Cannabis https://www.beverage-digest.com/rss en-us Briefs: Coke Freestyle. SNAP Restrictions. Coke NE Fights. Trump on Marijuana. Tabaholics. Microplastics. PET Recycling. Coke Ukraine Hit, Says NYT. Diet Coke India A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed... http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1416 Fri, 15 May 2026 07:30:41 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1416-briefs-coke-freestyle-snap-restrictions-coke-ne-fights-trump-on-marijuana-tabaholics-microplastics-pet-recycling-coke-ukraine-hit-says-nyt-diet-coke-india People: Nowadays. PepsiCo Italy. Cove Soda. Danone. The latest industry executive moves to keep you in the know... http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1371 Wed, 04 Feb 2026 10:27:00 -0500 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1371-people-nowadays-pepsico-italy-cove-soda-danone Territory Changes and Deals: Coke's Costa Deal Dropped; Sprouts Stocks THC Drinks; Walmart Adds No Cap Soda Collection of key deals from around the industry so you don't miss a beat... http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1362 Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:07:19 -0500 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1362-territory-changes-and-deals-cokes-costa-deal-dropped-sprouts-stocks-thc-drinks-walmart-adds-no-cap-soda Analysis: Congress Closes Loophole That Led to Hemp-Based THC Drinks Legal Expert Doesn’t Expect Pending Ban to Kill Fast-Growing Hemp THC Sector The agreement to open the US government last week included a potential beverage industry casualty — hemp-based THC drinks. As part of the deal, Congress and President Donald Trump closed a loophole embedded in the 2018 agriculture act that previously legalized hemp farming. Last week’s law will effectively ban hemp-based THC drinks a year from now, following a grace period. The loophole in the 2018 act has unintentionally led to the proliferation of ready-to-drink canned beverages infused with psychoactive hemp-based THC, mostly by way of a cannabinoid called Delta-9. Manufacturers have... Legal Expert Doesn’t Expect Pending Ban to Kill Fast-Growing Hemp THC Sector

The agreement to open the US government last week included a potential beverage industry casualty — hemp-based THC drinks. As part of the deal, Congress and President Donald Trump closed a loophole embedded in the 2018 agriculture act that previously legalized hemp farming. Last week’s law will effectively ban hemp-based THC drinks a year from now, following a grace period. The loophole in the 2018 act has unintentionally led to the proliferation of ready-to-drink canned beverages infused with psychoactive hemp-based THC, mostly by way of a cannabinoid called Delta-9. Manufacturers have...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1332 Wed, 19 Nov 2025 08:44:53 -0500 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1332-analysis-congress-closes-loophole-that-led-to-hemp-based-thc-drinks Cannabis Soda Green Large with X.jpg Opening Thoughts: My THC Journey So Far I’ve never been a pot smoker, aside from some low-key experimentation in college. The idea of trying hemp-based THC drinks was daunting, I’ll admit. As a 55-year-old who came of age during the Reagan “Just Say No” to drugs era of the 1980s, there is still stigma and apprehension attached to marijuana for me. That’s despite 15% of US adults telling Gallup last year that they smoke marijuana, up from 7.0% in 2013. Forty-seven percent of Americans said they have tried marijuana. THC is now legal in some form in all but four states. Meanwhile, the I’ve never been a pot smoker, aside from some low-key experimentation in college. The idea of trying hemp-based THC drinks was daunting, I’ll admit.

As a 55-year-old who came of age during the Reagan “Just Say No” to drugs era of the 1980s, there is still stigma and apprehension attached to marijuana for me. That’s despite 15% of US adults telling Gallup last year that they smoke marijuana, up from 7.0% in 2013. Forty-seven percent of Americans said they have tried marijuana. THC is now legal in some form in all but four states.

