VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 21, 2019 (GLOBE
NEWSWIRE) -- With the global CBD movement
supercharged by the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill, cannabis and beverage
companies alike are officially beginning to launch CBD-infused
beverage products in the U.S. market.
The rollout of various CBD-infused beverages throughout Q1 and Q2
2019 in the United States will likely set the foundation for hemp
infused markets across the world, as these brands will gain a
first-mover advantage in the emerging subsegment of what could
become the world’s largest functional drinks market.
In the order of being first-to-market based on what we know, here
are four companies looking to shape the CBD-infused beverage
industry.
The Alkaline Water Company Prepares For U.S. Hemp Infused Alkaline Beverage: Launch Imminent
Recently, the Alkaline Water
Company (WTER) (WTER.V), one of the fastest growing alkaline
water companies in the U.S., announced that it had launched the
first phase of its “A88 Infused Beverage Division†product
line—with hemp infused alkaline water products to follow
shortly.
Alkaline88® is already sold in over 47,500 retail locations
nationwide in all 50 states, including 9 of the top 10 largest
retailers in the United States and 2 of the largest retailers in
the entire world.
Upcoming A88 Infused Beverage products—which include “sparkling
flavored hemp infused alkaline water, hemp infused flavored
Alkaline88® original, and vitamin infused Alkaline88® originalâ€â€”
are expected to become available for commercial sale in the
following weeks.
In order to meet growing customer demand for Alkaline88® products
and prepare for the expansion of the company’s A88 Infused Beverage
Division, the Alkaline Water Company has expanded their existing
relationship with Western Group Packaging (WGP), a key co-packing
partner who operates a 150,000 square feet state-of-the-art
packaging and manufacturing facility.
The launch of Alkaline88® hemp infused drinks will make the
Alkaline Water Company one of the first companies in the United
States to bring the benefits of true water-soluble, bioactive
natural hemp extract in premium alkaline water form to U.S.
consumers. And with a footprint through their core brand that
already spans across the country, the Alkaline Water Company could
surely be a first-mover in the hemp infused beverage race.
New Age Beverages Goes CBD: In Development
New Age Beverages (NBEV), a U.S. based organic and natural beverage
company aiming to become the world’s leading healthy beverage
company, recently
announced a signed agreement to “develop and distribute Marley
branded cannabis-infused beverages.â€
New Age Beverages plans to design its Marley+CBD product line
with Docklight Brands, a cannabis brand
holding company that in addition to Marley Natural, owns brands
such as The Goodship, Irisa, Dutchy and Headlight. Docklight Brands
is backed by Privateer Holdings—the
powerhouse private U.S. equity firm behind household names such
as Tilray, High Park, and Leafly.
The first product to come out of the Marley+CBD portfolio will be
“Marley+CBD Mellow Moodâ€, a relaxation drink that contains 25mg of
pharmaceutical grade CBD per serving.
Marley+CBD Mellow Mood, which will be sold first in Colorado,
Oregon, Washington, and Michigan, holds the potential to be one of
the first globally-recognized CBD-infused relaxation drinks in the
U.S. market.
Phivida Holdings Inc.: Starting Small in Q2
Phivida Holdings Inc. (CSE: VIDA and OTCQX:
PHVAF), a premium functional food and beverage company, is
developing a line of functional beverages and supplements infused
with active hemp extract under the brand name “Okiâ€.
Oki beverages, which include iced teas and flavor-infused waters,
contain 10mg of active hemp extract (a term
often used interchangeably with CBD) per serving. Management
expects the Oki product line to officially launch in over 1,000
outlets by early Q2 2019.
Phivida Holding’s Oki branded iced tea products will likely benefit
from the mainstream awareness generated by New Age Beverage’s
Marley+CBD product line. Oki’s focus on offering a more restorative
benefit for the active consumer—as opposed to relaxation—will be
key, as this may allow Phivida to avoid initial competition with
the heavyweight Marley brand name and thus build a foothold in the
CBD functional consumer segment.
Cannara Biotech Inc. – Planning a Strategy
Cannara Biotech Inc. (CSE:LOVE),
a vertically integrated cannabis company focused on cultivation and
cannabis-infused products, announced
last week that it had entered into a letter of intent with an
unnamed Quebec microbrewery to develop cannabinoid-infused
beverages.
Cannara claims to be building the largest cannabis cultivation
facility in Quebec, with the ability to
produce >100,000kg of cannabis at full capacity.
However, whether or not they reach full capacity remains to be
seen.
As it currently stands, Cannara’s planned brand portfolio includes
a flavored CBD-infused beverage product line called “Liquid CBDâ€.
Although Cannara has not announced any specific details regarding
Liquid CBD’s launch strategy, Liquid CBD will come in 4 different
flavors, with each containing 10mg of “full spectrum CBD†per
serving.
CBD-Infused Beverage Trends Begin To Emerge
The fragmented nature of the beverage industry, a
growing consumer trend towards more health-conscious products, and
an increased demand for cannabis-infused beverages is providing
new market entrants with a rare opportunity to seize market
share.
This opportunity becomes especially pronounced when firms are
capable of tapping into multiple consumer health trends at once,
such is the case with the Alkaline Water Company and its
forthcoming hemp-infused alkaline water product line.
Moreover, some of the world’s biggest drink brands are beginning to
move into motion—New Age Beverage’s Marley Mellow Mood, already the
world’s leading relaxation drink in the Global Ready to Drink (RTD)
tea market, is expanding into the CBD-infused space. We believe
that the Marley+CBD portfolio will likely serve as both a market
and cultural catalyst for the legitimization of CBD-infused
beverages, paving the way for future competitors to enter the
high-growth CBD-infused beverage segment.
The top two players in the current space is likely the Alkaline
Water Company and New Age Beverages. Both already have giant
footprints in the beverage space and both are close to launching
commercial cbd/hemp beverages. It will be interesting to see if,
and how, their competitors catch up.
The original post can be found here: https://mugglehead.com/4-companies-that-are-shaping-the-cbd-infused-beverage-industry/
Directors of Mugglehead own shares of Alkaline Water (WTER) at the time of this writing.
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