Cannabis Beer Now Available, Ceria Brewing To Launch More Marijuana-Infused Drinks Soon

Colorado craft beer start-up Ceria Brewing Company is prepping to mass market two more THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)-infused beer brands in states where marijuana is legal.

It said it plans to market an American lager with 2.5 mg of THC and an IPA with 10 mg of THC in Colorado dispensaries over the next few months. This expansion follows the company’s success at selling-out the first batch of its cannabis or THC beer in just four hours last December.

Ceria's dealcoholized cannabis beer is a non-alcoholic, THC-infused, Belgian-style ale with a 5% THC content. It was developed by Dr. Keith Villa, who holds a Ph.D. in brewing sciences at the University of Brussels. Dr. Villa is famous as the man who created Blue Moon Belgian White, a Belgian-style witbier brewed by MillerCoors launched in 1995 and brewed in Colorado.

Ceria cannabis beer quickly flew-off the shelves at the 16 Colorado dispensaries where it made its debut last December. Fresh from that success, Dr. Villa and his wife, Jodi, are now working to expand the market for THC-infused non-alcoholic beers. And they'll start in California.

He also wants California customers to have their THC beer delivered directly to their homes when the company expands later this year.

"We're excited number one that our dream is coming true but number two to offer people a true alternative to alcohol," said Dr. Villa. "We honestly think that Ceria is going to kickstart the cannabis craze and turn it into a legitimate industry that no longer has that stigma associated with it."

Ceria cannabis beer won’t come cheap, however. It will retail at $7 to $8 per 10 ounce beer bottle, which is a lot more expensive than what traditional beer drinkers are used to paying for their non-THC brews.

Ceria Brewing Co. is in the process of building its bottling plant near Denver, Colorado. Co-packers will help bottling in California and Nevada after the brand enters other states that have legalized marijuana.

He said his cannabis beer is being developed to suit mass market tastes.

“You don’t taste cannabis,” he said. “You taste great tasting beer with the effects of cannabis and that’s really critical because we found that the taste of cannabis is really polarizing. Some people love it, but most people don’t really care for it.”

He said they’ve heard from a lot of young people who say they want to remain in control when quaffing cannabis beer, meaning they don’t want to get high. He said his beer’s low doses allow them to be consumed casually.

“There are so many people who want to try it,” said Dr. Villa. “Maybe they had a bad [smoking] experience in the past … but there are others who have this strong stigma [against marijuana] and don’t want to be seen going into a dispensary.”