Less than 40 years after anti-drug campaigns enlisted everyone from Zack Morris to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to scare kids away from marijuana, cannabis products are legally available in 19 states, Washington, D.C.
Colleen McClellan is the regional director of client solutions for Datassential, a leading food and beverage insights platform, and a trained sommelier.
“I think as more states relax the regulations, we will continue to see an increase in interest and use,” says McClellan.
According to a recent Datassential report, in the U.S., consumer awareness of THC beverages grew by 9% in 2021, and 51% of adults over 21 now profess familiarity with them.
You can choose the strain, strength and method of consumption as you would a bag of coffee beans.
Delta-8 is used in Wunder’s selections.
“Purpose-driven products are the wave of the future,” says Travis Tharp, CEO of Keef Brands, a Colorado-based cannabis beverage company.
Earlier this year, Keef Brands launched a new line of purpose-driven cannabis beverages that look to cannabinoids like THCV, CBG and CBN to give consumers a taste of something different.
It’s designed to produce what the company describes as “a limb-loosening, mind mellowing” high that mirrors the feeling that comes on from a strong cocktail, which McLachlan believes could appeal to those who also drink alcohol.
Distill Ventures analysts report that 58% of consumers are drinking more non-alcoholic beverages than last year.