Welcome Note

Welcome Back Gardeners to the 101st edition of Herbal Profiles!

In this edition I break down the headlines as always and then I get into a common flaw I am seeing with the marketing of these brands. I also get into some trends I am seeing with the average consumer and why they are drinking these beverages.

Alongside these, I’m sharing a fresh breakdown of my recent interview with Peter Barsoom, founder of 1906 and Off Duty, where we explore innovations in functional edibles and beverage enhancers.

-Lars

The subreddit I moderate with Chris Fontes hit 1,000 subscribers (1,054 to be precise). We are actually having a really interesting conversation about hot takes in the industry right now. So subscribe over on Reddit and follow along there! Planning to do some AMAs and maybe some mailbags here in the newsletter or for the podcast!

The Free Spirits Podcast with David Gonzalez and myself just dropped episode 11 of season 2 with 1906 Founder, Peter Barsoom. We have a stacked guest list for upcoming shows including, Paul Weaver from Boston Beer, Julie Rhodes from Kick Fizz, Evan Eneman from Iconic Tonics, Kevin Provost from MoreBetter, Spencer Ploessl from Coco Flow, Pete Olander from Happie, and more.

If you could take the time to drop a review of the podcast or even just share it with a friend or two, it really does help us grow and continue to bring you this show.

You can find us on Youtube, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!

Any comments or questions? Leave comment on this post or shoot me an email. Would love to hear from you!

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News Roundup

• I am so excited to announce the launch of Not Beer Vibed, our new THC Seltzer line. - Not Beer has launched Vibed, a THC and CBD-infused seltzer featuring real fruit juice, no added sugar, and 15–20 calories per can. The brand positions itself around taste, wellness, and clear messaging for “canna-curious” consumers and retailers.

• KBI looks to eliminate THC drinks from Kansas stores - The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is working to remove hemp-derived THC beverages from retail shelves. Officials cite public safety and legal uncertainty, even as the products remain federally legal under the 2018 Farm Bill.

• Against the Grain Brewery launches THC soda ‘ZaZa’ in Louisville - Against the Grain Brewery in Louisville has released ZaZa, a THC-infused craft soda. The launch adds to the brewery’s non-alcoholic portfolio and is available at select local retailers.

• Kentucky ABC could regulate THC-infused drinks and other intoxicants next year - Kentucky’s Alcoholic Beverage Control could receive authority to regulate hemp-derived intoxicants, including THC beverages, under proposed legislation. Lawmakers say the move would provide clearer oversight as the products proliferate across the state.

• Hemp-based THC drinks to benefit c-store channel, experts say - Industry experts predict convenience stores will be a key growth channel for hemp-derived THC beverages. C-store sales offer broad geographic reach and meet rising consumer demand for low-dose functional alternatives to alcohol.

• SoNo 1420 launches THC-infused drink as Connecticut’s cannabis market expands - Connecticut-based SoNo 1420 has launched a THC-infused beverage called High Light. The product is part of the brand’s strategy to expand beyond spirits and capitalize on adult-use cannabis legalization in the state.

• Federal hemp-derived THC protections appear safe for now - Efforts to restrict hemp-derived THC products at the federal level have stalled—for now. While new Farm Bill negotiations are still underway, current language that protects these products remains intact.

• No, Virgin Atlantic is not offering cannabis-infused THC sodas on its flights, company clarifies - Virgin Atlantic clarified that it is not serving THC beverages onboard, correcting a misleading viral social media post. The airline confirmed that cannabis-infused sodas are not part of its in-flight service or planned offerings.

  • Honestly this frustrates me that the brand would put out something like this that is fake and insist it’s not satire. Yes, you’re going to be talked about and you’re going to get a ton of media attention for a stunt like this, but in the long run I feel it erodes trust in the brand and in the industry.

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Why “Getting High” Isn’t the Point of Cannabis Beverages

And Why Brands Stuck in Stoner Mode Are Missing the Real Market

If you come from the traditional cannabis side of the industry, hemp-derived THC beverages can feel puzzling. A 2–5mg drink? For ten bucks? When you could buy a potent edible for the same price or less?

It’s a question you hear often from heavy-use consumers, and it’s the wrong question.

Brightfield Group’s Q1 2025 data makes it clear: recreation, defined as “getting high,” isn’t even in the top five reasons people drink these products. Instead, the driving motivations look a lot more like the functional beverage space than the legacy cannabis market.

The Real Reasons People Drink Cannabis Beverages

When asked about desired effects, beverage consumers prioritized:

• Relaxation (69%)

• Stress relief (~50%)

• Better sleep, mood, and social ease, all outranking intoxication as a goal

For the cannabis beverage consumer chasing the strongest psychoactive effect is rarely the goal. It’s about choosing a controlled, repeatable experience that fits into someone’s daily life.

And the way these products are used reinforces that:

• Nearly half of beverage+alcohol consumers report drinking less alcohol since adopting these drinks

• On average, they’re replacing three out of five alcoholic drinks with THC beverages

• Low-dose (≤4mg) product preference is growing, especially among higher-income, highly educated consumers who see light dosing as a feature, not a flaw

Why the “Stoner” Playbook Falls Flat

Many hemp brands still market like it’s 2012, heavy on weed puns, high-potency bragging rights, and tie-dye nostalgia. Don’t get me wrong I love a good weed pun and that style might resonate with legacy cannabis users, but it misfires with the current beverage buyer.

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Why? Because this buyer isn’t making a 1:1 swap from flower or vapes, they’re moving away from alcohol or supplementing their wellness routines. They want:

• A social drink that doesn’t wreck tomorrow

• Effects that enhance conversation, not derail it

• A sense of control over the experience

When a brand’s message leans too hard into “getting lit,” it signals that it doesn’t understand this consumer’s motivations. Worse, it risks alienating the fastest-growing segment of the category.

The Culture Shift in Dosing

For traditional cannabis consumers, a low dose often feels pointless. But in the beverage world, it’s strategic. Just as no one expects a hard seltzer to hit like a shot of whiskey, cannabis drinkers are embracing products that:

• Deliver a subtle, steady onset

• Allow for multiple servings in one occasion

• Pair well with food and social settings

• Provide functional benefits without heavy intoxication

Brands that treat this as “training wheels” for cannabis miss the fact that, for many drinkers, this is the preferred level, permanently. Anecdotally I consume drinks likely 3-4 days a week and have been for ~18 months and I have never graduated beyond 5mg as my preferred top end dose.

What Winning Brands Are Doing Differently

If you look at the most effective hemp beverage marketing right now, a few themes stand out:

• Premium, approachable packaging, closer to craft beverage or better-for-you CPG than to dispensary shelves

• Language around balance, wellness, and choice, not potency or “weed culture”

• Integration into modern social rituals, happy hours, backyard BBQs, pre-concert hangs, even fitness recovery

These brands are building an identity as the better drink choice, not “weed in a can.” That’s a far stronger position for long-term category growth, especially as regulatory pressures, mainstream retail expansion, and broader consumer adoption shape the market.

The Bottom Line

The cannabis beverage market isn’t just a lighter version of traditional cannabis. It’s a fundamentally different category with its own culture, its own usage occasions, and its own consumer psychology.

The data is screaming it: this is not about getting as high as possible.

It’s about creating a drinkable experience that fits modern life, controlled, social, and intentional.

The brands that hear that message and build accordingly will own the future of the category. The ones still chasing stoner nostalgia will be speaking to an audience that’s shrinking every quarter.

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