Cannabis the new craft drink to threaten wine

A relaxing, intoxicating drink, with a huge range of different flavours and cultivars - sounds similar to wine. But the next big drink could contain cannabis, if the investment flowing into US and Canadian based businesses is anything to go by.

With Canada, nine US states and now South Africa all legalising cannabis, drinks companies are looking to it as a key ingredient in new drinks and this week Coca Cola announced they are developing cannabis infused drinks.

Diageo, the huge global drinks company and owner of Gordon's gin and Guinness has apparently held 'serious discussions' with at least three major cannabis producers.

Meanwhile, wine company Constellation Brands, which bought a stake in Canadian company Canopy Growth in October 2017, has increased its stake in the business, investing US$4 billion to acquire a 38% share.

Finally last month, a team of Canadian scientists announced that they were attempting to make a beer brewed with the “stalks, stem and roots of the cannabis plant”.

Threat or opportunity, the drinks companies seem to see it as a opportunity worth pursuing.