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Ever since marijuana began down its path to mainstream commence six years ago, there has been some discussion about whether the THC buzz is on a seek and destroy mission to take down the brewing industry. Some projected early on that the average consumer would eventually smarten up, realize that marijuana was safer than beer and make the transition from booze to bud in the interest of personal health.
Even the brewing industry seemed convinced at first that this scenario was something to fear. Perhaps not to the point of full-blown extinction – because that’s just ridiculous -- but there were some concerns that the big dogs of the beer world were at risk of losing profits to pot... and that just couldn’t happen.
Fast forward a few years, however, and some of the larger brewing companies have figured out just how to combat the possibility of destruction at the hands of legal marijuana. Companies like Constellation Brands and Molson Coors have dived head first into the cannabis sector, throwing billions of dollars at its potential, and now they’re just waiting to take it over without much of a struggle.
Insert evil laugh here.
Yet, some brewers are still scared that they could be crippled by the growth of the cannabis trade. Reports suggesting that binge drinking is down in legal marijuana states, as well as data showing that younger generations are less interested in alcohol than they have been in the past, have forced beer makers to take a step back and reassess the situation. Although it seems unlikely that Americans could ever exist in a time when beer is not a staple in our culture, there is undoubtedly some evidence alluding to shifting tides. Weed is not even legal at the federal level, and already it is a multi-billion dollar business sector. So maybe there is a reason to be afraid of those meddling stoners after all.
But, according to a recent article from Beverage Daily, the brewing sector actually has less to fear from the coming of legal marijuana than it does other developments. There are just bigger beasts to contend with, says Bob Pease, president and CEO of the Brewers Association. While it is a bit concerning that legal marijuana could cut into craft beer sales, Pease is not seeing anything like that happen at this time.
“We look at that very closely – we look at Colorado, California, Washington state in particular – and in those three states there’s no data to support the supposition that cannabis will become a substitute for craft beer," he said. In fact, “craft beer’s share of market in all three of those states continues to grow,” he added.
Pease assimilates the marijuana consumer with those who enjoy hard liquor and wine. He believes craft beer will remain in solid standings over all the competitive inebriants, no matter how mainstream marijuana becomes. But he says smartphone technology and dating apps are the real threat.
"We look at cannabis as another product beer consumers can choose to enjoy with their disposable incomes—just like wine, spirits—just like the iPhone," he said. "We think the iPhone is a bigger threat right now, probably, to beer than cannabis. You used to go out to meet people, go out to a bar... now you just swipe right on your phone, you don't need to go anywhere. All this is just part of the evolving society."
Craft brewers are more likely to innovate and join the weed revolution than lie down and take a beating. There is plenty of evidence of that already. Heineken’s Lagunitas has made a move with a THC-infused beverage, so has the creator of Blue Moon. And more brewers are joining in the fun all of the time. After all, the only green that really matters in the grand scheme of this showdown is the kind that’s on money. As for the problems stemming from society’s obsession with their devices. Ever hear of Drizly?
Mike Adams is a contributing writer for Forbes, Cannabis Now and Uproxx Media. His work has also appeared in High Times. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeadams/2...marijuana/
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