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Cannabis drinks are one of the fastest-growing sectors of the industry.
Drinkable cannabis is subtle, letting you get lifted without needing to light up. This makes drinks an ideal choice for new cannabis consumers and situations where smoking isn’t allowed.
Cannabis beverages usually contain THC, CBD, or a combination of the two. If you’re in a state where adult use isn’t legal, you may still be able to find CBD beverages at your local hemp store, or order them online.
Cannabis beverages aren’t the same as tinctures. In a tincture, the cannabinoids are extracted from the plant and suspended in alcohol or solvent to make them shelf-stable, and they’re usually made to last for weeks or months. Since cannabinoids are soluble in oils and alcohol, there is no need for solubility technology with these extracts, a simple quick shake will do and the extract will be homogenous (equally mixed). Nearly all cannabis beverages employ some type of solubility technology to get fat loving cannabis to equally distribute into the water-base of the drink.
Many weed drinks are sparkling waters or seltzers, but you can also find iced teas, lemonades, juices, canna-beers, and more.
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THC/ CBD Content 2 mg THC, 4 mg CBD per can
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Available in: California, Nevada, Maine, Illinois, and Rhode Island
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Price: $24 - $28
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THC/ CBD Content: 100 mg THC per shot
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Available in: Canada
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Price: $15
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THC/ CBD Content: 20 mg CBD per can
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Available in: New York, ships to all 50 states
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Price: $39.95
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THC/ CBD Content: 4.5 mg THC, 3 mg CBD per can
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Available in: Massachus
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Price: $38
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THC/ CBD Content: 5 mg THC per serving
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Available in: California
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Price: $48
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THC/ CBD Content: 2.5 mg THC per serving
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Available in: California
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Price: $33
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THC/ CBD Content: 10/ 25/ 100 mg per can, depending on location
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Available in: Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico
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Price: $6
CANN Lemon Lavender Social Tonic
- THC/CBD/both: both
- Dosage/strength: 2 mg THC and 4 mg CBD in 8 fl oz
- Flavor: Lemon lavender
- Where it’s available: California, Nevada, Maine, Illinois, and Rhode Island
- Price: $24 – $28
CANN is a popular option in cannabis beverages for its low doses and creative flavors. With 2 mg THC and 4 mg CBD per serving, you can enjoy multiple cans on any occasion – without getting too lifted (or hungover.) CANN calls these products “social tonics”, a drink to give you a feeling of vigor with a cannabis infusion for a social buzz. Lemon Lavender is a fan-favorite flavor, and there are also four other flavors.
Loos Green Dream Shot
- THC/CBD/both: THC
- Dosage/strength: 100 mg THC per 2 oz
- Flavor: Green Dream
- Where it’s available: Canada
- Price: $15
If you have a high tolerance to edibles and want a drink that delivers, reach for a Loos Cannabis shot. Made with spirulina, terpenes, nutraceuticals, and GABA, a neurotransmitter dietary supplement, this is the definition of a functional beverage. With 100mg of THC in a 2 oz shot, this drink is best enjoyed by people with a high cannabis tolerance and previous edibles experience.
Beak & Skiff Mango Lime CBD Sparkling Water
- THC/CBD/both: CBD
- Dosage/strength: 20 mg CBD per 12 fl oz can
- Flavor: Mango Lime
- Where it’s available: In-store in NY, ship to all 50 states
- Price: $39.95
When you want a hydrated cannabis beverage that gets you lifted without feeling high, reach for a can of CBD sparkling water from Beak & Skiff. Each can has 20 mg of CBD, harvested from hemp grown right on the orchard. New York-based Beak & Skiff began as an apple orchard in 1911 and has since expanded to a hard cidery and CBD drinks. There are also two other seltzer flavors: blood orange and black cherry.
Good Feels Flavorless Beverage Enhancer
- THC/CBD/both: both
- Dosage/strength: 1.5 mL with 4.5 mg THC and 3 mg CBD
- Flavor: Flavorless
- Where it’s available: Massachusetts
- Price: $38
Turn any drink into a cannabis drink with the beverage enhancer from Good Feels. The bottle contains 20 servings and delivers 4.5 mg of THC and 3 mg of CBD. Perfect for adding to soda, juice, or a mocktail, this beverage enhancer is as discreet as it gets. Good Feels is a minority-owned, Massachusetts-based brand that offers a range of cannabis-infused seltzers flavors and beverage enhancers.
Tinley’s Coconut Cask Elixir
- THC/CBD/both: THC
- Dosage/strength: 5 mg THC per 1.5 oz shot
- Flavor: Coconut
- Where it’s available: California
- Price: $48
Ready to take your mocktail game to the next level? A cannabis-infused elixir from California-based Tinley’s is the ingredient you didn’t know you were missing. Inspired by tropical flavors, the Coconut Cask elixir mixes well with your favorite poolside drinks, but won’t leave you feeling dehydrated and hungover the next day. Don’t know what to pair it with? Tinley’s recommends fruit-flavored sparkling water and pineapple juice, over ice.
Artet Cannabis Aperitif
- THC/CBD/both: THC
- Dosage/strength: 2.5 mg THC per serving
- Flavor: Spiced
- Where it’s available: California
- Price: $33
A bottle that wouldn’t look out of place on your bar cart, Artet is a non-alcoholic, cannabis-infused aperitif. Made with cannabis and botanicals, Artet has a low dose of THC and can be enjoyed straight or mixed in with your favorite mocktails. Each bottle comes with a measuring shot glass so you can tailor the strength of your drink to the occasion. Made with simple ingredients and inspired by the Italian tradition of aperitivo hour, Artet is best enjoyed while relaxing with friends.
