{"id":10065,"date":"2024-02-27T13:19:03","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T13:19:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/?p=5961471"},"modified":"2024-02-27T13:19:03","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T13:19:03","slug":"hemp-derived-thc-seltzers-coming-to-colorado-liquor-stores-restaurants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/hemp-derived-thc-seltzers-coming-to-colorado-liquor-stores-restaurants\/","title":{"rendered":"Hemp-derived THC seltzers coming to Colorado liquor stores, restaurants"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/hemp-derived-thc-seltzers-coming-to-colorado-liquor-stores-restaurants\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>A new THC-infused seltzer is now available in Colorado and, in a departure from cannabis norms, locals don\u2019t need to go to a dispensary to purchase it.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s because <a href=\"https:\/\/drinkcann.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cann seltzers<\/a> are made with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) extracted from hemp rather than from marijuana. In Colorado, marijuana can only be sold by heavily regulated medical and recreational dispensaries. But since hemp isn\u2019t a federally controlled substance, products derived from it can be sold anywhere.<\/p>\n<p>In January, Cann launched one of its product lines, called <a href=\"https:\/\/drinkcann.com\/product\/the-lo-boy-starter-pack\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lo Boys<\/a>, in 30 Colorado stores and bars, said Dave Briggs, vice president of business development.\u00a0Each 12-ounce can is infused with 1 milligram of THC \u2014 a relatively small amount \u2014 and 15 milligrams of CBD. These non-alcoholic bubbly beverages come in flavors like grapefruit-rosemary and lemon-lavender.<\/p>\n<p>Will Cann get you high? It\u2019s possible.<\/p>\n<p>THC is the mind-altering compound found in both marijuana and hemp that\u2019s known for producing a \u201chigh.\u201d Drinking a single Cann Lo Boy likely won\u2019t provide the same experience as hitting a bowl, but after a few, drinkers could feel the effects of both the THC and the CBD, which isn\u2019t psychoactive, like they do from other edibles.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s, in part, why customers still need to be at least 21 years old to purchase Cann. It\u2019s available primarily at local liquor stores along the Front Range, including Applejack Wine &amp; Spirits\u2019 three locations. However, the company aspires to sell its beverages in restaurants and other retail establishments, offering customers an alternative to alcohol.<\/p>\n<p>The Snow Lodge in Aspen, for example, sells Cann during its Apr\u00e8s Ski Concerts in the courtyard of the St. Regis Hotel Resort as well as in its restaurant and music lounge. Estes Park\u2019s The Barrel beer bar also sells them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrimarily, volume moves through liquor stores, but on my trips back home to Colorado, I\u2019m talking to grocery stores, I\u2019m talking to restaurants, virtual golf lounges, golf courses,\u201d said Briggs. \u201cI think music venues are certainly what we were made for. I don\u2019t see anything stopping us from being in major sporting venues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The brainchild of Los Angles-based duo Jake Bullock and Luke Anderson, Cann first came on the scene in 2019. The founders\u2019 goal was to find a way to weave cannabis into the country\u2019s \u201cdrink-obsessed culture,\u201d Briggs said, and craft a beverage that would have less of a physical impact than beer, wine and spirits. (Read: No hangovers.)<\/p>\n<p>Increased cultural acceptance of cannabis coupled with a post-pandemic desire to cut back on alcohol consumption led to a \u201cspontaneous combustion of demand,\u201d Briggs said. The company is on track to sell 9 to 10 million cans this year, Bullock told The Denver Post.<\/p>\n<p>Where Cann is allowed to be sold has evolved significantly over the business\u2019 short lifespan, and speaks to the convoluted nature of cannabis regulations. Cann first launched in dispensaries in California before it began selling directly to consumers online.<\/p>\n<p>The company\u2019s first beverages were 8-ounce seltzers infused with 2 milligrams of THC and 4 milligrams of CBD. It also rolled out half-ounce pocket shots called Roadies with the same dosage. Since then, the company created Hi Boys seltzers (5 milligrams of THC, 10 milligrams of CBD) and of course the Lo Boys.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe only extract the THC and CBD from hemp naturally,\u201d said Bullock. \u201cEven though it\u2019s more expensive to do that, hemp is more abundant and operates in different a regulatory framework. It ends up netting out in a positive direction for us. \u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cann is only permitted to sell certain products in certain states, however, because each one has its own laws governing marijuana and what\u2019s come to be known as intoxicating hemp.