Multi-state cannabis company Verano Holdings Corp. just announced the Grand Opening of Zen Leaf Antwerp, located at 503 W. River Street, on October 17. This raises the company’s Ohio dispensary footprint to six statewide locations.
Zen Leaf Antwerp is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time.
The new dispensary is situated in the Norfolk and Western Train Depot built in 1880 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After opening for curbside pickup earlier this year, Zen Leaf Antwerp’s Grand Opening follows the completion of interior and exterior restoration efforts focused on preserving and honoring the building’s historic character and legacy, according to the company.
“We’re excited to celebrate the Grand Opening of Zen Leaf Antwerp, where we’ll offer cannabis shoppers a one-of-a-kind experience in one of the most unique and historic cannabis dispensaries in the nation,” said George Archos, Verano founder and CEO, in a news release. “As a landmark on the National Register of Historic Places, we’re honored to preserve the historic character of this unique building, and we look forward to igniting an exciting new chapter for the Antwerp train depot as Ohio’s newest Zen Leaf dispensary with the goal of creating jobs, revenue and economic growth opportunities in the community.”
Along with its six statewide dispensaries, Verano’s Ohio footprint includes 22,000 square feet of cultivation and processing operations in Canton, where the company produces its portfolio of products including Verano™ Reserve flower; (the) Essence™ pre-rolled joints, flower and extracts; Savvy™ and Nectar flower, vaporizers, and cured resin edibles and extracts; BITS™ low-dose, high-function edibles; Encore™ Edibles hand-crafted cannabis gummies, hard candies, mints, caramels and chocolates; and Avexia™ topical lotion, balm, bath soaks, tinctures, and RSO products.
For additional convenience and accessibility, patients can choose to order ahead at ZenLeafDispensaries.com.
Multi-state cannabis company Verano Holdings Corp. just opened MÜV Crystal River on September 19, elevating the company’s Florida retail footprint to 82 MÜV locations and 158 dispensaries nationwide.
Located at 941 NE US Hwy 19, MÜV Crystal River is now open from Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
“We are excited to welcome patients at MÜV Crystal River, our first dispensary in Citrus County, and offering our expansive suite of award-winning products in a friendly, hospitality-driven dispensary environment,” said John Tipton, president of the Southern Region, in a news release. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to serve the medical cannabis community in western Florida as we expand our footprint in the region, and we look forward to welcoming patients at MÜV Crystal River for years to come.”
Situated in Florida’s Citrus County, MÜV Crystal River is the first MÜV dispensary in the county, according to the company. Most recently, Verano introduced a series of new products in Florida in popular categories, including Savvy 10-pack barrel-style pre-rolls and Avexia’s topicals, including pain relief balm, lotion and bath soak.
MÜV dispensaries feature online menus which include Verano’s signature Verano Reserve, MÜV and Sweet Supply flower, Encore edibles, On the Rocks concentrates and extracts, (the) Essence and Savvy flower, pre-rolls and extracts. The company also offers one-on-one virtual and in-store consultations.
In September, a coalition of Democratic senators asked colleagues to derail any attempt to ban all hemp products containing THC, asserting that it would deal a “fatal blow” to the industry that emerged during President Donald Trump’s first term.
While agriculture spending legislation that advanced in the Senate was stripped of provisions championed by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) that would’ve recriminalized marketing of hemp with any quantifiable amounts of THC, Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) led a letter urging leadership to resist any effort to revive the proposal, according to Marijuana Moment.
Specifically, they said the ban proposal would “decimate the American agricultural hemp industry and imperil states’ ability to prevent unsafe hemp-derived cannabinoid products from getting into the hands of children.”
“We ask to work with you and interested members to protect consumers by effectively regulating hemp-derived cannabinoid products instead of passing language that will instantly drive thousands of acres of crop value across America, including 3,900 acres in South Dakota, to zero,” the letter said, referring to the home state of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).
Acknowledging that the unregulated hemp cannabinoid market presents “safety concerns,” the senators said the language included in the original Senate bill would recriminalize “products currently prolific across the United States without any method to remove them from the stream of commerce.”
