From Nope to Dope: CBD Is Leading the Market with Cannabidiol-Infused Products

2019 is the year for unusual flavor profiles. Combinations previously unheard of are popping out of the woodwork, ranging from Hot Cheeto cupcakes to cheese tea in Asia. Within the beverage space in particular, things are mixing up thanks to the high demand for cannabis-derived cannabidiol, or CBD. CBD is a non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid that makes up, on average, 40% of the marijuana plant’s extract. Not a biologist? In layman’s terms: It’s a derivative that, unlike its cousin, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), is a non-psychoactive substance and doesn’t cause the high that marijuana does.

Not only does CBD enjoy a certain charm due to its novelty, but it also has genuine medical value, according to the New Yorker. CBD’s marketing success is largely due to it being a more legal option than THC, and its ability to provide relief for issues ranging from pain to anxiety to, in some cases, seizures. This hits particularly hard for millennials, since from 2008 to 2014, Generation Y’s anxiety rose by 48%, according to a 2018 Berkeley study. 

CBD, typically sold in oil form, is becoming more commonplace and has grown into a huge hit in the non-alcoholic beverage industry. According to Canadian investment banking service company Canaccord Genuity, the CBD-infused beverage market could become a $600 million market by 2020. 

Everyone wants a hit of this growing trend; there are even talks of Coca-Cola planning on launching a CBD drink. For those who aren’t fans of dark soda, there’s a wide range of options to sample, including everything from ginger ale, sparkling tonics, coconut water, tea blends, coffee and of course, wine. Dirty Lemon, in a bid to encourage a healthy lifestyle, introduced a “+CBD” drink to help relieve stress and promote better mental health. Cloud Water came out with a sparkling beverage that’s sweetened with raw honey; VYBES has an organic beverage that promotes “mind + body well-being,”; Recess has a range of products that claims to contain mood regulators and adaptogens (ingredients that help regulate stress.) The odder the combination, the more in-demand it seems to be. So much so that a water-soluble CBD tincture is even available for people to drop into the beverage of their choice (because squeezing a few drops into a glass was asking too much). The rise in sparkling wine production allows CBD to shed its taboo reputation into something more refined. 

Why is CBD becoming such a trend, you may ask? The absence of a high, for one, and an emphasized feeling of relaxation, and because it occurs naturally in the cannabis plant itself, meaning it can be considered a natural additive in beauty and wellness merchandise. Consumers are starting to be more conscious of healthy options in food and want to know the ingredients within and the means of production behind their favorite products. Cosmetics giant Sephora, for example, is doing its part by showing online shoppers which items contain parabens, sulfates, and phthalates, as well as creating a branded line that is free of harmful chemicals, thus giving in to the consumer demand for organic products.

It’s worth noting that some brands go the opposite direction—for example, the infamous Four Loko merely mimics the taste of cannabis and came out with a hemp-flavored malt beverage. It’s best not to ask why. 

CBD infusions in 2019 are “on par with burger joints adding [...] plant-based proteins to their menus,” according to CNBC. With the legalization of marijuana becoming more commonplace, what with 47 out of the 50 states allowing some form of legalized weed, perhaps this will become the Vine of drinks: hugely popular, but ends in a glorious, yet sudden, demise.