A trio of new drinks bearing Bob Marley's name debuted this week at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco and are headed to stores this spring in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Michigan where recreational marijuana use is allowed.
The drinks are infused with 25 milligrams of the cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound extracted from cannabis, which does not produce a high but can be used to relieve pain and anxiety.
Cannabis-infused drinks and food have become a hot marketing and product trend, as marijuana legalization has expanded to 10 states for recreational use (33 states have legalized medical marijuana).
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While some high-producing products made with THC have hit the market, CBD-infused products aim for health and relaxation. In testing, it gave drinkers a "relaxed or chilled out feeling," said Brent Willis, CEO of New Age Beverages, the Denver-based beverage company bringing the drinks to market.
“You drink it and you don’t worry, be happy, everything is going to be alright, man," said Willis, a former Coca-Cola and Anheuser-Busch InBev executive, mashing up some of the late reggae legend's lyrics ("Three Little Birds") with a dose of Bobby McFerrin ("Don't Worry Be Happy").
The trio of Marley+CBD Mellow Mood drinks, priced at $5 to $6 per 15.5-ounce can, also have a dash of sugar and other ingredients such as passionflower extract, lemon balm extract, Valerian root extract and chamomile flowers extract. They weigh in at about 30 calories per serving. "It’s a delicate tea kind of flavor with a mélange and mix of complicated flavors," Willis said.
New Age Beverages acquired the Marley Beverage Company in October 2016 and has the backing of many of his family members including daughter Cedella and sons Rohan and Ziggy. The family also has its own line of Marley Natural marijuana and vape products that are among DockLight Brands' portfolio of cannabis brands.
Another son, Julian Marley, has his own JuJu Royal CBD products including olive oil and cannabis strains.
DockLight is working with New Age, which already sells Marley-branded drinks including cold brew coffee, tea and yerba mate, as it expands into cannabis-infused products.
“Bob Marley always liked to make people happy above all else, and the Marley+CBD line has the potential to really carry that vibe forward," reads a statement from Creative Artists Agency, on behalf of the Marley family. "We believe CBD and the Bob Marley platform are a match made in heaven.
With the combination and resources of our family, New Age, and Docklight Brands we bring together a team to make the Marley+CBD brand a true leader in this wide-open new category of CBD-infused beverages."
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