Colorado-based beer manufacturer will roll out a new line of marijuana-infused beverages
While Coca-Cola may still be only contemplating whether or not to enter the marijuana fray, a major beer company is ready to push forward. Molson Coors has announced that it will introduce an entire menu of marijuana-infused beverages, including tea, seltzers and, of course, beer.
CEO Mark R. Hunter explained in an interview with Bloomberg, “We’re driven by being the first choice for consumers and customers, and [cannabis] is a new space that’s opening up. It’s clear that the occasions that some of these alcohol-free drinks which will have THC and CBD components will be competing in similar occasions to alcohol.”
He added, “Venturing into this in Canada allows us to do it in a very tight geography—we can incubate, we can test, we can learn. And really, we had to decide whether we wanted to be a spectator or on the playing field.”
This past summer, Molson Coors announced that it had inked a partnership deal with a cannabis company out of Canada, The Hydropthecary Corporation. The partnership was developed in order to allow Coors to sell cannabis-infused drinks in the Canadian market.
Despite being based in Colorado, Molson Coors can’t offer the products in the US – yet. Federal marijuana prohibition laws would currently prevent interstate transport, leading to huge fines for the company. However, as the regulatory landscape in the US evolves, federal lawmakers will soon understand that they need to show support for the industry, the same that is shown by over 67% of the population.