Keef Orange Kush Soda
- THC/CBD/both: THC
- Dosage/strength: 10/ 25/ 100 mg per can, depending on location
- Flavor: orange
- Where it’s available: Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico
- Price: $6.00
Soda fans rejoice – you can get the carbonated flavors you love with a boost of THC from Keef. Orange Kush has all the flavors of a classic orange soda, infused with hybrid strains of THC. Caffeine and gluten-free, this soda has a higher dose of THC than most other products on this list, making it perfect for people who want to get lifted. Soda flavors are also available in root beer, original cola, blue razz, and purple passion.
How to dose your cannabis drinks
Cannabis beverages range in potency. You can find single serving cans with a mere 2.5 mg of CBD or THC, all the way up to 100mg+ per container, which are most often considered a multiple dose container. The variety of dosing helps you customize your experience – do you want to slowly get lifted and socialize, or have a nightcap that puts you to sleep?
Many cannabis drinks are sold as single cans, or in packs of 4 or 6, with a single serving per can. But you can also find beverages that contain multiple servings, with 30, 50, or 100 mg of THC. As with all edibles, start low and go slow. If you’ve never had a cannabis beverage, start with 2.5 mg of THC, and adjust up from there if needed.
How fast do cannabis beverages work?
Beverages are consumed like edibles, which usually means the cannabinoids are processed through your digestive tract and liver before making it into your bloodstream. However, unlike edibles that can take up to 90 minutes to kick in, some cannabis beverages are formulated to work faster than that, with a rapid onset of just 15 – 20 minutes. There are numerous types of technology being sold to drink makers to enhance absorption. One of the most commonly used technologies is nano-technology.
A nano-emulsion formula helps the water and oil blend together, helping the oil to form tiny droplets that are more swiftly absorbed by the GI tract. These micro-droplets of oil in water hasten the absorption of the cannabinoids, and usually enhance overall absorption as well. Many drink manufacturers are employing technology to achieve rapid effects, with some advertising drinks that take effect within 15 minutes, well before a drink would make it out of the stomach and into the small intestine where edibles are absorbed. 1
How are cannabis drinks made?
THC and CBD are fat-soluble molecules, and don’t mix well with water. But thanks to advances in manufacturing technology, brands can blend cannabinoids in with a water base for a delicious drink that won’t separate in the can. So how do they do it?
With emulsion technologies. Emulsion is not a new technology, and has been used for decades to blend together ingredients. Emulsion uses a stabilizing substance called an emulsifier to bond two dissimilar substances together. There are two kinds of emulsifiers:
- Conventional, which uses an emulsifier made from synthetic ingredients and requires flavoring or modification
- Natural, which uses an emulsifier made of plant-based ingredients that typically do not change the flavor
Today, many cannabis companies opt for nanoemulsions to enhance the delivery of cannabinoids. An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that do not normally mix well, like vinegar and oil in salad dressing, for example. Normally the oil sits on top of the vinegar. But if an emulsifier like mayonaise (which is rich in egg yolks) is added, then the vinegar and oil will mix into a creamy dressing.
To make a nanoemulsion, cannabinoids like CBD and THC are mixed with an emulsifier, and agitated and blended into the water-based drink. Often these nanoemulsions are designed to enhance delivery of cannabinoids, allowing THC and other cannabinoids to enter the blood quickly, bypassing the typical metabolism in the liver. This leads to THC to be the primary psychoactive molecule, as the liver does not get the opportunity to produce 11-hydroxy-THC. This altered absorption also can lead to a reduced overall duration of action. 2
In short, nano-emulsions are tiny droplets of oil mixed evenly into water-based drinks, and designed to better deliver those oils into the body. With enhanced absorption and onset time, and a reduced duration and less 11-hydroxy-THC production, the experience of infused drinks – with their fast on, fast off effects – are often compared to the experience of smoking cannabis. Nanoemulsions are used in many pharmaceuticals to stabilize and improve drug delivery, making them a preferred choice to improve absorption of the cannabinoids in your drink. 3
How to choose a cannabis beverage
When shopping for a cannabis beverage, consider the price and strength of the drink. How do you want to feel after consuming the drink – do you want an energized sensation, or are you headed straight for euphoria? Do you want a single can or a 12-pack?
There are a variety of flavors on the market, so you can easily find one that’s appealing to you. To ensure you’re buying a quality product, ask to see the certificate of analysis. These are typically accessible online or in-store. Certified lab results help you understand exactly what’s in your drink and ensure product quality.
Bottom line
Cannabis beverages are a great way to discreetly enjoy weed any time of day. An excellent alternative to smoking and high-sugar edibles, weed drinks come in a wide range of flavors, potencies, and price ranges, so you can find one that fits your needs. Even in states where adult-use cannabis isn’t legal, you can still enjoy the benefits of CBD seltzers.
Sources
- Nakano Y, Tajima M, Sugiyama E, Sato V, H, Sato H: Development of a Novel Nanoemulsion Formulation to Improve Intestinal Absorption of Cannabidiol. Med Cannabis Cannabinoids 2019;2:35-42. doi: 10.1159/000497361
- Stella B, Baratta F, Della Pepa C, Arpicco S, Gastaldi D, Dosio F. Cannabinoid Formulations and Delivery Systems: Current and Future Options to Treat Pain. Drugs. 2021;81(13):1513-1557. doi:10.1007/s40265-021-01579-x
- Jaiswal, M., Dudhe, R. & Sharma, P.K. Nanoemulsion: an advanced mode of drug delivery system. 3 Biotech 5, 123–127 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-014-0214-0
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