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cannabis-infused beer, followed soon afterwards by Oregon’s Coalition Brewing with their Two Flowers IPA and Lagunitas’ SuperCritical IPA. All three were THC-free, instead containing non- psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) or terpenes. Lagunitas have since reassessed their cannabis o ering, launching Hi-Fi Hops earlier this year. Dubbed hoppy sparkling water, the “IPA-inspired” non-alcoholic beverage replaces alcohol with THC. e idea is to give a similar buzz to beer but with zero calories and without the worry of a hangover. On the downside, you can’t open a can and sip at bar – it has to be purchased at a licenced marijuana enterprise and drunk in the con nes of your own home. ey’re not the only ones heading down the non- alc route, although others are still using malt as a base. In the US, many eyes are on Ceria Beverages, headed up by Keith Villa, founder of Miller Coors’ “crafty” witbier, Blue Moon. Ceria is getting ready to launch three variants of their cannabis beer, which is brewed as a normal beer and later “de- alcoholised” before being infused with the plant. e beer will be o ered in three THC strengths. Further north in Canada, one company is even working on a way to brew a “beer” using the entire cannabis plant in place of barley. And despite the fact that marijuana is not yet legal in South Africa, one local brewery has found a way to be the rst to produce cannabis beer here. Poison City’s Cannabis lager and IPA will reach liquor stores in September, though if you want to get high, you’ll have to do it on hops – neither of the beers contains any THC. SETTLING FOR HEMP “I thought long and hard before putting the word ‘cannabis’ on the label,” says Poison City co- founder Graeme Bird. “We made very sure that we wouldn’t run into legal issues, but also we didn’t want to mislead the consumer.” e beers actually contain hemp – part of the cannabis family. Critics have called the beer a gimmick and the Poison City team admit that they are following the international trend towards cannabis beers, but are quick to point out that the trend ties in perfectly with their brand. “I was in Germany last year, looking at export opportunities and someone there asked – ‘if you’re from Durban, why aren’t you doing a cannabis beer?’” says Andre Schubert, the other half of the Poison City team. “We’ve named our brand after the city’s biggest export, so it does make perfect sense that we bring out a cannabis product.” e team would love to bring out a true cannabis beer but at the moment that’s not legally possible in South Africa. “It’s illegal to work with any product that contains over 20 parts per million of THC,” explains Andre, adding that hemp seeds contain only minuscule amounts. “For now it’s the oil I’m after and the seeds produce the oil.” Any avour from the seeds is subtle and you’d need to be well versed in hemp to pick it up, though Andre says it does have an e ect on the mouthfeel of both beers. Durban Poison Cannabis IPA is a classic West Coast version – bitter, showcasing hops over malt and of course in this case, dank. at word, used so often to describe both hops and weed is, says Andre, a characteristic that comes from the terpenes. “Terpenes are found in both hops and cannabis so really we’ve been drinking them for years!” says Andre. “Hops and cannabis are cousins but over the years, cannabis has been demonised and part of what we’d like to do is change people’s perceptions of the plant.” EXPANDING THE MARKET e other beer in the cannabis portfolio is a lager, its green bottle packaging a departure from Poison City’s usual branding. “ is year has been atrocious,” admits Andre, echoing the thoughts of most craft brewers in South Africa. “We decided that to survive we had to identify a new audience since the audience for craft beer in South Africa is too small.” And so they are aiming to capture the “premium beer drinker” with their Cannabis Lager. Craft is considered “super premium” so the price point will be slightly lower to appeal to drinkers of green- bottle brews like Grolsch, Peroni and Heineken. e lager is only a slight deviation from the norm for premium lager drinkers, subtle with a slightly grainy aroma and a background oral note on sipping. At the moment in South Africa the biggest challenge for craft brewers is converting mainstream drinkers from their familiar lagers. But if cannabis becomes legal in South Africa, brewers might well nd their biggest competitor to be the peddlers of hops’ long maligned cousin. And Poison City, for one, will be ready. Despite the fact that marijuana is not yet legal in South Africa, one local brewery has found a way to be the first to produce cannabis beer here THE LEGALITIES OF WEED In March 2017, the Western Cape High Court passed a ruling allowing for the cultivation, possession and use of marijuana provided it is within a private home. However, marijuana – and associated products containing THC – is still illegal across the country. Despite the fact that they’re right in the thick of South Africa’s hop growing industry, Robertson Brewing Company (based in George) are also looking to use the hop’s cousin in one of their beers. Keep an eye out for Reggae Gold, due to launch in September. ontapmag.co.za | Spring 2018 | 25