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5799631\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft size-article_inline_half\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hemp-derived-thc-seltzers-coming-to-colorado-liquor-stores-restaurants.jpg\" alt=\"Typhoon Farma operates an 186-acre hemp farm in Montrose. From Sept. 15 to 17, locals and visitors to the Western Slope can stop by and pick their own plants to take home with them. Typhoon Farma will sell strains rich in CBD and CBG, such as Sour Lifter and Stem Cell, for $40 each. They'll also receive instructions on how to cure and trim the plant. (Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post)\" width=\"4032\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hemp-derived-thc-seltzers-coming-to-colorado-liquor-stores-restaurants.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"5799631\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hemp-derived-thc-seltzers-coming-to-colorado-liquor-stores-restaurants.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/TDP-Z-typhoonfarma-01.jpg?fit=310%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 310w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hemp and marijuana are technically both cannabis and distinguished by their THC content. The 2014 Farm Bill defined strains of cannabis with less than 0.3% THC as hemp; the 2018 Farm Bill legalized cultivation of it nationwide. (Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Both hemp and marijuana are cannabis plants, distinguished only by their THC content. The 2014 Farm Bill defined strains of cannabis with less than 0.3% THC as hemp. Strains that exceed that limit are classified as marijuana.<\/p>\n<p>The 2018 Farm Bill <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/public-health-focus\/fda-regulation-cannabis-and-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd#:~:text=These%20changes%20include%20removing%20hemp,controlled%20substances%20under%20federal%20law.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act<\/a> and legalized its cultivation nationwide, which enabled the proliferation of CBD products. Hemp can also be used to manufacture non-consumable products like clothing, building materials and bioplastics. Meanwhile, marijuana remains a Schedule I substance.<\/p>\n<p>Even though hemp is low in THC, the cannabinoid can be extracted and concentrated into doses that cause intoxication. Federal legalization effectively created an avenue for THC drinks, edibles, vapes and more to reach every corner of the U.S., including markets where marijuana remains illegal.<\/p>\n<p>In Colorado, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2023\/12\/31\/colorado-marijuana-10-years-history-legalization-industry-struggles\/\">ended marijuana prohibition a decade ago<\/a>, regulators could only react to the intoxicating hemp phenomenon. In 2023, the state codified guidelines to govern its production and distribution.\u00a0Hemp-derived products sold within the state must maintain at least a 15:1 CBD-to-THC ratio, like Cann\u2019s Lo Boys. Products that contain anything less than a 20:1 ratio can only be sold to adults 21 years old and up.<\/p>\n<p>While companies here may produce what\u2019s called \u201csafe harbor\u201d hemp products \u2013 meaning those with more equitable ratios of CBD and THC \u2013 they cannot sell them in Colorado. That\u2019s because safe harbor items have enough THC or THC-like cannabinoids to mimic marijuana and cause intoxication, said Jeff Lawrence, director of the Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.<\/p>\n<p>The law prohibits all sales of hemp products that don\u2019t meet the ratio requirements, even if they can be ordered online and shipped directly to consumers. Lawrence, who answered The Denver Post\u2019s questions via email, said he is not aware of any hemp companies breaking the law. Any caught in willful violation could receive up to a $10,000-per-day fine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want consumers to make informed decisions that best suit them, and to be aware that products produced from hemp are not necessarily THC-free,\u201d Lawrence said. \u201cWe encourage Coloradans to carefully read labels and any other available product information about products they consume.