Legalized Marijuana Means Weed-Infused Booze Is Just Around the Bend

Since the early hours of November 9, it's been difficult to focus on any aspect of the 2016 election other than the inevitable arrival of Donald Trump in the White House, so there's been little coverage of a notable development in the world of weed. Last Tuesday, marijuana was also legalized for recreational use in California, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Maine, and while some residents of those states are undoubtedly looking to light up to take the edge off reality, the alcohol industry has its eyes set on something else: how to capitalize on potential synergies between pot and booze as marijuana opens up new markets and inches toward national legalization.

Given that nearly every flavor of vodka from bubblegum to caramel exists already, it's not too hard to imagine a commercial weed-infused vodka that actually contains THC. Though no major player has dipped their toes in the pool yet, big alcohol producers are thinking about how they might capitalize on a marijuana market estimated to be worth $50 billion by 2026. In an interview with Bloomberg, the CEO of Constellation Brands—which sells Corona, Modelo, Svedka, Ballast Point, and a large portfolio of wines—said he sees cannabis-infused alcoholic beverages on the horizon.

"Why wouldn't big business, so to speak, be acutely interested in a category of that magnitude?" Constellation CEO Rob Sands told Bloomberg. "If there's a lot of money involved, it's not going to be left to small mom-and-pops."

One analyst saw a marriage between the booze and weed industries coming a while back. Spiros Malandrakis, an alcoholic beverage analyst at Euromonitor International who has written on the union of marijuana and alcohol in the past, was early to recognize the potential synergies of the two substances.

Malandrakis sees microbrewers taking the initial steps in bringing weed's skunky flavor to the mainstream with hemp beers that bring the taste, but not the buzz. Over time, consumers will develop appreciation for "different varietals, clones, tasting notes, and terroir."

"After gradual acceptance of these kind of hybrid products," Malandrakis tells MUNCHIES, "the last step product will be incorporating THC."

And voila: a drink that could get you both drunk and high.

Malandrakis says comments like Sands' indicate the major players in the alcohol industry are approaching weed differently than they did the craft brewing movement. Big brewers in the past have tried to quash any competitors to their products, fearing that they'd lose market share. When small brewers arrived on the scene with bolder beers, large producers failed to see the significance and attempted to shut them out of the market, a decision they are still paying for. (See: Constellation buying Ballast Brewing for $1 billion.) But early data in Colorado seem to suggest legalized marijuana hasn't hurt alcohol sales, and given that many people seem to enjoy both, has actually created an opportunity for Big Beer.

However, don't expect to see a Corona Cannabis or Bud Light Green anytime soon. Federal law still prohibits the sale of marijuana for recreational purposes, so no major company will wade into the waters yet. "They haven't followed up with a specific product," Malandrakis said. "They'll allow others to pursue that first."

It's hard to imagine laws loosening under Trump, but in the future, the landscape could be markedly different. We could see the marijuana industry growing alongside and entwining with the alcohol industry in plenty of new and interesting ways. There are hurdles, to be sure, but imagine a weed trail winding alongside a wine trail. There's a lot of money to be made—and in the weed market, alcohol producers are seeing green.