Los Angeles-based Amass Botanics has introduced a cannabis-infused tonic that marks its entry in the rapidly-growing market for food and beverages made with marijuana, and specifically its THC compound.
Afterdream, the company’s non-alcoholic beverage with tropical notes, offers two microdosed levels of THC, the marijuana element that produces a high.
Microdoses provide really small amounts of a drug to offer more of its benefits and less of unwanted side effects.
The Afterdream choices include 2mg of THC/ 4mg of CBD – cannabis’ calming compound – or a 5mg THC/ 10mg CBD version.
Amass, which also manufactures plant-based alcohol, asserts that Afterdream elevates mood and helps consumers stay energized and creative without dulling their senses, according to its press statement.
Demand is increasing for cannabis-infused food and drinks, report business industry experts, who predict those products will experience a 20% growth rate within the next five years, according to Grandview Research.
And it’s THC products that drive the demand and growth. In 2023, THC products accounted for 65% of the markets revenue. Cannabis beverages are particularly popular as more people are turning away from traditional alcohol-based drinks to recreational ones.
“While many traditional social beverages can have dissociative effects, Afterdream is about clarity, connection, and creativity,” Morgan McLachlan, award-winning Master Distiller and Afterdream’s co-founder, said in the product release statement. “Our goal was to create a beverage that brings plant wisdom into everyday life to deliver a mindful, modern drinking experience.”
McLachlan, whose interest in plants started as a child when she lived near forests, has said she wants to “destigimatize cannabis and reimagine the new-age happy hour.”
Afterdream sells 8-ounce and 12-ounce cans, with the bigger size offering the most THC. Amass Botanics says the drink is gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan and free from artificial flavors and sweeteners.
