Cannabis cocktail trend gains momentum

Drinks focused restaurant Madison on Park in San Diego has added a cannabis-laced cocktail to its menu highlighting a growing trend in the US.

Priced at $18, Mr. Nice Guy is crafted with mezcal, cannabidiol oil, matcha, pineapple, coconut milk and lime. Its creator, bar manager Danny Kuehner, describes it as “tropical with hints of citrus and a rich mouthfeel”.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive part of the cannabis plant. Kuehner was drawn to CBD oil for its medicinal uses – it is thought to be an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and antidepressant, and can be used to improve mood, memory, motor control, sleep and energy levels.

CBD has also been used to treat epilepsy and as a pain reliever. Other health boosting cocktails on the Madison menu include the Blue Deam Mimosa, made with protein rich blue-green algae and the Black Magic Mimosa with activated charcoal, which is said to aid digestion and detox the body.

Legal marihuana sales accounted for roughly US$7 billion in 2016. Eight US states have legalised the recreational use of cannabis, while medicinal cannabis use is allowed in 28 states and Washington DC.

A Wine & Weed Symposium took place in California in August discussing how recreational cannabis use can positively impact on the wine industry and the ways the two industries can work together.

The symposium explored the ways that grape growers and cannabis producers can co-exist and collaborate, as well looking at regulations, licensing, hospitality and tourism.

Both The San Francisco Chronicle and The Denver Post in Colorado have appointed cannabis editors to cover the beat.