Market Growth.