Last week, many THC-infused cannabis beverage brand leaders received long awaited recognition in the mainstream press when the New York Times ran a feature covering the surging popularity of the emerging category in legal markets. But the piece, titled “Weed Drinks Are a Buzzy Alcohol Substitute. But Are They Safe?” didn’t sit right with many in the industry.
The article raised concerns that sales of cannabis beverages – up around 65% in the U.S. from 2020 to 2021, per market research firm BSDA – may be outpacing research on the health impacts of THC. According to the Times, which spoke to several researchers, issues like addiction, overconsumption, and even the possibility of triggering psychosis have been downplayed by cannabis proponents in favor of emphasizing health benefits. In particular, the effects of drinking THC, versus eating or inhaling it, have been understudied.
Although brands like Cann, LEVIA and Pabst were referenced in the Times piece, no industry voices were quoted providing their perspective on the issues raised. Speaking with BevNET this week, several brand leaders agreed that while the article brought up legitimate concerns, it didn’t provide a complete picture of the existing research and failed to highlight the efforts companies are already taking to address these issues.
For some founders, like Cann’s Luke Anderson, the negative tone felt especially disappointing given the strides THC-infused beverage brands have made to gain mainstream acceptance. Cann produces a line of sessionable “social tonics” containing 2 mg of THC and 4 mg of CBD per 8 oz. can, along with a number of other product lines including its 12 oz. Hi Boys made with 5 mg of THC.
“It’s been four years that we’ve been working to legitimize THC-infused beverages and you never expect that what comes out feels like it’s from decades prior,” Anderson said.
Cann’s co-founder and CEO Jake Bullock felt the article reflected “Reefer Madness” by stoking fears around psychosis and addiction while not providing context around the known dangers of other legal substances like alcohol and nicotine. Bullock first responded to the Times on Monday with an article published on Medium where he made numerous counterarguments to the issues posed by the original piece, including claims that most cannabis beverages contain smaller, measured doses that would make it almost impossible to accidentally ingest “20 to 30 times” the recommended amount. He also noted that although cannabis can be addictive, it is still a safer alternative to most other legal intoxicants and does not create a physiological dependency similar to alcohol, nicotine and opioids.
“The only way I can really understand or explain it is it’s coming from places of fear and unknown and uncertainty,” he told BevNET. “People are like ‘What if a consumer accidentally grabbed a 100 mg beverage and didn’t know what it was?’ Well, the problem that we should actually be solving there is the need to educate consumers on dosing levels.”
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Consumer Education is Already Happening
The Times article suggested that as more states legalize recreational marijuana, many consumers are being introduced to cannabis for the first time. In those areas, newcomers may not understand the difference between 2 mg and 100 mg of THC the way that most understand the meaning behind an alcohol beverage’s ABV.
Xander Shepherd, co-founder of THC-infused aperitif brand Artet, said that although he didn’t agree with the Times’ conclusions, he believed it raised legitimate points around dosing and consumer awareness. However, he said it failed to recognize that many beverage brands have already been working on education campaigns to familiarize consumers with the appropriate serving sizes and higher dose products often build those efforts into the packaging.
While it is highly unlikely that someone could drink 20 to 30 times the recommended dose of a 2 mg per unit product like Cann, a multiserve beverage such as Artet – which features 37.5 mg of THC per 750 mL bottle – could theoretically lead to someone having more than they can handle in one sitting. What wasn’t mentioned, Shepherd said, was that most infused drinks are packaged with resealable child-proof caps and that many multiserve products, including Artet, include dosage caps or other ways to measure out a serving to ensure consumers know exactly how much THC they’re ingesting.
“In general if a consumer is uncertain, or confused, or lacks confidence in how to use a product – any product – the experience is never going to be one that necessarily is enjoyable,” Shepherd said. “And that’s why for us, at Artet, we’ve been very intentional from the jump to have control and consistency.”
Travis Tharp, president and CEO of Keef Brands, said he believed the Times was fair to highlight a lack of consumer knowledge around cannabis beverages and that brands should continue to push education efforts. Based in Colorado, Keef produces an array of infused drinks ranging from single-serve sodas containing 10 mg of THC per 12 oz. can to multiserve drinks containing between 100 mg to 500 mg per bottle. Like Artet, Keef’s higher dose products also come with measured serving caps, but Tharp noted that they’re not necessarily intended for beginning users; the 500 mg drink in particular is intended for either medical patients or experienced consumers with extremely high tolerance. At that measure, dispensaries should aid in education efforts by making sure their staff (who tend to be regular users) steer new users towards lower dose products rather than the products they themselves use.