Addressing the Main Issue with Hemp
Instead of banning all hemp products that contain trace amounts of THC, the letter suggested alternative options to address this concern. Specifically, the senators said there should be a regulatory framework that prevents the sale of hemp products to anyone under 21, codifies packaging and labeling requirements that prohibit marketing in a way that appeals to youth, bars “synthetic or artificially derived products” and mandates laboratory testing for consumable products.
“Despite regulatory inaction by the Food and Drug Administration in the years since, under the 2018 Farm Bill language, the hemp industry flourished and now supports 320,000 American jobs, generates $28.4 billion in regulated market activity, and produces some $1.5 billion in state tax revenue,” the letter said.
The letter also mentioned the significance of hemp products among consumers, stating that, “These products have significant demand from consumers across the country. Some veterans suggest these products have helped them reduce use of opioids.”
Other companies and organizations have also been coming together to voice their concerns over the potential ban on hemp products, including Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America.
The global beverage alcohol industry is currently undergoing a significant transformation, driven by an expanding consumer demand for alternatives to traditional alcohol. At the forefront of this shift is the explosive rise of cannabis-infused beverages.
Once a niche novelty limited to state-regulated cannabis dispensaries, these drinks—ranging from sparkling seltzers and non-alcoholic beers to craft tonics infused with CBD and THC—are rapidly becoming a mainstream category. And beverage alcohol innovators are taking note.
Conversations of the infused beverage market have been filtering through conferences such as the National Beer Wholesalers Association’s 88th Annual Convention and the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association’s Administrator’s Conference, among others. Cannabis beverages aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, and beverage alcohol companies and organizations are working hard to make sure both industries can work together seamlessly.
Rebecca Maisel, outgoing chairwoman for NBWA, shared during a General Session just how hard wholesalers are working to adapt to this new market during the organization’s 88th Annual Convention.
“We’ve seen growth in RTDs, non alc’s and hemp-based THC beverages,” she said. “We’ve also seen newer entrants to the beverage arena, like wellness-focused functional beverages containing nootropics and adaptogens. The good news is that wholesalers are adapting, diversifying and expanding our capabilities to offer retailers the best and safest products.”
Cannabis Beverages Bringing Consumers In-Store
While many beverage alcohol companies were uneasy about cannabis drinks when they first started becoming mainstream, they now see the advantages that these products can offer the industry.
Consumers want cannabis beverages, and they’re going to liquor stores in legal states to buy them.
Minnesota has become a hotbed for THC innovation in beverage alcohol retail stores, led by the Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association. Executive Director Paul Kaspszak said during a panel at the NABCA Administrator’s Conference in October that some liquor stores have begun selling edibles as well, everything from gummies to cookies. Edibles now represent about 27% of THC sales for Minnesota beverage alcohol stores that carry them. But the big draw remains drinks.
“Liquor stores have become the largest seller of THC drinks,” Kaspszak said. “You can still buy them at dispensaries, but people gravitate towards the liquor stores because you have the larger selection there.”
The category has proven so successful that the Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association has even canned their own house brand, Muni Sota. Additionally, consumers can now buy THC beverages at certain on-premise businesses.
“It’s not widespread yet, but it has saved numerous craft breweries,” Kaspszak said. “A lot of them have started to produce THC drinks. It’s keeping them afloat.”
Target stores in Minnesota have even begun testing sales of hemp-derived THC drinks. Sales began in early October, with brands such as Cann, Wynk, Señorita and Wyld, among others, available in select Target locations in the state. The beverages are capped at 5mg per serving.
“There are some studies out there that suggest that THC is not necessarily a replacement for alcohol. It can be a supplement and a compliment to consumers’ alcohol choices,” says Jim Higdon, CCO and co-founder at Cornbread Hemp. “Consumers are just adding THC beverages to their menu of options.”
The reality is that consumers are purchasing these infused beverages, and by selling them at on- or off-premise beverage alcohol locations, it can greatly enhance your bottom line.
