Canna-beer: All your favorite vices in one can As cannabis grows in popularity, alcohol companies are adapting to the changing tide. The cannabis plant is closely related genetically to hops, so infused beers are a natural entrance for alcohol companies into the cannabis market. Several larger brands are making their own formulation of cannabis beverages, while others are investing in existing cannabis companies to meet the demands of adults who prefer to consume cannabis over alcohol in a social setting. This is a wonderful development for public health and safety, as cannabis holds none of the potential significant health risks that alcohol does. The inventor of Blue Moon beer will be launching three cannabis infused “beers” this fall in Colorado at his newly formed company Ceria. Keith Villa, who developed their famous Belgian wheat, has partnered with extracts company Ebbu to create a line of THC-infused drinks that have all the flavor of a beer, but none of the alcohol. They plan to release a spectrum of beers: a lager (with the lowest amount of THC), an ale (5-10mg THC) and an IPA (10-15mg THC). The president of Ebbu claims that they have refined their extraction process to deliver precise sensations that mimic alcohol, and hit the user at the same rate that beer does. Most edibles take 30 minutes to an hour for users to feel the effects, which can often lead to overconsumption and an unpleasant experience. A fast-acting beverage would help users accurately identify their tolerances and have a safe and pleasurable experience. These drinks should be launching between Thanksgiving and Christmas, just in time for the holidays. Available in Colorado Long time advocates of cannabis use, the team over at Lagunitas has recently come out with two cannabis-infused drinks. Their history with cannabis began in 1999, when they started hosting weekly brewery parties at 4:20pm. Later in 2001, they attempted to label one of their ales “Kronik,” which was censored by the Alcohol Tax and Trade Bueau (TTB), and aptly renamed “Censored.” Fast forward to 2014, when they came out with a two-part line named Night-time and Day-time, modeled after Indica and Sativa strains. In 2017, Lagunitas partnered with extraction company Absolute Xtracts and made two different products in a project called Supercritical: a hoppy beer infused with cannabis terpenes (which contain no cannabinoids), and a vape cartridge that contains hop terpenes extracted from their beer. Their most recent collaboration is a hoppy sparkling water named HiFi Hops, their first product containing actual cannabinoids. They have created two different formulations, one with 10mg THC and the other with 5mg THC and 5mg CBD. A balanced THC/CBD option is great for patients who have a lower edibles tolerance, but still prefer the relaxing effects of cannabis over the intoxicating effects of alcohol. Available in Colorado Colorado based company New Belgium has recently come out with the Hemperor IPA, or as they have nicknamed it, the HPA. Brewed with hemp hearts and dry hops, the developers of this beer have recreated the flavor profile of hemp terpenes without the terpenes themselves. It also contains no cannabinoids, which means that this beer is available for sale everywhere in the US! New Belgium is a dedicated advocate for the fight for hemp legalization, and donates to the national hemp legalization effort with every barrel of Hemperor sold. Check out their efforts by visiting thehemperor.com! Available nationwide (except Kansas) Cannabis Lab Testing Massachusetts has finally moved another step closer to the recreational sales its residents have been waiting for. Originally planned to begin on July 1, the slow moving licensing process has so far prevented all recreational sales. The Cannabis Commission that governs the state’s marijuana program has released seven provisional recreational retail licenses so far; however, there are still a number of hurdles to clear. The state took a big step forward this week when it issued two independent lab testing licenses, awarded to MCR labs in Framingham and CDX Analytics in Salem. These two facilities already test medical marijuana for the state’s cultivation centers and dispensaries, and hope to soon be testing the recreational product. Adult use dispensaries need to test all of their products with recreationally licensed labs and complete final building inspections and employee background checks before recreational purchases can begin. While it is great progress that these two lab licenses have been released, an unexpected issue has come to light about the way that these labs test their product. They use different methods, with each claiming that the other’s is incorrect. The state requires testing not only for cannabinoid profiles, but also for mold and bacteria content. MCR Labs employs a technique called plating, which involves taking a small sample of product and placing it in a petri dish with a medium that encourages the growth of microbes. After a determined period of time, the lab counts the number of colonies that grew from the sample and determines whether it exceeds the maximum amount allowed by the state. Plating is a widely used process generally recognized as the standard way to test for microbial content. CDX Analytics uses a process known as qPCR, which uses mass spectrometers and chromatograph machinery to determine the number of microbes by analyzing the DNA and measuring how many times the genetic codes of the microbes divide. This technology is newer and has been banned in Nevada for failing to identify known contaminants. Both CEOs from the two labs claim that the other is providing false results. CDX asserts that their test measures what is present in the sample in real time and gives a more accurate result for what the consumer will find on the shelf. They also declare that the plating method stifles the growth of some contaminants and encourages the growth of others, creating false positive results. This could lead to the increased use of pesticides and fungicides in the cultivation centers, which can be harmful to the consumer. MCR Labs, on the other hand, claims that the qPCR method is flawed in the way that it extrapolates the final number of microbes, therefore allowing products to go to market with contaminant levels that exceed the guidelines by the state. MCR Labs claims to fail approximately 30% of the samples they receive; CDX alleges they fail around 15%. This could become very risky because cultivators are more likely to send their samples to the lab that they think will give them passing marks. If either of these methods truly does provide incorrect results, consumers are at risk. So far, the Department of Health and Cannabis Commission have refused to take a position on either side of the argument. Reciprocity in RI On July 16, Rhode Island became one of the few progressive US states that allows full reciprocity with medical marijuana patients from other states. Several other states have existing reciprocity laws, but few of them are as allowing as little Rhody’s. Reciprocity is important for a number of reasons, the first of which for Rhode Islanders is tourism. With a large part of the economy in the Ocean State reliant on tourism, this added draw will only boost seasonal work and the sales tax collected on medical marijuana purchases. Another major reason to allow reciprocity is to allow full access to all kinds of cannabis formulations for patients whose home state may be more restrictive. Many patients in states like New York and New Jersey are in search of things like edibles and concentrates that some local governments don’t allow due to fears of overconsumption or appealing to children. States with Medical Reciprocity: Rhode Island — Patients must bring a physical card (not a paper certificate or online recommendation) as well as a driver’s license from the same state as their medical license. All states in the US are allowed. Patients may possess up to 2.5 ounces. Washington DC — Allows for patients from 16 different states to shop in their dispensaries with paper or physical card and a driver’s license. California is not on the approved list, greatly reducing the number of out-of-state patients who could be serviced in the nation’s capital. New Hampshire — Out-of-state patients can possess legally in the state, however they may not purchase from the state’s dispensaries. Patient’s can possess up to 2 ounces, and they must have a qualifying condition listed under New Hampshire’s medical marijuana legislation. Arizona — Like New Hampshire, patients may possess, but can’t visit any local dispensaries. Patients may possess up to 2.5 ounces. State’s with adult use legalization: California — Now allowing retail sales to adults 21 years and older, you can possess up to 28.5g (about one ounce) or 5g of concentrate. Colorado — The first state in the country to allow adult use sales, Colorado allows out-of-staters to possess up to an ounce, and you can only purchase a quarter ounce at a time. Washington — Closely following Colorado with full legalization, Washington has very thorough guidelines for its possession limits. One may have up to an ounce of flower, 16 ounces of solid infused edibles, 72 ounces of infused drinks and 7 ounces of concentrates. Maine — After legalizing cannabis in 2016, Maine has been slow to roll out its adult-use program. It is legal to possess and use cannabis in the state, but retail sales have been slower to implement due to local government pushback. You can possess up to 2.5 ounces in the state either as a medical card or adult user.