Meanwhile, the

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1312 Wed, 08 Oct 2025 07:50:39 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1312-opening-thoughts-my-thc-journey-so-far Territory Changes and Deals: Phorm Enters 7-Eleven. THC Investments. New Co-Packer Pittston. 7-Eleven to Add Stores. PepsiCo Drips at Regal. New PepsiCo Warehouse Collection of key deals from around the industry so you don't miss a beat... http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1290 Wed, 20 Aug 2025 11:14:55 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1290-territory-changes-and-deals-phorm-enters-7-eleven-thc-investments-new-co-packer-pittston-7-eleven-to-add-stores-pepsico-drips-at-regal-new-pepsico-warehouse Noteworthy Launches: Danone Oikos. Vital Proteins. Trulieve. Allday Energy. Trolli + Dew. Wave Kids Danone has launched a yogurt-based drink for GLP-1 users and those pursuing weight loss called Oikos Fusion. The drink “is designed to support muscle maintenance and digestive health,” the company said. The drinks have ... Danone has launched a yogurt-based drink for GLP-1 users and those pursuing weight loss called Oikos Fusion. The drink “is designed to support muscle maintenance and digestive health,” the company said. The drinks have ...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1293 Wed, 20 Aug 2025 11:06:48 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1293-noteworthy-launches-danone-oikos-vital-proteins-trulieve-allday-energy-trolli-dew-wave-kids Hemp-Based THC Drinks to Benefit C-Store Channel, Experts Say Convenience stores offer the fastest and most effective retail path for the rapidly growing market of hemp-based THC drinks, an industry advocate told participants at the Hemp Beverage... http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1279 Wed, 06 Aug 2025 10:30:06 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1279-hemp-based-thc-drinks-to-benefit-c-store-channel-experts-say IMG_9068.JPG IMG_9063.JPG IMG_9064.JPG IMG_9071.JPG IMG_9065.JPG IMG_9066.JPG IMG_9067.JPG IMG_9069.JPG IMG_9061.JPG IMG_9070.JPG Emerging Category: Hemp Beverage Expo Highlights THC Green Rush, Risks, Opposition New Congressional Scrutiny Threatens Burgeoning Consumer-Driven Category... BD attended the second annual Hemp Beverage Expo hosted last week in Atlanta by the Hemp Beverage Alliance. The event was dedicated to beverages such as “seltzers, sodas, mocktails, coffees, teas and other drinks that contain an infusion of hemp-derived cannabinoids.” The cannabinoid at the center of New Congressional Scrutiny Threatens Burgeoning Consumer-Driven Category...

BD attended the second annual Hemp Beverage Expo hosted last week in Atlanta by the Hemp Beverage Alliance. The event was dedicated to beverages such as “seltzers, sodas, mocktails, coffees, teas and other drinks that contain an infusion of hemp-derived cannabinoids.” The cannabinoid at the center of

