The last year has brought some exciting cannabis products to consumers, and gaining in popularity are THC-infused cannabis drinks and cannabis drink enhancers.

This liquid consumption option provides easy dosing and a convenient way to enjoy without smoking, vaping, or eating sweets. Cannabis-infused drinks offer a healthier alternative to alcohol and allow people to enjoy a festive and fun drink for social events.

What to Expect

The onset of the high is faster than with an edible but not as quick as smoking flower or vaping a cart. Everyone has a varied reaction time though—anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes and, of course, the reaction to the THC in the product depends on your tolerance to cannabis. Cannabis beverages are dosed differently, but most are micro-dosed at 2.5-5mg of THC each, so you might take a four-pack to a party and drink them over an evening as you would beer or a glass of wine.

Drink Drops

Ryan Lafferty of Grand Remedy, a CBD company in Grand Rapids, helped create the company’s line of drink enhancers—which includes with contains 200 mg of straight THC or Xtra with THC and CBD. These drops are meant for DIY drink-making. It’s made from cannabis distillate, so there’s no overwhelming “weedy” flavor, and it can be dropper-dosed to suit the consumer’s needs. A bottle can be used to make about thirty 6 mg drinks.

“People are trying to find new ways to consume cannabis, and while flower and pre-rolls will always be on the top of the list, there are a lot of people who don’t like to smoke or be seen smoking,” he said. “People want to be able to control the dosage, too. With our products, it’s easy for people to know how much they’re getting,” Lafferty said.

The drink enhancers work well with coffee, tea, juice, and carbonated drinks like colas and pop. Lafferty recommends using it in a mocktail—making your drink and using the Xtra where you’d use alcohol. Think of a Seabreeze—cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, and vodka—skip the vodka and add in the Xtra. Sip and enjoy!

Cannabis Consumers and Drinkers Meet in the Middle

Cannabis drinks are new to Michigan and generally, the THC dosages in pre-packaged cans, are much lower than they would be in edibles or even smoking or vaping. If you’re a long-time cannabis consumer, you might find this off-putting and expensive, but if you’re in a social setting where not everyone is consuming, going lighter with a drink infused with cannabis might be a great option, especially if you’re normally relegated to the backyard or garage to smoke. With the faster absorption of cannabis-infused drinks, you can relax and be part of the party atmosphere without chomping on gummies and waiting for them to perform. For people who don’t drink at all, or are recovering alcoholics, or someone who tends to occasionally over-indulge on booze, a cannabis drink provides you with an option where you can feel part of the festivities without the risk of overdrinking and a hangover.

Michigan Rules

As you know, Michigan has a lot of rules around cannabis, and infused drinks are the same. Cannabis and alcohol in a single product can’t be mixed here—so weed-near beers and CBD or THC drinks can’t be served in a public establishment, just purchased at a provisioning center like New Standard. Remember, that just like alcohol, driving and cannabis don’t mix—so make sure to have a designated driver or a comfy couch for crashing.