Sober-curious for the summer? THC-infused beverages are on a high

This summer, many Americans may be looking for a different kind of buzz to cool off in the summer heat or celebrate under the fireworks.

The CEOs behind two of the nation’s most recognizable THC-infused beverage brands claim the sober-curious trend stands strong on its first stepping stone.

"The explosion that we've seen in growth within THC beverages is going to come with some twists and turns," Pamos and Mac Brands CEO David Mukpo told Fox News Digital. "But I think the most important thing is, the consumer demand is what's driving a lot of this."

"It's absolutely just the beginning," Cann co-founder and CEO Jake Bullock also told Fox News Digital. "You have beer, you have wine, you have spirits, and now you have THC. I think we're in the very, very early innings of what will be a massive rollout over the next sort of three to five years."

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Gen Z and millennials are leading the charge when considering a sober-curious lifestyle, according to the latest data from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which found young Americans are changing the conversation around alcohol.

Additionally, Harvard Public Health cited a Mintel survey that found 40% of U.S. respondents closely or occasionally follow a sober-curious lifestyle, making the argument that Americans drinking less could cause a decline in alcohol-related diseases.

Mukpo and Bullock both come from early careers in the cannabis industry, and founded their brands with the goal of normalizing and innovating cannabis consumption. Their beverage offerings contain low-dose hemp-derived tetrahydrocannabinols and cannabidiols, and both industry leaders argue it’s not an "all or nothing" mentality when it comes to sober curiosity.

"When you ask about what the catalyst for people consuming less alcohol is," Mukpo started to explain, "we think that as the forms of consumption adapt certainly to newer generations, there just needs to be more forms of consumption available to people. We see it from our consumers all the time. It's not that they don't drink alcohol at all anymore… On other occasions, it's the right opportunity to have a glass of Pamos. We think that people are becoming much more dynamic with how they consume beverages."

"We see a lot of our customers that are using Cann to drink a little bit less alcohol. Maybe that they still drink alcohol, but instead of having four drinks tonight, [they] have one," Bullock added. "They have a couple of Canns in their social experience, and the feeling, the buzz is all still in the same sort of range from an intensity and enjoyment standpoint, but then they feel so much better the next day."

Their products are available to purchase in major retail stores like Total Wine and ABC Fine Wine & Spirits — even in non-recreational states. This is thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, which removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act and allowed products nationwide to be infused with THC content that is 0.3% or less by dry weight.

The CEOs note that a major selling point for THC-infused beverages is the lack of hangovers — a benefit that aligns with growing interest in health-conscious and sober-curious lifestyles. 

"People wake up without inflammation. Our 70-plus population talks about this all the time, how much alcohol hurts them physically in the mornings if they consume it the night before… young parents don't want to be parenting hung over," Bullock said.

"These are really kind of like life-altering changes, really positive," Cann’s CEO continued. "And I think sometimes the positive story behind these products gets lost in a lot of the scare tactics and the ‘reefer madness’ that comes out. These products really are changing people's lives for the better."

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"There's a really big difference between the messaging that people grew up with around THC and what it's like when it's in a low-dose beverage form," Mukpo said. "This isn't something that has to be scary. You can start low with a two-milligram beverage, and it's going to be a very similar buzz to what you get from alcohol and just help you sleep at night."

In some states, traditional liquor partners tell Pamos and Cann that THC beverages are currently "the fastest-growing" drink category with an average of 24 to 30 feet of retail shelving space today.

For Pamos, the average consumer is 35 to 45 years old and skews 60% female; Cann’s average customer varies more widely in terms of age, gender and location, but Bullock asserted that they are "united by a common frustration with alcohol."

Pamos’ parent company, Mac Brands, is expecting $40 to $50 million in sales in 2025. While Cann did not provide a specific monetary figure, Bullock said their sales have doubled year-over-year since the pandemic.

"Really, we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg," Mukpo said. "I think it's important to remember how nascent the industry is. We're really at less than two years since the sales have started."

"It tells me that people really want Cann. If it's available and given the option, they will choose THC-infused drinks more often than not," Bullock pointed out. "And then the environments that are gonna be the last to adopt these products — the wedding venues, the concert venues, they will eventually adopt them. It's just gonna take time."

Looking ahead to the future of their business, Mukpo and Bullock agree that the sober-curious trend is at the precipice of its own high.

"Personally, it has huge impacts from a wellness standpoint, but it's also allowed me to pick the places where I want to drink alcohol. I'm going to drink much better when I do drink. I'm gonna make sure that I'm doing it in an environment with people I really enjoy. I'm much more mindful and conscious about when I choose to have an alcoholic drink or when I choose to have a Cann," Bullock said.

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"And I think that's a really important part of what I think motivates our customers," Bullock expanded, "and is a key value behind the business is being more mindful about our consumption of everything."

"When we started, while we had a ton of success in the dispensary game, it was always a bit of a round peg into a square hole," Mukpo said before motioning to the Pamos bar display behind him. "This is where we wanted Pamos to sit. We wanted to sit on a bar… What you're going to see over the next year is that level of sophistication, both from operators and partners in the space, take this industry to the next level, and I think it's extremely exciting for all of us."

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