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1269 Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:00:11 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1269-emerging-category-hemp-beverage-expo-highlights-thc-green-rush-risks-opposition Cover - Web.jpg What’s Behind U.S. Surge of THC Beverage Launches? When Philadelphia-based attorney Seth Goldberg started representing businesses and individuals looking to expand into cannabis 10 years ago, a lot of his work focused on state-licensed cultivators, product manufacturers, and dispensaries in regulated state markets. In recent years, the market has evolved to an emphasis on cannabis as a functional ingredient in food and beverage products. Goldberg’s clients now include a food company looking to expand into THC edibles and a beverage company looking to add a line of THC drinks. THC is the psychoactive component in marijuana. His practice is constantly evolving with shifts in state and federal law and enforcement — or the lack thereof. Without clarity and consistency in the regulation of cannabis-infused food and beverages nationally, entrepreneurs with an appetite for risk have forged a patchwork market for unregulated THC drinks containing psychoactive ingredients such as delta-8 and delta-9. Often, these companies exploit loopholes in the 2018 Farm Bill, which removed cannabis with low concentrations of THC from the Controlled Substances Act and called it hemp. Delta-8 and delta-9 THC drinks are popping up outside of regulated dispensaries in states like Minnesota and Texas. You might even find such products at the local convenience store in your state. “There’s been a real evolution in terms of how cannabis consumer packaged goods are being marketed in 2025 relative to when I got into this is 2015,” Goldberg, a business litigation partner at law firm Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, said in an interview with Beverage Digest. He is co-chair of the firm’s Cannabis & Hemp Law practice. The flood of new THC beverages across the US is now catching the attention of state legislators and regulators. Just this month, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation that limits the amount of THC in drinks that aren’t sold by state licensed cannabis distributors. A bill in Tennessee prohibits the sale of hemp-derived THC drinks at convenience stores and groceries. A number of other states including Florida and Georgia have attempted legislation governing this new crop of THC beverages. Hemp-based THC drinks haven’t captured the attention of the Trump administration, however. BD’s Duane Stanford spoke to Goldberg to better understand this exploding THC beverage market... When Philadelphia-based attorney Seth Goldberg started representing businesses and individuals looking to expand into cannabis 10 years ago, a lot of his work focused on state-licensed cultivators, product manufacturers, and dispensaries in regulated state markets. In recent years, the market has evolved to an emphasis on cannabis as a functional ingredient in food and beverage products. Goldberg’s clients now include a food company looking to expand into THC edibles and a beverage company looking to add a line of THC drinks. THC is the psychoactive component in marijuana. His practice is constantly evolving with shifts in state and federal law and enforcement — or the lack thereof. Without clarity and consistency in the regulation of cannabis-infused food and beverages nationally, entrepreneurs with an appetite for risk have forged a patchwork market for unregulated THC drinks containing psychoactive ingredients such as delta-8 and delta-9. Often, these companies exploit loopholes in the 2018 Farm Bill, which removed cannabis with low concentrations of THC from the Controlled Substances Act and called it hemp. Delta-8 and delta-9 THC drinks are popping up outside of regulated dispensaries in states like Minnesota and Texas. You might even find such products at the local convenience store in your state. “There’s been a real evolution in terms of how cannabis consumer packaged goods are being marketed in 2025 relative to when I got into this is 2015,” Goldberg, a business litigation partner at law firm Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, said in an interview with Beverage Digest. He is co-chair of the firm’s Cannabis & Hemp Law practice. The flood of new THC beverages across the US is now catching the attention of state legislators and regulators. Just this month, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation that limits the amount of THC in drinks that aren’t sold by state licensed cannabis distributors. A bill in Tennessee prohibits the sale of hemp-derived THC drinks at convenience stores and groceries. A number of other states including Florida and Georgia have attempted legislation governing this new crop of THC beverages. Hemp-based THC drinks haven’t captured the attention of the Trump administration, however. BD’s Duane Stanford spoke to Goldberg to better understand this exploding THC beverage market...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1233 Thu, 01 May 2025 10:30:51 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1233-whats-behind-us-surge-of-thc-beverage-launches Hemp Cover B.jpg Noteworthy Launches: December 11, 2024 Nestle and celebrity podcaster Alex Cooper will launch a functional beverage in January called Unwell Hydration that is targeted at women. The drink, packed in 16.9-oz PET bottles, contains 700mg of electrolytes, a blend of B-complex vitamins, 75mg green coffee caffeine, and no artificial colors or flavors. Unwell is sweetened with stevia. Flavors are ... Nestle and celebrity podcaster Alex Cooper will launch a functional beverage in January called Unwell Hydration that is targeted at women. The drink, packed in 16.9-oz PET bottles, contains 700mg of electrolytes, a blend of B-complex vitamins, 75mg green coffee caffeine, and no artificial colors or flavors. Unwell is sweetened with stevia. Flavors are ...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1186 Wed, 11 Dec 2024 07:45:55 -0500 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1186-noteworthy-launches-december-11-2024 Opening Thoughts: January 18, 2024 On a recent trip to San Diego, I popped into a cannabis dispensary to look at the beverages. I was surprised by the choices, including Pabst Blue Ribbon High Seltzer. The non-alcoholic fizzy drink comes in six fruit flavors. Each 12-oz slim can contains at least 10mg of THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana. A $5 can is... On a recent trip to San Diego, I popped into a cannabis dispensary to look at the beverages. I was surprised by the choices, including Pabst Blue Ribbon High Seltzer. The non-alcoholic fizzy drink comes in six fruit flavors. Each 12-oz slim can contains at least 10mg of THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana. A $5 can is...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1009 Thu, 18 Jan 2024 07:30:16 -0500 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1009-opening-thoughts-january-18-2024 Briefs: January 18, 2024 A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed... A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1015 Thu, 18 Jan 2024 07:08:31 -0500 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/1015-briefs-january-18-2024 Territory Changes and Deals: September 27, 2023 Collection of key deals from around the industry so you don't miss a beat... http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/957 Wed, 27 Sep 2023 15:47:14 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/957-territory-changes-and-deals-september-27-2023 Briefs: August 30, 2023 A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed... http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/935 Wed, 30 Aug 2023 14:05:03 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/935-briefs-august-30-2023 Territory Changes and Deals: August 9, 2023 Collection of key deals from around the industry so you don't miss a beat... http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/924 Wed, 09 Aug 2023 11:16:01 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/924-territory-changes-and-deals-august-9-2023 Territory Changes and Deals: March 2, 2023 A collection of key deals from around the industry so you don't miss a beat... http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/837 Thu, 02 Mar 2023 14:19:27 -0500 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/837-territory-changes-and-deals-march-2-2023 Briefs: February 16, 2023 A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed... http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/832 Thu, 16 Feb 2023 13:35:49 -0500 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/832-briefs-february-16-2023 Territory Changes and Deals: October 20, 2022 A collection of key deals from around the industry so you don't miss a beat... A collection of key deals from around the industry so you don't miss a beat...


