Cannabis Weekly Round-Up: Beverage Market Gets Boost


In the marijuana space this week, two of Canada’s big-name cannabis producers provided updates on their respective beverage businesses.

The opportunity attached to cannabis drinks has fluctuated from mere fad to potentially key for the industry, and now Aphria (NASDAQ:

APHA

,TSX:APHA) and Canopy Growth (NYSE:

CGC

,TSX:WEED) are ready to share their plans.

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Aphria and Canopy make beverage moves

In an unexpected move, Aphria has

elected to acquire

SweetWater Brewing Company in a deal that according to the producer is worth US$300 million. The Aphria management team wasn’t shy in confirming this acquisition was done in anticipation of an entry into the US market.

“We will establish and grow our US presence through SweetWater’s robust, profitable platform of craft brewing innovation, manufacturing, marketing and distribution expertise,” Irwin Simon, Aphria’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement.

The executive explained that Aphria plans to leverage its existing brand portfolio with the sole intention of building awareness ahead of potential legalization in the country, which would allow it to enter the market.

Freddy Bensch, SweetWater’s founder and CEO, said his firm has brands that complement Aphria’s cannabis business. The brewing company has moved ahead in experimenting with craft brews using terpenes and hemp flavors to recreate “flavors and aromas of popular cannabis strains.”

Meanwhile, fellow Canadian producer Canopy Growth

indicated this week

that it plans to upsize its offerings with a new lineup of CBD drinks called Quatreau. The lineup will include four different flavors, and the will be the first primary CBD drink collection from Canopy Growth.

“We created Quatreau as an alternative to sugary, caffeinated beverages or even alcohol,” David Klein, CEO of Canopy Growth, said in a statement.

Earlier this year, analysts at CIBC Capital Markets issued a

note to the market

saying they don’t expect to see cannabis drinks evolve into a leading marketplace item for consumers until regulation changes around their availability. Until then, they believe these beverage offerings will remain a niche product.

Cannabis company news


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Securities Disclosure: I, Bryan Mc Govern, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.