After months of speculation –and following major cannabis deals by other brewing and spirits giants Constellation, Southern Glazer, Molson Coors, and Heineken– Budweiser/AB InBev has joined the cannabis land grab. Tilray, the Canadian cannabis company, has announced a $100-million joint venture/partnership with AB InBev to study cannabis-infused N/A drinks. For now the research study will be limited to the Canadian marketplace and AB InBev company LaBatt’s will be involved.

All Of North America’s Major Brewers Are Now In Cannabis

With Budweiser getting in bed with Tilray, all of North America’s major brewers, hell, all of the world’s major brewers, are in cannabis. Brewers have felt the sting of shrinking sales over the past decade and with Millennials favoring cannabis, this move makes sense. It made sense prior to AB InBev joining, but now it really makes sense. Brewers are banking on cannabis buds being the next “Bud.” “This Bud’s for you,” in at least two ways now.

Like we mentioned back in August after the Constellation-Canopy Growth investment, big brewing is backing up the Brinks. They understand that changing tastes in blowing off some steam means adapting. In the 20th century, there was the stereotypical “Joe Six-Pack” relaxing after a long week at the iron mill with some beers at the local watering hole. Now? Well, social media managers (today’s iron mill worker?) are more likely to kick back with an edible and Netflix. Brewers are taking notice and this is their move. We can only hope that the industry’s Madison Ave. marketing agencies come up with something half as clever as this classic.

Big Business Backing Cannabis Means Legislative Progress

It’s not entirely clear where 2019 will lead the plant-touching biz (although we have some predictions); but one thing that’s becoming increasingly clear? With Big Alcohol and Big Tobacco getting into cannabis, that means those industries’ lobbyists are going to be talking more and more with the folks on Capitol Hill about legalization. It may not be in 2019, but lobbyists for these two industries have, uhh, deep pockets and an established history of making those pockets work for their policies.

America Is Losing Money To Canadian Cannabis

We saw it a little with the Bank of America-backed Constellation deal, but increasingly we’re seeing American businesses finding savvy ways to put their money into the Canadian cannabis market (to say nothing of international corporate dollars!) With the major lobbyist dollars these two industries pull, maybe this could mean a softening of federal policy on the plant-touching industry soonish? Time will tell.