Skyrocketing in Popularity
The rising popularity of cannabis-infused beverages can be largely attributed to the “sober curious” movement among younger consumers (Millennials and Gen Z), a growing preference for wellness and low-calorie options and game-changing advancements in nanoemulsion technology that deliver a fast, predictable onset time.
The Cannabis Policy Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas released a report looking into the popularity of cannabis-infused beverages, titled, A Review of the Present THC Beverage Market. Report author Tyler Klimas says the most surprising aspect of the report is just how much these beverages continue to grow in popularity.
“From the very beginning, my question was always ‘After consumers initially flock to stores to purchase these beverages, will they keep coming back?’ And the answer is they do,” he says. “Shoppers are now seeing cannabis beverages in a familiar spot next to the traditional adult beverages they buy, so they can easily pick up a 4-pack or 6-pack.”
According to the report, a major driver of the hemp-derived THC beverage market growth is the broad consumer base that it attracts. These ingestible products appeal to cannabis users looking for more options, but more importantly, they have demonstrated an extensive reach outside of the narrow demographic typically observed in traditional marijuana markets.
“Nineteen percent of cannabis consumers ages 18-34 report cannabis beverages as their preferred product type. This is the largest share among all age groups. Overall, younger users tend to be naive in consumption and are receptive to novelty. This is particularly true if that novelty is conducive to social norms,” the report states.
Who’s Drinking These Beverages?
Aside from The Cannabis Policy Institute’s report, other studies also show a growing interest in cannabis beverages among younger consumers, especially women.
For example, Tilray recently shared their increased investment into their brands favored by their female consumer base, such as Solei Cannabis. One of the reasons why women may be more amenable to the hemp-derived THC beverage markets could be the concept of wellness, especially when compared to traditional consumption methods which require inhalation.
Similarly, Headset data suggests that male consumers make up around 60-66% of total cannabis sales in the U.S and Canada. Women, however, make up 80% of the purchasing decisions in the U.S.
And those who are drinking cannabis beverages are choosing lower doses.
Ben Larson, CEO of infused ingredients provider Vertosa, has taken notice of this trend. “People are still learning their preferred dosage, and the fact is that we need to give consumers the building blocks to find that right dosage. People’s tolerances can vary greatly with THC, and those trying a cannabis beverage for the first time want to take it slow to see how it impacts them,” he says.
Mike Hennesy, VP of innovation at cannabis beverage brand Wana, suggests the reason that lower-dosed beverages may be more popular is because of heavily shaped state-by-state regulations, which often cap THC per serving or per container.
“That regulatory framework has created a strong presence for lower-dose formats in many markets,” he says. “But it’s important to note that high-potency products remain very popular, especially in markets with high potency per serving limits where experienced consumers drive strong demand for higher-dose options.”
Regulatory Challenges
Since cannabis is not federally legal, these infused beverages bring forward a myriad of regulatory challenges as they continue to grow in popularity.
Among the challenges is the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp and its derivatives, provided they contain no more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC by dry weight. However, this has created a legal "gray area" where psychoactive beverages made from hemp, often with low THC content per serving, are being sold across state lines.
“I think it’s good for the hemp beverage industry to look at beverage alcohol as a framework model,” says Cannabis Policy Institute director Riana Durrett. “Of course, there will be some difficulties with the patchwork among the states, but more uniformity will benefit the industry.”
Wana’s Hennesy notes that while the regulatory landscape remains fragmented, the direction is clearly toward greater alignment and normalization. “Federal rescheduling or reform could bring long-awaited clarity around interstate commerce, testing and labeling standards,” he says.
“The biggest risk remains regulatory inconsistency between states and between hemp and marijuana classifications,” Hennesy continues. “However, there’s also a powerful opportunity in this moment: to come together as an industry around a ‘one plant’ framework that recognizes cannabis as a single species and establishes consistent consumer protection and safety standards.”
Achieving that kind of unified understanding would simplify compliance as well as unlock innovation and research. •