When is a beer more than "just" a beer? When it becomes a medical delivery system.
While some would consider an alcohol-free beer less than, Flying Dog Brewery and Green Leaf Medical Cannabis see it as therapeutic. The brewery and medical cannabis provider have partnered to create Hop Chronic, a non-alcohol IPA infused with THC.
Should Hop Chronic receive legal and regulatory thumbs up, medical cannabis patients who would rather not—or are simply unable—to smoke or vape cannabis will be able to receive the therapeutic CBD, CBG, THC and other cannabinoids they need.
Hop Chronic, once approved, will be the first THC-infused beer released in Maryland. The alcohol-free IPA, which will be brewed in an array of CBD and THC potencies, will be available only at licensed dispensaries and only to people legally permitted to purchase medical cannabis products.
This partnership between Flying Dog and Green Leaf illustrates the interest in cannabis by the craft beer community. As Flying Dog CMO Ben Savage has pointed out, this is partially due to the similarities in taste and aroma between hops, terpenes and cannabinoids. The cannabis and craft beer businesses themselves share similarities, not the last of which are the interest from the public, development by entrepreneurs, and the education of the public required for the industries to thrive.
Attendees of the 2019 Nightclub & Bar Show have the opportunity to learn about cannabis-infused cocktails, edibles, and creating ancillary revenue through cannabis. Cannabis brands such as Cannabinoid Creations will be exhibiting on the Expo Floor.