Brewery Develops First Ever Beer Made Entirely From Cannabis Plant

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Twenty years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine that one day the business of brews and buds would collide and people would start drinking beer to get stoned rather than drunk. Although this concept is still in its infancy, brewing giants like Constellation Brands and Molson Coors are reportedly in the mix trying to develop THC-infused concoctions to sell to the international inebriation class. But one Canadian company, an Ontario-based startup called Province Labs, claims to have created the first-ever beer brewed entirely from the cannabis plant. It is development that is expected to generate a substantial chunk of the northern nation’s expected multi-billion dollar pot market once cannabis edibles are allowed to hit the shelves later next year.

It is true that other cannabis beers came before the Province creation. Blue Moon mastermind Keith Villa is on the verge of distributing an alcohol-free beer (Ceria Beverages) in legal states where the buzz comes strictly from its THC content. But what separates the Province concept from Villa’s offering is the “beer is brewed from the stalks, stem and roots of the cannabis plant,” rather than being made from barley and then infused with THC.

The process of creating this concoction wasn’t easy. In fact, there was some question as to whether it was even possible to brew a beer based on the cannabis-only design. The first several batches “tasted like rotten broccoli,” Dooma Wendschuh of Province Brands told The Guardian. It was only after the company employed a chemist that they were able to bring to life a “non-alcoholic, gluten-free beer that offers a high.”

So what does it taste like? Wendschuh says, “The flavor is dry, savory, less sweet than a typical beer flavor.” And it “hits you very quickly, which is not common for a marijuana edible,” he added. The THC content is coming in right around 6.5 milligrams per bottle. To put this into perspective, a single dose for a cannabis edible in places like Colorado is 10 milligrams. So, depending on a person’s tolerance, it could be lights out after consuming three or four of these cannabis brews. A six–pack could be the gateway to the land of the super stoned. Either way, binging out on THC beverage is going to be safer and healthier than getting ripped up on its alcoholic counterpart.

Some of the latest data published in The BMJ shows that more adults 24 to 35 are dying from cirrhosis of the liver. Drinking is likely to blame, the study authors pointed out. The good news is there is no evidence that marijuana damages any major organs. Province Brands hopes that drinkers will consider using their products as a substitute for booze.

“If I could create an alternative to alcohol, that’s something that would change the world,” Wendschuh said. “That’s something I’m very passionate about.”

It was just a month ago that Canada legalized marijuana nationwide for recreational consumption. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is giving the provinces until the middle of October to get their regulatory affairs in order. At that time, adults 18 and older will have the freedom to walk inside a cannabis dispensary and buy pot in a manner similar to alcohol. But the law will not allow the immediate release of cannabis edibles. Products like the beer made by Province Labs will not be permitted for sale until sometime in 2019. But when this happens – look out. Some of the latest data shows that cannabis beverages alone will eventually generate somewhere to the tune of $15 billion a year.

“I don’t think there was anywhere else in the world where we could do this business,” Wendschuh said. “Canada is already leading the world in creating an industry around medical cannabis and we expect them to continue to lead the world in trading and industry around adult-use cannabis.”

Mike Adams is a freelance writer for High Times, Cannabis Now, and Forbes. You can follow him on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram.