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In the fast-growing world of THC-spiked beverages, there’s a whole menu of choices like iced tea, lemonade, coffee, cocoa, mocktails, booze-free wine and mimosas, energy drinks and sparkling waters.
Products come in bottles and cans—Cann, by the way, is a best-selling “social tonic” with a pioneering Pride campaign and a Hollywood following—and via drops, mixes, syrups and elixirs from brands such as Keef, Hi-Fi Hops, Levia and Wunder.
What’s missing from this extensive lineup is a mainstream drinks player—a Coca-Cola or an Anheuser-Busch—that has put a weed-laced spin on its core recipe.
Jones Soda—known for its consumer-designed labels and off-the-wall flavors like Bug Juice and Blue Bubblegum—wants to be the groundbreaker on that front. The craft soda maker is launching Mary Jones, a drinks line that offers several of its most popular flavors, but with a cannabis kick.
“We’re taking our brand as-is into cannabis,” Bohb Blair, chief brand officer of the Mary Jones Cannabis Co. and CMO of Jones Soda, told Adweek. “It’s proudly part of Jones Soda.”
The cleverly named Mary Jones products, infused with 10 milligrams of THC, are debuting at California dispensaries this weekend in root beer, berry lemonade, green apple and orange and cream varieties.
“It’s a real milestone,” Tim Dodd, co-founder and CEO of Sweet Flower dispensary chain, told Adweek. “It’s a remarkable move by Jones because it’s so intentional. They’re not doing it on the sly.”
Dodd, whose LA-area retailers are stocking Mary Jones, is bullishly predicting “the summer of beverages.” He thinks the new products could boost that overall trend, along with sending a broader message.
“Having the Jones name will give consumers confidence in the product, and it increases interest in the category, where there aren’t a lot of legacy brands,” Dodd said. “And having a traditional, publicly traded CPG company come into cannabis helps destigmatize the industry. It’s part of the evolution of the space.”
A license to chill
Senior leaders at the Seattle-based Jones Soda have created a subsidiary and forged several partnerships—with Kiva Sales and Service, Tinley Beverage Co. and Sōrse Technology—to bring Mary Jones to life.
But unlike some typical licensing arrangements, where trademarks are handed off, execs intend to be hands-on.
“We’re taking ownership and pride and control as we go into cannabis,” Blair said. “It’s a brand extension—we’re extending our equity into a different category.”
For context, there’s another heritage brand, Pabst Blue Ribbon, that has put its stamp on weed. But the infused beverage—developed by the startup Pabst Labs that licenses the PBR name and logo—isn’t beer, it’s “high seltzer.” (It’s still verboten in the U.S. to mix alcohol and cannabis in the same product.)
That leaves Jones Soda in a class by itself in translating its core product to weed, with some necessary formulation tweaks.
A beverage bonanza
Mary Jones jumps into a crowded arena in California, where infused beverages have grown faster than in any other state. In 2021, the number of weed drinks nearly doubled to “530 distinct products,” according to researcher Headset.
While they’re a hot topic in cannabis circles and new partners for mainstream fairs and festivals, THC drinks are still niche, claiming about a 1.1% market share in the U.S., per Headset. Data firm Brightfield predicts that U.S. sales will reach $1 billion by 2025—still a fraction of total legal cannabis sales, expected to top $45 billion by then.
Only about 14% of weed consumers report having tried an infused drink, according to New Frontier Data. Younger consumers are leading the way, far outpacing older demos, with 19% of 18- to 34-year-olds having tried THC beverages compared to 6% of boomers, per NFD.
There are at least a few reasons why the category isn’t bigger: Historically, drinks could be the opposite of light and refreshing (think dank, oily concoctions), and in general they’re more expensive on a cost-per-dose basis.
And consumption lounges—canna-friendly venues that would lend themselves to social imbibing—are in their infancy in most legal markets.
Full dose, full flavor
Even with the challenges, the entry makes sense for Jones Soda, home to Turkey and Gravy and other oddball seasonal refreshments, Blair said.
“It’s not a forced fit at all,” Blair said. “I’m not outing anyone to say that we have plenty of happy ‘cannasseurs’ as employees.”
The brand plans to play up its points of difference from existing THC drinks, many of which are low sugar and low calorie, often containing 2 or 5 milligrams of weed. Mary Jones, on the other hand, is positioned as a “full flavor, full dose” treat along the lines of its non-spiked “indulgent” sodas, Blair said.
Its bottles, meantime, show off its fans’ artwork—previously submitted photos, cleared for the cannabis line—and pics of the company’s adorable house dog, MJ. Cans have a reflective front, with the message, “Objects in mirror are higher than they appear.”
From the West to the rest
Expansion plans are already in place, with Blair saying the brand will target as many recreational-sales states as possible. He’s also eyeing markets outside the U.S.
The product line itself will soon include a 100-milligram soda in a 16-ounce, 10-serving package, a 1000-milligram syrup designed as a mixer, carbonated candy in 2.5-milligram microdoses and 5-milligram gummies shaped like miniature Jones Soda bottles.
There’s also a DIY merchandise component that allows fans to create their own T-shirts from the Jones Soda photo and art archives. Consumers can keep the finished swag or sell it on the platform via a profit-sharing model.
As for its marketing, the brand will focus on programmatic advertising, targeting consumers who have already self-identified as “cannafans,” along with social and digital content rooted in storytelling.
While touting its DTC platform, the Mary Jones team will reach out to budtenders and influencers with various promotions, sampling and experiential marketing, including monthly house parties in LA.
