Medical marijuana company launching cannabis-infused beer

PanARMENIAN.Net - Philip Goldberg, CEO of Green Leaf Medical, wants consumers to drink in marijuana’s benefits through a new IPA collaboration with Flying Dog Brewery, Forbes says.

Green Leaf Medical has partnered with the popular brewery, its neighbor in Frederick, Maryland, to create a cannabis-infused beer called Hop Chronic IPA. The beer is non-alcoholic and provides a new way to consume marijuana without smoking or vaping, Goldberg said.

“We’re always trying to be ahead of the curve and think Flying Dog is the same way,” Goldberg said. “It’s really a perfect match.”

But the drink is not yet legal. The state of Maryland does not yet allow medical marijuana companies to sell marijuana edibles. If approved, the beer would only be available in Maryland until marijuana is legalized nationwide, with the “420” bill possibly passing in 2019.

There are cannabis-infused drinks on the Maryland market though, including iced tea, lemonade and powdered drink mixes, Goldberg said. So he expects Hop Chronic IPA to be approved.

“We’re positioning ourselves early, and everything will be done within the law in our state,” he said. “We’re looking forward to seeing progress at the federal level.”

Infusing the beer has to take place at Green Leaf’s lab, since Flying Dog cannot bottle and package a drink with THC, and equipment is still being set up for that, Goldberg said. The company will likely offer multiple versions with varying doses of THC, he said.