It’s pretty likely that you’ve probably heard the term CBD being thrown around recently. CBD, or Cannabidiol, is a naturally occurring cannabinoid constituent of the cannabis plant, though it doesn’t get you high though—that’s THC, another cannabinoid in cannabis.
CBD has become increasingly popular. While it’s mostly used for medical purposes—things like helping with inflammation, pain, and nausea—CBD products have recently been becoming more and more widely available and easy to find—from chocolate bars to bubble baths, and now? Potentially Coca-Cola, one of the most widely known beverages everywhere.
While they haven’t formally made any decisions, the brand says they’ve been keeping an eye on CBD and we could possibly be seeing some new products of theirs made with it in the future. “We are closely watching the growth of non-psychoactive CBD as an ingredient in functional wellness beverages around the world,” Coca-Cola spokesman Kent Landers said. “The space is evolving quickly. No decisions have been made at this time.”
Coca-Cola isn’t the only brand trying to make their way into the cannabis drink market; Corona beer, Svedka vodka, and Casa Noble tequila have together invested billions into the Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth, plus Lagunitas, a craft beer label of Heineken, already sells a THC-infused drink (so yes, that one actually does give you a high). Those are only sold at certain marijuana dispensaries in California.
In terms of Coke, the brand says they’ve been in contact with Aurora Cannabis, a Canadian cannabis company, which also has an interest in producing cannabis drinks, to maybe produce a collaboration one day. “There is so much happening in this area right now and we think it has incredible potential,” said Heather MacGregor, a spokesperson for Aurora. “Stories like this are further validation of the massive global potential of the cannabis industry.”
Caveat: We can’t get our hopes too much up about Coca-Cola joining the ranks of creating a CBD-infused beverage—though marijuana has become legalized in many tastes, cannabis and CBD are both technically still illegal, it’s just that prohibition isn’t strictly enforced. That said, it’s still a bit unlikely Coke would offer a product until that law changes.
For more on Coke and their CBD consideration, check out the video below.