There’s a new craft beer in town, and this one offers a different kind of buzz.
San Diego-based Cannabiniers will introduce what it says are the first line of de-alcholized craft beers infused with tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient. The products will launch in Nevada in July, and soon after will be introduced in California, said Kevin Love, director of product development. The beers, which include a stout, West Coast IPA, and lager, contain 2.5 milligrams of THC, enough that the consumer can feel its effects within five to seven minutes, but small enough that a person could drink multiple beers in one sitting, he said.
“Beverage consumption really is going to be the future of cannabis consumption,” Love said in a telephone interview. “The nice thing about it is you can have multiple beers in one sitting and not have to worry about having one and being done.”
The products come as cannabis producers and beverage makers jockey for position in the potentially lucrative edibles market. In 2017, Corona beer seller Constellation Brands Inc. bought a minority stake in Canopy Growth Corp., Canada’s largest marijuana producer. Earlier this year, the former brewmaster at Blue Moon Brewing announced his plans to introduce a line of cannabis-infused craft beer.
Cannabiniers, which also markets cannabis-infused coffee and tea pods, plans to produce 25,000 units of cannabis-infused beer a day at its Las Vegas facility, Love said. It’s replicating the same model in California, where it can produce as many as 40,000 units of cannabis-infused beer a day, he said.
“In Nevada right now, predominantly Las Vegas, there’s one billion servings a year of beer,” Love said. “If you capture 1 to 2 percent of that, it’s significant.”.
