Coca-Cola Looks To Get Into The Cannabis Drinks Biz

Turns out Big Beer isn’t the only segment in the drinks industry looking to tap into the cannabis drinks tend.  Coca-Cola (whose early sodas actually contained cocaine) may be looking to stem its failing fizzy fortunes with drinks infused with CBD.

Here’s the deal…

According to Bloomberg the Atlanta-based drinks giant is looking seriously at the growth of drinks infused with CBD, the compound in marijuana that some see as a health elixir.

Unlike many drinks majors who are all about developing drinks with psychoactive qualities, Coca- Cola’s interest appears to lay squarely (no pun intended) in the arena of health drinks…another growing segment in the industry. And the Atlanta-based soda giant is in talks with Canadian cannabis producer Aurora to possibly develop drinks infused with CBD.

Aurora is Canada’s third-largest cannabis producer…They’re huge players in the emerging cannabis industry with a market value of C$8.7 billion.

And not surprisingly, Aurora’s shares surged by as much as 23% in New York after news surfaced of a potential Coca-Cola collaboration.

“We are closely watching the growth of non-psychoactive CBD as an ingredient in functional wellness beverages around the world – the space is evolving quickly,” Coca-Cola spokesman Kent Landers told Bloomberg News.

Coca-Cola is the latest in a growing line of drinks companies to have shown an interest in the production of cannabis drinks, but we expect that it won’t be the last.

Last month, one of the first firms to throw its hat into the recreational cannabis ring, Constellation Brands, home to Corona and other Mexican brands, announced plans to up its stake in Canadian cannabis producer Canopy Growth to 38%.

UK-based Diageo is currently exploring the possibility of developing its own line of CBD-infused drinks with several Canadian cannabis producers.

Molson Coors has entered into a joint venture with Quebec’s HEXO (a recreational cannabis subsidiary to Canada’s The Hydropothecary) to develop a range of cannabis drinks in Canada.

And Heineken-owned Lagunitas has launched a line of non-alcoholic drinks infused with THC, marijuana’s active ingredient.

Unlike THC, CBD has been known to ease everything from inflammation and cramping to epilepsy. And everyone knows that things go better with Coke.