Canada is light years ahead of us when it comes to being cool about marijuana. First, the entire country legalized the stuff for recreational use, making it only the second nation in the world to do so. Then, it announced measures to make marijuana edibles legal down the road, hopefully by 2019. Now, Canadians will likely be the first to enjoy cannabis beer. Related Stories Canada Just Legalized Marijuana for All Canadians Colorado Is Getting THC Beer The Guardian reports that since marijuana legalization became official for our northern neighbors, brewers are getting serious about making beers with cannabis. Unlike many cannabis beers, which are merely infused with THC and CBD oils, one start-up in particular, called Province Brands, is making beer by actually brewing with the cannabis plant—stalks, stems, and all. It's said to be the first of its kind.
It was rough going at first. "The things that we would come up with just tasted horrible," said Dooma Wendschuh, co-founder and CEO of Province Brands. "They tasted like rotten broccoli." Thanks to a little chemistry work, they've developed a beer that he says is "dry, savory, less sweet than a typical beer flavor."
It has around 6.5mg of THC and the alcohol removed, so drinkers only have one kind of high to deal with. “The beer hits you very quickly, which is not common for a marijuana edible," said Wendschuh.
Here in the States, craft brewers and Big Beer brands alike are getting creative with CBD- and THC-infused beers. Lagunitas, owned by Heineken, just released a THC-infused "sparkling water" called Hi-Fi Hops in California. The guy who invented Blue Moon is working on a non-alcoholic, THC-infused beer in Colorado.
But with marijuana legalization moving slowly, the chances of you getting your hands on any cannabis beer product, brewed with cannabis or infused, are slim if you live in a non-legal state. Time to book that trip to Canada.
How long before domestic brewers jump into this? And how crappy is the beer going to taste, compared to what we have now ?
