Cannabis-infused beverages such as beer could make their debut in Canada as soon as next year.
Canopy Growth, a licensed cannabis producer in Smith Falls, Ontario, is working with Constellation Brands, the maker of Corona Beer, on cannabis-infused beverages that it hopes to sell through liquor stores in Canadian provinces that have given cannabis distribution responsibilities to liquor authorities.
“We are on to specifics of brands, flavorings, formats,” Canopy Growth CEO Bruce Linton told analysts. He did not say whether the beverage products would include THC or non-psychoactive hemp products.
Canopy’s alcohol-and-cannabis combination has been anticipated ever since Constellation Brands announced last October it had acquired a 10 per cent stake in Canada’s largest cannabis company for $245 million.
This past week Canopy was one of six licensed producers to sign cannabis a supply deal with Quebec’s liquor board – the Societé des alcools du Québec. The agency will handle sales of recreational cannabis in the province when it is legal in Canada later this year.
Other provinces and territories where liquor authorities will be responsible for cannabis distribution include Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia, the Canadian Press said.
Government regulations on cannabis edibles will become clear July 2019 at the earliest.
Canopy is based in Smiths Falls, Ontario, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange as WEED.
-Canadian Press
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