Starting this fall, cannabis-infused beer will be available at one of California’s largest alcohol retailers.
San Diego-based cannabis craft brewery Two Roots Brewing Co. just signed a deal to sell its “cannabeers” at all California BevMo! locations starting in September. Two Roots produces a variety of cannabis-infused non-alcoholic craft beers, which are currently only available at legal pot stores and dispensaries in California and Nevada.
Two Roots makes both THC- and CBD-infused beers, but only the latter will be available in BevMo! locations, as California law prohibits THC products from being sold outside of licensed dispensaries. Although the deal does not apply to the company’s THC beers, it will still bring cannabeers to a larger market. BevMo! is one of the largest alcoholic beverage retailers in the Western US, with 170 stores in California, Arizona, and Washington.
“The demand for high-quality, healthier, low-calorie products continues to grow, and we’re excited to partner with BevMo!, so that those who don’t find themselves visiting a dispensary can still enjoy the taste of our craft beers in their native form,” said Michael Hayford, CEO of Lighthouse Strategies, Two Roots’ parent company, in a statement reported by NBC4 Los Angeles.
“With the goal of reaching all consumers, Two Roots is the first cannabis brand to enter traditional retail, and in doing [so] tackling three key beverage segments; craft beer, non-alcoholic craft beer, and cannabis infused non-alcoholic craft beer.”
Concerned that the sudden availability of legal weed will cut into their profits, alcohol manufacturers have been brainstorming new ways to create their own combinations of booze and bud. Weed-infused food and drinks will be legal in Canada starting this fall, and major alcohol conglomerates like Molson Coors are rushing to create non-alcoholic, pot-boosted teas, seltzers, and beers.
In both Canada and the US, the combination of alcohol and cannabis in one single drink remains prohibited. The US government has even banned non-intoxicating CBD products (meaning, cannabidiol extracted from the marijuana plant that gets you high) from alcoholic beverages, even though hemp-derived CBD is technically fully legal. Some black market brewers are skirting the law by making their own pot-infused alcoholic beverages, but craft breweries like Two Roots will be forced to stick to non-alcoholic cannabis brews for the foreseeable future.