]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/773 Thu, 20 Oct 2022 08:03:00 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/773-territory-changes-and-deals-october-20-2022 Briefs: September 22, 2022 A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed... A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/751 Thu, 22 Sep 2022 12:08:00 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/751-briefs-september-22-2022 Briefs: June 23, 2022 A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed... A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/693 Thu, 23 Jun 2022 09:56:00 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/693-briefs-june-23-2022 Territory Changes and Deals: June 23, 2022 A collection of key deals from around the industry so you don't miss a beat... A collection of key deals from around the industry so you don't miss a beat...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/691 Thu, 23 Jun 2022 09:52:00 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/691-territory-changes-and-deals-june-23-2022 Q&A: Blue Moon Craft Beer Creator Keith Villa Demystifies THC Beer Keith Villa, the PhD brewmaster who created Blue Moon almost three decades ago for Coors Brewing, is credited with using that beer to help introduce scores of consumers to more flavorful craft brews. Blue Moon was a gateway brew for light beer drinkers who would eventually consume everything from IPAs to Saisons as craft beer went mainstream during 2000s. In recent years, Villa has been toiling away on his latest gateway project: cannabis- infused and alcohol-free beers. Villa’s company, Ceria Brewing, relaunched its beers with a new look this month after first introducing the brand in 2018. Villa uses a proprietary process to get Ceria’s beers to 0.0% ABV. Ceria’s lineup includes a Belgian-style white ale called Grainwave (Villa’s latest Blue Moon) and an IPA called Indiewave. Versions of these alcohol-free beers with psychoactive THC and non-psychoactive CBD are available at licensed marijuana dispensaries in Colorado and California, where the recreational use of cannabis is permitted. The beers have less than 100 calories per 12-oz can. A six-pack of Ceria’s alcohol- free beer sells for about $10. THC versions sell at regulated cannabis dispensaries for about $6 - $8 per can, plus taxes. Given the growing interest in low- and no-alcohol beers and cannabis-infused beverages, BD took the opportunity to discuss both segments with Villa, who runs the company with his wife Jodi Villa, who is CEO. The following has been edited for length and clarity... Keith Villa, the PhD brewmaster who created Blue Moon almost three decades ago
for Coors Brewing, is credited with using that beer to help introduce scores of consumers to more flavorful craft brews. Blue Moon was a gateway brew for light beer drinkers who would eventually consume everything from IPAs to Saisons as craft beer went mainstream during 2000s. In recent years, Villa has been toiling away on his latest gateway project: cannabis- infused and alcohol-free beers. Villa’s company, Ceria Brewing, relaunched its beers with
a new look this month after first introducing the brand in 2018. Villa uses a proprietary process to get Ceria’s beers to 0.0% ABV. Ceria’s lineup includes a Belgian-style white ale called Grainwave (Villa’s latest Blue Moon) and an IPA called Indiewave. Versions of these alcohol-free beers with psychoactive THC and non-psychoactive CBD are available at licensed marijuana dispensaries in Colorado and California, where the recreational use of cannabis is permitted. The beers have less than 100 calories per 12-oz can. A six-pack of Ceria’s alcohol- free beer sells for about $10. THC versions sell at regulated cannabis dispensaries for about $6 - $8 per can, plus taxes. Given the growing interest in low- and no-alcohol beers and cannabis-infused beverages, BD took the opportunity to discuss both segments with Villa, who runs the company with his wife Jodi Villa, who is CEO. The following has been edited for length and clarity...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/688 Thu, 23 Jun 2022 09:41:00 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/688-qa-blue-moon-craft-beer-creator-keith-villa-demystifies-thc-beer tch-beer-web Opening Thoughts: June 23, 2022 I’m a skeptic when it comes to non-alcoholic craft beers, spirits, and wines. How big can this market get without the functional benefits of alcohol, especially when sold at about the same price? I recently posed the question to Athletic Brewing Co-founder and CEO Bill Shufelt during a panel I moderated for Credit Suisse in New York. His non-alcoholic beer brand has raised more than $70 million since launching in 2018 and accounts for almost half of the still-small US non-alcoholic beer market. Shufelt told me that most of his consumers don’t shun alcohol. Sometimes they just need a break and they like beer. He sees lots I’m a skeptic when it comes to non-alcoholic craft beers, spirits, and wines. How big can this market get without the functional benefits of alcohol, especially when sold at about the same price?

