Colorado dispensary customers love edibles, but are infused drinks better?
It’s no secret that cannabis is a healthy and safe alcohol alternative, which helps explain the recent infused beverage explosion. But a hangover-free morning isn’t the only reason infused drinks are having a moment.
First, let’s answer the question posed in the title of this blog. No – infused drinks aren’t better than edibles – and edibles aren’t better than infused drinks. We’re democratic in our love for cannabis.
Let’s get back to infused beverages.
Infused drinks (or drinkables), is a swiftly growing cannabis product category. You can walk into nearly every Denver dispensary and find shelves lined with infused coffee, tea, sparkling water, and sodas.
(For the record, you shouldn’t walk into any old Colorado dispensary – you should visit us.)
There’s even an industry organization dedicated to infused beverages, the Cannabis Beverage Association. Here is their mission statement:
“The Cannabis Beverage Association (CBA) is a trade association established to represent and advocate on behalf of the producers and consumers of cannabis beverages. By educating policymakers and consumers, establishing standards for operators to uphold, and advocating for common-sense policies, we can ensure that the cannabis beverage industry delivers safe, high-quality, reliable products to the consumers who enjoy them.”
The infused beverage market is ripe for the taking as far as corporate brands and interests go, which explains why infused beverages need an association.
We digress.
We’ve seen a surge in infused beverage popularity in our Colorado dispensary locations since stay-at-home orders began. In April, Headset, a cannabis data and analytics platform, released data showing a 14% infused beverage sales spike; edibles experienced a 28% sales bump. Before COVID, drinkables accounted for only 1% of the cannabis market – the post-COVID sales spike is considerable.
The increased popularity of drinkables (and edibles) makes sense considering the virus is an enemy to our respiratory system. Many people would now prefer to drink or eat cannabis rather than smoke or vape.
And infused drinks are arguably the most universally appealing new cannabis consumption method; drinkables are easy to consume, relatively discreet, and attractive to people who appreciate the effects of weed more than its flavor.
Despite the universal appeal of infused beverages, every person should exercise caution when trying new consumption methods. Whether you’re a cannabis expert or a new consumer, we suggest that you take the same approach to infused drinks as you do edibles – start low and go slow. Overconsumption is possible with infused drinks, even at low doses. Start with a 5mg THC dose (or less) and give it an hour before taking another sip.
Here are a handful of infused drinks we love:
Keef Sparkling Water (Blood Orange)
Keef Sparkling H2O provides a naturally flavored, zero-calorie, zero-sugar, infused beverage experience. The blood orange cannabis sparkler is your summer go-to for a low-calorie, sugar-free alternative to alcoholic beverages and sugary cannabis edibles. Each can contains 10mg of THC.
PHYX 1:1 Lime
PHYX 1:1 Lime is an expertly formulated, deliciously refreshing, THC-infused beverage. It’s your socially distanced summer companion. Every bottle of PHYX sparkling water contains 2.5mg THC and 2.5mg CBD – it’s our most mellow infused drink.
Lagunitas Hi-Fi Hops
Hi-Fi Hops is an IPA-inspired infused sparkling beverage made using everything Lagunitas knows about hops – but with zero alcohol, no calories, and zero carbs. And it’s infused with THC from the finest sun-grown cannabis.
Keef Mocktail Lemonade
Keef Mocktail Lemonade has a classic lemonade taste with a cannabis twist. It’s a timeless carbonated beverage containing 10, 10mg servings of THC in each bottle (please don’t drink a bottle in one sitting). Each bottle comes with a resealable dosing cap for precise and consistent dosing.
We’re in the midst of socially distanced summer barbecue season – wouldn’t you prefer a thirst-quenching beverage that won’t leave you with a headache? Ask your Lightshade budtender about their favorite infused drink.