Cannabis cocktails are becoming a very popular trend. There are many different varieties of cannabis cocktails. A cannabis cocktail can be made by adding cannabis tincture instead of liquor to a variety of unique, flavorful creations. The other way cannabis cocktails are made is by directly infusing cannabis into alcohol. Many people do this by simply adding cannabis buds to their favorite alcohol and storing it for a period of time, allowing the alcohol to extract all of the compounds from the cannabis buds.
Once this process is complete, the alcohol is usually strained through a cheesecloth or filtered into another bottle, where it is stored until it is ready to be used. As you can see, some cannabis cocktails are void of any alcohol at all. Then, some cannabis cocktails include alcohol infused with cannabis. If you want alcohol that is infused with cannabis, you will have to do this yourself. Current legal issues prevent popular alcohol brands from selling cannabis-infused versions of their most popular products.
For this reason, many of the cannabis cocktails available on the market are THC/CBD seltzers, though cannabis-infused beer (non-alcoholic beer infused with THC, CBD, or both) is starting to pop up. An article in Forbes titled “Is Cannabis Beer the Next Big Trend in the U.S.?” shows that giant corporations like Anheuser-Busch and Labatt are actively monitoring the popularity, profits, and legality of selling cannabis cocktails. Let’s take a look at the relationship between cannabis and alcohol from the past to the present and see where they sit today.
Cannabis and Alcohol Have a Similar Past
Cannabis and alcohol both have a past that is very similar in one aspect. They both have been a victim of federal prohibition. Alcohol survived, though, with its prohibition, which started in 1920 ending in December of 1933, just in time for holiday season sales. For 13 years in total, the United States Federal Government had a good ride doing what they do best, demonizing and controlling the public in favor of political advancement.
Like alcohol, cannabis also became a part of prohibition. Here’s the really sad part, cannabis is still part of federal prohibition. Federal marijuana prohibition kicked off in 1937 and is still alive today, thanks to wayward politicians still supporting private agendas. Alcohol was under prohibition for 13 years, and as of the time of writing this article, cannabis has been under prohibition for 84 years and counting.
Cannabis Legalization Will Hurt Alcohol Sales
Opponents of cannabis legalization often argued that legalizing cannabis would run a risk of hurting alcohol sales. To this, I say, good. It’s about time something comes along other than tobacco and prescription pills that give ego-altering alcohol some competition. But is it true, did cannabis legalization hurt alcohol sales?
According to Forbes, it didn’t. In fact, alcohol sales are overflowing with success in the U.S. “While 2020 saw an unprecedented upheaval in Americans’ lives, it did not slow their taste for alcohol. In fact, the year posted the largest volume gain in the US in nearly twenty years. According to the findings in the recently released IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, total beverage alcohol volume in the US was up +2.0%, the most significant increase since 2002.”-Forbes
America not only consumes an estimated 80% of the world’s opioid supply, but we can drink like fish too! Cannabis is in the mix, giving folks a different option. Tobacco is an unexpected industry that is seeing a decline in sales. Maybe all those years of lies and deception are remembered by a generation repulsed by the smell, trend, and habit of tobacco use. Many people have made a switch to e-products or away from tobacco altogether, opting for options such as natural herbs like cannabis.
Cannabis legalization by states didn’t hurt alcohol sales yet. There is, however, a shifting trend on the horizon of those who like to stay clear-headed and sober while drinking in a social setting. Cannabis cocktails like CBD seltzers are becoming a go-to choice for this growing market. Alcohol has a history of problems associated with it. Avoiding alcohol while still drinking an adult beverage is very appealing to a lot of people. Hence the rise in the popularity of cannabis cocktails.
Cannabis legalization hasn’t hurt alcohol sales. It’s just given it competition that it hasn’t had, which could prove to be a good thing. The craft alcohol industry has grown over the years showing people have an interest in small quality crafted batches of their favorite alcohol, vs. their only option being major brands pumping out alcohol by the drums.
What Types of Cannabis Cocktails are There and How do They Differ?
· Cannabis-Infused Beer- A beer that is brewed normally (typically alcohol-free) and then has THC, CBD, or both added to it.
· Cannabis Beer– Beer brewed using the cannabis plant stalks, buds, and roots instead of hops, malt, and/or barley.
· Cannabis-Infused Alcohol– Alcohol infused with cannabis, usually a THC or CBD tincture. Cannabis buds can also be placed in bottles of your favorite alcohol and stored for various amounts of time before consumption.
· Cannabis Seltzer– A carbonated water beverage very similar to club soda that is infused with THC, CBD, or both.
· Cannabis Cocktails– Be sure to ask as some cannabis cocktails are made simply by adding a shot of cannabis tincture to a mixed drink, and others replace the alcohol with a cannabis tincture. They will have very different effects.
Cannabis and Alcohol: Two Different Worlds, but Sometimes Opposites Attract
With the rise in medical cannabis legalization around the world, it will be interesting to see how cannabis interacts with prescription medication compared to how alcohol interacts with prescription medications. Like many prescription medications, cannabis is considered a drug by the American government.
Cannabis is a schedule I controlled substance in America. People have been fed lies about this misunderstood plant for decades at the hands of government propaganda. This will most likely change, becoming a central point for the next presidential election in 2024. Cannabis and alcohol are very different. Alcohol is associated with domestic disturbances, public fights, auto accidents, liver failure, and showing off private body parts in public. Cannabis is associated with improved sleeping, eating, laughter, love, and better overall health. However, there are those who may experience paranoia, typically those in prohibition states. Alcohol makes most people feel ten feet tall and bulletproof. Cannabis makes most people happy, hungry, and sleepy. Medical cannabis for the win! Why fight the world when we can embrace nature and all it has to offer?
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