You only have to read the news to imagine a future where major breweries are putting marijuana in their demented malt beverages or whatever they call the concoction.
Earlier this month, we learned that Molson Coors, parent company of MillerCoors, is getting together with a cannabis producer in Canada to make drinks that get their kick from pot.
And the brewer that makes Corona, Constellation Brands, has invested $4.2 billion in Canopy Growth, the leading cannabis producer in Canada. They're also betting that consumers want to get high from a bottle.
Before you assume this bud's for you, here's a reminder that Wisconsin has shown no movement to join the nine states and District of Columbia that have legalized marijuana for recreational use by adults and 30 states that approved medical use of the drug.
So it may be a while, if ever, that you can get a contact high by driving through the Miller Valley.
In June, Canada became the second nation to legalize marijuana for fun or medicine. It didn't take long for Molson Coors to sniff around and team up with The Hydropothecary Corp. to develop a nonalcoholic beverage infused with weed.
The CEO of Hydropothecary, one Sebastian St. Louis, told Bloomberg the market for cannabis drinks is staggering and that the deal with Molson Coors might make them the first out of the gate in Canada.
"They're bringing capability as a Fortune 300 company that quite frankly no cannabis company even comes close to replicating," he said.
He understands that marijuana fans increasingly want to consume the drug with edibles and drinks, rather than by smoking it. The numbers in weed-legal places like Colorado bear that out. USA Today reported that smokable pot accounts for 44% of sales in Colorado, down from 67% when legal sales began in 2014.
It's a shame that Milwaukee, once known as the city made famous by beer, won't be part of this emerging billion dollar market. Wisconsin's Republican-controlled Legislature and governor have no interest in the tax revenue and law enforcement savings that legal marijuana would generate.
Some of us have a chance to nudge our lawmakers in the right direction in the November election.
Several counties, including Milwaukee, Dane, La Crosse and Rock, will ask voters if they favor legalizing marijuana for recreational use, and Sauk, Brown and Marathon will ask about allowing medical use. Other counties still considering the move include Eau Claire, Racine and Langlade.
These referendums are only advisory, but they add to the steady drip of washing away the war on drugs, especially this particular drug with no known lethal level, as opposed to legal alcohol.
Enforcement of marijuana laws has caused more damage than the drug itself, especially in minority communities.
I think we know how these referendums will turn out, besides having the effect of flooding the polls with more progressive voters. A Marquette University Law School poll from 2016 found that 59% of registered Wisconsin voters favor legalizing marijuana and regulating it like alcohol.
Someday when former Gov. Scott Walker and legislative leaders are kicking back with a refreshing bottle of legal Miller weed beer, they'll laugh and ask why they took so long to make it happen.
Then they'll wonder if there's any Doritos handy and why they can't feel their face.
Contact Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or jstingl@jrn.com. Connect with my public page at Facebook.com/Journalist.Jim.Stingl
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1 comment:
Coors is investing $4.2 billion in Canadian cannabis. C'mon, Wisconsin, open up this market and make millions in taxes. Dope fiends could pay to fix our roads.
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