Drink Companies Prepare for the Coming of CBD Beverages

DENVER, March 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CBD-infused beverages look set to hit the market in a big way in 2019.

• Cannabidiol (CBD) is widely used in health and wellness products after spectacular growth in recent years.
• Several companies are lining up to launch CBD drinks following legal changes in the United States and Canada.
• Integrating these new offerings into wider product lines is accelerating CBD's race for mainstream attention.

Youngevity International Inc. (NASDAQ:YGYI) (YGYI Profile) is one of the first to launch, with a CBD coffee coming in May and a CBD water in the works. The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (NASDAQ:WTER) (TSX.V:WTER), which is constantly growing its U.S. distribution network, plans to add a CBD bottled water to its range. The New Age Beverages Corporation (NASDAQ:NBEV) is adding CBD to its line of organic cold coffees and teas. Heineken (OTC:HEINY) has also entered the market by developing a cannabis-infused sparkling water through Lagunitas, its U.S. craft brewer. And the biggest investment in the overall cannabis space has come from Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE:STZ), which has invested $4 billion in  a Canadian cannabis company.

To view an infographic of this editorial, click here.

Crossing the Boundary Between Two Industries

The most exciting new developments in business often come when separate trends or industries combine. For example, it was the combination of previously separate cameras, phones and portable music that brought us the smartphone, a technology that has transformed our lives. And while not every combination will be as socially disruptive as that computer in your pocket, each one brings new possibilities.

One of the hot crossover moves this year is the combination of the markets for beverages and for cannabidiol (CBD).  The emergence of CBD over the past few years has transformed the cannabis space and allowed hemp producers to reach beyond their original markets. Beverages continue to be a powerful industry, in part through sporadic bursts of innovation such as the rise of energy drinks. Now one of those bursts is coming again as these two trends combine to produce CBD-infused drinks.