What makes a successful cannabis drink?

Added on 01 December 2023

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Cannabis beverages are one of the fastest-growing segments of the cannabis market. According to Headset Data, from 2021 to 2022 sales of cannabis beverages jumped 40% in the United States and Canada. Despite rapid growth, these beverages still represent only about 1% to 3% of the U.S. cannabis market, so there’s plenty of room for further growth of cannabis drink sales – and for this segment to be a major catalyst of growth for the entire industry.

Cannabis drinks have certain advantages over other forms of cannabis consumption. While smoking and vaping can have negative health effects and edibles are slower-acting, drinks are a safe option with a quicker onset time.

Cannabis beverages also benefit from the fact that younger people have been seeking an alternative to alcohol. According to a 2023 Gallup poll, the number of adults under 35 who drink is now only 62%, down from 72% a couple of decades ago. And a 2020 Harris poll suggests that close to half of cannabis consumers are using cannabis to reduce their consumption of alcohol.

Now is the time to capitalize on the burgeoning market for cannabis beverages. But the competition is fierce, and most cannabis beverages that come to market will fail. What does it take to succeed?

Crescent Canna’s first beverage, Crescent 9 THC Seltzer, was released in February, so we certainly don’t have all the answers. But here are a few things we learned from selling nearly a million cans of Crescent 9 over the past 8 months.

A cannabis drink must taste great and feel great, no matter your THC tolerance

To succeed, a cannabis drink needs to taste great. This may seem obvious, but the offerings of many brands just don’t taste that good. A big part of the challenge is that cannabis extracts are naturally bitter.

Image by jcomp on Freepik

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