California brewer, Lagunitas, has launched a cannabis beer, that’s not really a beer but a “sparkling water.” Earlier this year, we wrote a post looking at the slow-burning adoption of cannabis within the wine and beer industry. Buried in that story was a prescient quote from Tony Magee, founder of Petaluma-based Lagunitas Brewing:

 “I think (cannabis) is going to be way, way, way, way bigger [than the craft brewing scene.]”

With that quote from Magee in mind, it should be no surprise that the mad scientists at Lagunitas have concocted an alcohol-free (and calorie-free), hops-based “IPA-inspired” sparkling water infused with THC and CBD.

The booze-free offering from the NorCal brewery based off the video above appears to have a limeade coloration and will be hitting shelves in two dosages. The initial version will be dosed at a balanced 5 mg. THC and 5 mg. CBD, which should give imbibers a less psychoactive buzz. Meanwhile, the second iteration will contain 10 mg. of THC, which will surely provide a sensation more akin to being “high” than anything else you’ve drank from an aluminum can.

Why no booze in this delicious-sounding and ostensibly brewer-made beer that’s masquerading as a sparkling water, you may be wondering to yourself. It’s simple. California manufacturing regulations prohibit manufacturers from infusing alcohol with cannabis.  Retailers don’t have it any better as regulations prohibit them from selling both alcohol and tobacco products.

With cannabis sales increasing across states where rec-use has been legalized, and with beer sales down across multiple domestic and international markets, the product launch from Heineken-owned Lagunitas is a no-brainer.

Also this week, Heineken’s competitor Molson-Coors announced that they too would be looking to make a foray into the cannabis market. Bloomberg reported that the brewing behemoth is in talks with several large Canadian cannabis companies to not only gain a foothold in the rapidly expanding Canadian market, but to also serve as a north-of-the-border launchpad for if and when the US market becomes fully legalized in all 50 states. The efforts of both Heineken and Molson-Coors were likely triggered, in part, by the investment last fall by Constellation Brands into Canopy Growth, Canada’s largest producer of cannabis products.

While, beer, wine and spirits will always have a share of the marketplace, it makes sense for brewers, winemakers and distilleries to diversify into the cannabis field. After all, as we highlighted in the same post back in April, brewers and winemakers have similar equipment to what cannabis grow and rendering operations require access to for efficient harvesting, sterilizing and rendering of product.  Still, commercial cannabis businesses are left wondering: Is this Big Alcohol’s coming out party in the cannabis industry? 

 For years, commercial cannabis businesses have feared a corporate takeover by the alcohol industry. Now, after many failed to campaign to defeat cannabis ballot measures across many states, it appears that the beer industry is recognizing the utility of teaming up with cannabis (shrinking profits surely helped this decision-making process along…)

 For now, cannabis businesses in the United States should keep looking north to Canada for a taste of things to come.