Beverage company looks to pave the way with cannabis drinks in 2019

VANCOUVER (660 NEWS) – While the majority of cannabis products are already legal in Canada, the beverage industry will have to wait almost another year before they can ‘tap’ into the market.

New regulations that will allow the production and distribution of cannabis-infused drinks won’t come into effect until October 2019.

The CEO of Hill Street Beverages, Terry Donnelly, said there are some big hurdles they need to overcome in order for their products to be ready.

“If you make an alcohol free wine or beer that has cannabis in it, you can’t call it wine or beer. We’re going to have to figure out a new way to call our products. Beer could be a malt beverage and wine could be a cascade, barrel fermented grape beverage, something like that.”

Donnelly anticipates that Cannabis drinks will be ready no later than October 17, 2019, exactly one year after the national legalization of the substance.

He said they’re working hard to make sure they have all the checks and balances in place come that time.

“We’ll work through with Health Canada to try to fix some of the issues that they’ve created with the regulations and hopefully we end up in a place that’s good for both consumers and good for the business and good for the environment.”

High Street Beverages is already in the business of creating alcohol-free beer and wine products and established in 2008. The company went public on the TSX last July.

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