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3051742\" class=\"wp-caption alignright size-article_inline_half\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hemp-derived-thc-seltzers-coming-to-colorado-liquor-stores-restaurants-1.jpg\" alt=\"In this April 19, 2018, photo Maxwell Reis, beverage director serves a drink containing Cannabidol CBD extract with a marijuana leaf motif at the Gracias Madre restaurant in West Hollywood, Calif. After hemp was removed from the Controlled Substances Act, hemp-derived CBD extract began popping up in everything, from cosmetics to chocolate bars to bottled water to bath bombs to pet treats. (AP Photo\/Damian Dovarganes)\" width=\"3000\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hemp-derived-thc-seltzers-coming-to-colorado-liquor-stores-restaurants-1.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"3051742\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hemp-derived-thc-seltzers-coming-to-colorado-liquor-stores-restaurants-1.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/ap18133662450551.jpg?fit=310%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 310w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In this April 19, 2018, photo Maxwell Reis, beverage director serves a drink containing Cannabidol CBD extract with a marijuana leaf motif at the Gracias Madre restaurant in West Hollywood, Calif. After hemp was removed from the Controlled Substances Act, hemp-derived CBD extract began popping up in everything, from cosmetics to chocolate bars to bottled water to bath bombs to pet treats. (AP Photo\/Damian Dovarganes)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Although the regulations are new, they are necessary to help protect consumers and the state\u2019s legal marijuana businesses, said Truman Bradley, executive director of the Marijuana Industry Group (MIG). There were previously few guardrails in place to ensure kids under 21 could not obtain intoxicating hemp products, he said. MIG, which was active in regulatory discussions, also advocated limiting the total amount of THC per packaged good to help promote responsible consumption.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you imagine each gummy having a certain amount of THC in it, we didn\u2019t want you to be able to buy 500 gummies in a container,\u201d Bradley said.<\/p>\n<p>All of this aims to also level the playing field between businesses that deal in the same intoxicating compound \u2013 cannabis-derived THC \u2013 but are often subject to vastly different regulations because hemp is federally legal and marijuana is not. For example, regulated marijuana products are tracked from seed to sale in Colorado while those using hemp are not.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt leads to a broader question around, what is the appropriate level of regulation for various products containing THC?\u201d Bradley said. \u201cColorado was the first state to legalize and understandably, they took a very strict approach to regulation. This had never been done before. But now that somebody can walk into a liquor store \u2013 or in many other states can get THC shipped directly to their house, on a subscription no less \u2013 it\u2019s worth having the larger question about all products containing THC.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"related right\"> <\/aside>\n<p>Bullock said his goal wasn\u2019t to compete with edibles and pre-rolled joints as much as it was to compete with beer, wine and liquor. However, he believes low-dose THC products like Cann will help promote consumer education and responsible consumption.<\/p>\n<p>Bullock, who is from Denver, likened it to growing up in Colorado when grocery stores were limited to selling beer capped at 3.2% ABV. If you wanted \u201cthe real stuff,\u201d you had to go to a liquor store.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s kind of what we\u2019re talking about here,\u201d Bullock said. \u201cFor the lowest potency THC product, you can buy it in a grocery store or a liquor store. But if you want the higher stuff, you need to go into a dispensary and talk to somebody who will hold your hand in a more concrete way around the risk, because it\u2019s a higher-risk product.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe world we want to exist is one where this product is sold alongside beer and wine,\u201d he continued, \u201cbecause that\u2019s ultimately the societal challenge we\u2019re trying to solve here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/newsletter-signup\/stuffed\">Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>A new THC-infused seltzer is now available in Colorado and in a departure from cannabis norms, locals don\u2019t need to go to a dispensary to purchase it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6880,5062,531,52,330,6811,6807,2435,7444,55,10621,7938,4995,7079,77,9,5019,5236,7621,8311,6845,1,3,18,7072,6923,61,7448,1736],"tags":[6881,5063,3105,2632,2908,6816,6809,2436,7449,2635,10622,7939,4996,7080,2655,5022,5238,7623,8312,6846,2622,7073,6924,7453],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10065"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10065"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10065\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}