I recently posed the question to Athletic Brewing Co-founder and CEO Bill Shufelt during a panel I moderated for Credit Suisse in New York. His non-alcoholic beer brand has raised more than $70 million since launching in 2018 and accounts for almost half of the still-small US non-alcoholic beer market. Shufelt told me that most of his consumers don’t shun alcohol. Sometimes they just need a break and they like beer. He sees lots

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/686 Thu, 23 Jun 2022 09:32:00 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/686-opening-thoughts-june-23-2022 Briefs: June 7, 2022 A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed... A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/683 Tue, 07 Jun 2022 11:58:00 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/683-briefs-june-7-2022 Canopy Growth’s ‘Total Mood Management’ Strategy Canopy Growth Chief Innovation Officer Julian Cohen says the company views cannabis as a consumer product, just like beverages and snacks. He sees an opportunity for cannabis to play in a “beneficial” beverage space in which cannabis and other functional ingredients such as vitamins, antioxidants and adaptogens are blended to “deliver on the promise of what we call total mood management.” In a separate interview, Canopy Chief Product Officer Tara Rozalowsky provided an update on the company’s US business and Quatreau’s launch. Canopy Growth Chief Innovation Officer Julian Cohen says the company views cannabis as a consumer product, just like beverages and snacks. He sees an opportunity for cannabis to play in a “beneficial” beverage space in which cannabis and other functional ingredients such as vitamins, antioxidants and adaptogens are blended to “deliver on the promise of what we call total mood management.” In a separate interview, Canopy Chief Product Officer Tara Rozalowsky provided an update on the company’s US business and Quatreau’s launch.

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/623 Wed, 09 Feb 2022 10:49:00 -0500 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/623-canopy-growths-beverage-strategy-centers-on-total-mood-management 3-chemistry Opening Thoughts: February 9, 2022 The New York Times recently published a story under the headline, “Beverages With Benefits: Do They Really Work?” The piece addressed what it described as the “flourishing” functional beverage market, made up of everything from prebiotic sodas for gut health to nootropics for brain acuity. The newspaper rightly points out that such products are an extension of the health supplement market that has generated profits for decades. As this functional beverage market grows, entrepreneurs and large beverage companies alike have been... The New York Times recently published a story under the headline, “Beverages With Benefits: Do They Really Work?” The piece addressed what it described as the “flourishing” functional beverage market, made up of everything from prebiotic sodas for gut health to nootropics for brain acuity. The newspaper rightly points out that such products are an extension of the health supplement market that has generated profits for decades. As this functional beverage market grows, entrepreneurs and large beverage companies alike have been...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/627 Wed, 09 Feb 2022 10:00:00 -0500 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/627-opening-thoughts-february-9-2022 Briefs: December 17, 2021 A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed... A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/607 Fri, 17 Dec 2021 08:15:00 -0500 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/607-briefs-december-17-2021 Briefs: October 12, 2021 A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed... A collection of recent developments from around the industry to keep you up to speed...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/578 Tue, 12 Oct 2021 09:37:00 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/578-briefs-october-12-2021 Territory Changes and Deals: July 29, 2021 A collection of key deals from around the industry so you don't miss a beat... A collection of key deals from around the industry so you don't miss a beat...

]]> http://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/497 Thu, 29 Jul 2021 01:55:00 -0400 https://www.beverage-digest.com/articles/497-territory-changes-and-deals-july-29-2021