“I think the industry as a whole has done a very good job of banding together on educational campaigns,” Tharp said. “I’m very glad that there’s a proliferation of these lower dose beverages, because I think it gives people the opportunity to try something and realize that they don’t have the risk of the dreaded edibles story that everybody seems to have.”
Kim Sanchez Rael, co-founder and CEO of cannabis ingredients supplier Azuca, said another point from the Times article that felt outdated was concerns about the “unpredictability” of a drink’s effects. While Rael acknowledged that some less-cautious brands in the space may create products with inconsistent dosing, she said companies like Azuca are working to create ingredients that maintain consistency while the industry – including brands and retailers – should work to enforce best practices.
“I think that this idea that a cannabis beverage is inherently unpredictable is a false statement to put out there,” Rael said. “With quality science, formulation and manufacturing, cannabis beverages can be highly predictable and properly dosed for consumers.”
Research is There – But More is Needed
Another point that several industry leaders felt wasn’t made clear in the Times story is the extent of existing research into the benefits of cannabis, as well as the reasons for the slow rollout of new findings.
Austin Stevenson, co-founder and chief innovation officer of infusion technology company Vertosa, said the scientific understanding of cannabinoids and how they impact the brain and body has advanced tremendously in just the past five years. Most of the concerns around negative health effects of cannabis revolve around THC and its intoxicating effect, but he stressed that it’s important to recognize the vast variety of cannabinoids that are being studied – from to CBD to CBG, CBN and beyond – and the ways they interact with THC to provide different benefits.
“We are at the tip of the tip of the tip of the iceberg of research, and more research definitely, absolutely must be done,” he said. “But I can go through a whole list of different cannabinoids that have been studied, have been researched, and we’re finding very positive impacts for them.”
For example, Stevenson said studies have provided evidence that CBD, which is already in FDA approved drugs, helps to balance out potential negative effects of THC like anxiety that could occur from consuming a higher than recommended dose. Many cannabinoids have also been scientifically proven to have various health benefits that help to back up claims from some in the industry that cannabis can be good for you.
However, as the Times raised the concern that sales of cannabis beverages are growing faster than researchers can keep up with, Stevenson acknowledged that there are huge roadblocks and a lot of red tape slowing down studies. Despite the increase in reports over the past decade, he said there are still “more things that we do not know about the 100+ cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, than we do know.”
“We have an understanding that there are psychoactive and non-psychoactive cannabinoids and we have an understanding that cannabinoids along with terpenes can create different effects. And that’s where the research has to be done,” he said. “Delta-9 THC is psychoactive, yes, but can you overdose on it? Is it going to lead to death like alcohol? No. That’s what we know, everything else needs to be researched.”
Rael noted that because of federal prohibition much of the research being done on the effects of cannabis today is happening outside of the U.S. Rather, countries like Canada, Israel and Germany are leading the pack in understanding cannabinoids. As well, she said, much of the research in the U.S. is being funded by private companies, and those studies can sometimes cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to conduct, putting more of a burden on brands and suppliers.
That doesn’t mean there’s no federal funding in the U.S. for cannabis research, but there could be a lot more if the legal framework was easier to navigate. Stevenson noted that prior to the legalization of recreational cannabis in Colorado in 2012, federally funded research done in the U.S. generally focused on the negative effects of consumption. It’s only been since 2015 that financing has gone towards seeking out positive benefits. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), in 2015 around $141 million in federal funds combined supported studies looking into cannabinoid research, therapeutic cannabinoid research, CBD or the endocannabinoid system. In 2021, spending increased to a collective $376 million.
While entrepreneurs may have been frustrated by the tone and conclusions of the Times article, ultimately they’re not concerned about consumers walking away with bad impressions. Shepherd said he believed any mainstream exposure is helpful to the growth of the category, while all those asked were thankful it has sparked a conversation around health and safety.
“It is great to see these beverages getting attention because they deserve it,” Bullock said. “And these are important questions, they truly are, we should be asking them. I hope that it provides a foundation for us to jump off and start exploring the benefits.”