Coca-Cola wants to enter the cannabis market to create beverages infused with CBD, a non-psychoactive chemical found in marijuana that can relieve pain. The company wants to get in early on the growing CBD market, which has become popular in places where Cannabis has not been legalized due to the now legal status of CBD in most states.
The company is reportedly in communication with the Canadian company Aurora Cannabis Inc. Canada is set to fully legalize marijuana in the next month. The infused drinks market could potentially overtake the alcohol market as many see the use of cannabis as far less harmful than marijuana.
Many of the benefits include the non-damaging aspects of cannabis, as it has been studied to show very few lasting, harmful side effects. While alcohol could damage your liver in high amounts, cannabis does not. And CBD, or Cannabidiol, has no “high,” that could potentially intoxicate a user. CDB has been studied for its usefulness in treating epilepsy and pain, but other potential uses include it as a sleep aid and anti-anxiety, though these claims are unsubstantiated.
While Coca-Cola may be interested in the market, cannabis has still not caught on entirely in the mainstream business world. Although it has been legalized in eight states, and many more have legalized medicinal marijuana, the business has yet to be a globally legitimized industry. Still, with companies like Coca-Cola ready to talk and make plans, many people are just waiting for things to kick-off for cannabis.
