Liquid marijuana is taking the cannabis world by storm! Part of the appeal of cannabis products is that they have a variety of different applications. Different products with CBD oil as a component, like supplements and topical applications, have been very popular. These products promise some of the benefits of cannabis without the recreational effects.
But what about the other side of the equation? Those who aren’t looking for health benefits, but want to enjoy the recreational effects in a unique manner? This is where liquid marijuana comes to the fore. With the potential to become a $600 million business in the next four years, here’s what you need to know.
What Is Liquid Marijuana?
Note that there’s no single item called “liquid marijuana”. This term covers a variety of different categories of beverages that are either derived from marijuana or have some sort of cannabis-based content. Here are a few of the examples of different cannabis-infused drinks that you can have.
- Marijuana wines: While they are difficult to find for legal reasons, marijuana-infused wines and beer are allowed in some areas where recreational use is legal. In some cases, these are non-carbonated to promote the effects of THC.
- Hemp wine: Because there is no THC in this type of wine, it’s a lot easier to find this alternative compared to marijuana wine.
- Marijuana teas: A benefit of this option is that if you are a home grower, it’s not difficult to make marijuana tea yourself if you want to. After all, tea is basically leaves steeped in hot water. There are also several commercial products available.
- Marijuana elixirs: These are less of a recreational product and more designed for healthful applications, like skincare.
- Marijuana sodas: These sodas are for those who aren’t interested in alcoholic options but want to give liquid marijuana a try.
- Marijuana coffee: Available in cold and warm brew, these make for an interesting combination of the calming effects of marijuana with the natural stimulation coffee provides.
- CBD-infused drinks: This is an offshoot of what we’ve been talking about so far, in that these are based on CBD and have no THC content. However, they allow you to enjoy some of the other health benefits involved. From sodas to teas, there are many options to choose from.
One thing you may be interested in is what exactly the taste you get with a marijuana drink. There’s no single answer there. The truth is that if processed correctly, you can make a marijuana-infused drink taste like any flavor you wanted, the same as with other drinks. Just understand that you don’t need to drink something to taste like marijuana to get the high or reap other benefits.
Liquid Marijuana Regulation
Unlike CBD oil, the legality and availability of some marijuana drinks can be confusing. CBD drinks are the easiest to find. CBD is legal in all 50 states, which means that there are no restrictions to worry about, aside from certain states requiring that the CBD be made from hemp. Simply purchase and enjoy.
With THC-infused beverages, you start to see the restrictions in place. Essentially, you need to be in a place where recreational use is legal in order to buy and enjoy a marijuana-based beverage. Even within these areas, there can be restrictions in place that determine how and where you can enjoy your cannabis.
When it comes to alcohol-infused cannabis drinks, the legal waters get murkier. Most major companies making cannabis drinks are focusing on non-alcoholic options that only have the THC content, and with marijuana wines, they have the alcohol removed to make it easier to comply.
Where You Can Find Liquid Marijuana?
With all this in mind, where exactly can you find liquid marijuana? Ultimately, it all depends on where you live, and whether or not marijuana is legal for recreational use. If so, dispensaries are generally your best bet.
A lot of this also boils down to the alcohol/cannabis issue. The law states that you can’t sell cannabis and alcohol in the same establishment for safety reasons. For the same reason, you can’t really get a cannabis-based drink out of your local corner stores. Dispensaries are the only retail locations where you can buy legally buy cannabis from, and that will include cannabis-based drinks for the time being.
An option for people who live in states where cannabis isn’t legal yet is “weed tourism.” This is a growing part of the tourist industry specifically for people who want to travel to places like Colorado or Canada to smoke and drink weed legally. A weed tourism company can help you find where weed-based drinks are sold, as well as other activities. Note that it’s different for CBD-based drinks. You can buy these online because they’re legal in all 50 states.
The limitations don’t necessarily mean that liquid marijuana is doomed to remain out of the mainstream. Quite the opposite, actually. Several major beverage companies are taking steps to meet the growing interest in cannabis-based drinks. Corona owner Constellation Brands invested $4 billion in a Canadian weed company last year, and competitor Molson Coors followed suit afterwards. Even Coca-Cola and Pepsi have expressed interest, but concerns about branding raise questions as to whether you’ll ever see a weed drink with the Coke name in the future.
Liquid marijuana may not be for everyone, but it’s certainly a new spin on enjoying cannabis and one that is growing in popularity. It may be more difficult to obtain it currently than some other cannabis products depending on where you live, but the fact that it is growing in popularity likely means this will change in time.