THC-Infused Beverage Companies Are Recruiting 2,000 People To Drink Free Cannabis Seltzers As Alternative To Alcohol For A Study

A group of THC-infused beverage brands is looking for hundreds of adults to participate in what’s described as an “observational research study” around cannabis-infused drinks, alcohol consumption, mood and quality of life.

The team is currently recruiting “up to 2,000 qualified participants,” who would receive a free supply of cannabis-infused beverages. Participants would be expected to record their alcohol and cannabis-infused drinking patterns on a daily basis as well as complete self-assessments about their overall quality of life.

The three-week study period will involve a week of feedback without the beverages. Participants would then consume the infused drinks over the final two weeks of the program.

The industry study was announced on Thursday by MoreBetter, a data-collection and research firm. It’s sponsored by “multiple leading beverage brands,” according to a press release, “who are collectively supplying participants with free infused beverage products to use throughout the course of the study.”

The company describes the “groundbreaking” research as the “world’s first functional beverage study,” aimed at “explor[ing] THC beverages as a wellness alternative to alcohol.”

“By collecting consumer-reported outcomes from thousands of consumers, over a multi-week basis, we provide brands and industry advocates with the Real World Data they need to understand how infused beverages are impacting consumers’ quality of life,” Tyler Dautrich, MoreBetter’s chief operating officer, said in a statement.

Brands backing the study include BRĒZ, Nowadays, Cantrip, Death Row Records’s Do It Fluid, Iconic Tonics, Hippie Water, STIIIZY and others.

“The cannabis plant should be better researched,” Cantrip CEO Adam Terry said in the release, “and we are hopeful that this is just the first step in learning how these products can improve people’s lives as acceptance, access, and consumption of infused beverages expands across the US.”

The focus of the research is THC-infused seltzer, but MoreBetter says it will also “investigate 750ml bottles used as mixers, dry powder mixes, and 1.5-2 oz ‘shots’ in an effort to study how various doses and form factors impact consumer’s perceived experiences.”

MoreBetter

Aaron Nosbisch, Founder and CEO at BRĒZ, said: “Our mission has always been to provide a healthier, more mindful way to enjoy social moments, and we believe this study will help us better understand and validate the positive impact of our product.”

“This pioneering study reflects our commitment at Iconic Tonics to reshape the future of adult beverages—delivering functional, flavorful, and elevated alternatives that meet the moment,” added Evan Eneman, CEO and co-founder of Iconic Tonics. “As more consumers explore mindful options, real-world data like this will be essential in understanding how THC-infused beverages are enhancing quality of life and transforming social rituals. Our partnership with MoreBetter isn’t just about validating our brands—it’s about leading a cultural shift with integrity, innovation, and style.”

The press release notes that the study “comes at a critical time, as alcohol sales are experiencing a decline, and as consumers are increasingly curious about trying ‘better-for-you’ alcohol alternatives.”

Announcement of the research project also comes as the alcohol as well as hemp and marijuana industries closely watch consumer behavior around cannabinoids and alcohol.

A report from Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) last year called cannabis a “significant threat” to the alcohol industry, citing survey data that suggests more people are using cannabis as a substitute for alcoholic beverages such a beer and wine.

The report projected that slumping sales of wine and spirits “may extend indefinitely,” which will “stem largely” from the increased consumer access to “legal cannabis” and other alternative products.

“The use of cannabis among consumers is on the rise, and we believe it’s being substituted for alcoholic beverages,” BI analysts wrote. “We also anticipate that increasing US consumer access to recreational marijuana will be a significant threat to all alcoholic drinks, particularly beer and wine, given their lower price points relative to liquor.”

Last November, meanwhile, a beer industry trade group put out a statement of guiding principles to address what it called “the proliferation of largely unregulated intoxicating hemp and cannabis products,” warning of risks to consumers and communities resulting from THC consumption.

The Beer Institute advised in the document that lawmakers impose a federal excise tax on both hemp and cannabis products, “with the tax rate set higher than the highest rate for any beverage alcohol product.”

Earlier last year, the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) called on Congress to create a regulatory framework for hemp-based intoxicating cannabinoids rather than impose an outright ban, as was being proposed at the time.

“We strongly advocate for clear federal rules and regulations that define intoxicating hemp compounds and to grant states the authority to regulate these products within their borders,” the alcohol trade association said.

Growing evidence suggests that frequent marijuana use is now more common among Americans than regular alcohol use. A recent study found that more Americans consume cannabis every day than drink alcohol on a daily basis. Since 1992 the per capita rate of daily cannabis consumption in the country has increased nearly 15 times over.

A multinational investment bank said in a 2023 report that marijuana has become a “formidable competitor” to alcohol, projecting that nearly 20 million more people will regularly consume cannabis over the next five years as booze loses a couple million drinkers. Marijuana sales are estimated to reach $37 billion in 2027 in the U.S., it said, as more state markets come online.

A separate study out of Canada, where marijuana is federally legal, found that legalization was “associated with a decline in beer sales,” suggesting a substitution effect.

Data from a Gallup survey published in August of last year also found that Americans consider marijuana to be less harmful than alcohol, cigarettes, vapes and other tobacco products.

As for hemp-derived cannabinoids, a hemp industry expert told congressional lawmakers earlier this week that the market is “begging” for federal regulations around cannabis products.

At the hearing, Rep. James Comer (R-KY) also inquired about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) inaction around regulations, sarcastically asking if it’d require “a gazillion bureaucrats that work from home” to regulate cannabinoids such as CBD.

In the absence of FDA rules, states from California to Florida have pushed for sweeping changes to their own laws around consumable hemp products. While much of the focus has been on intoxicating products, federally legal CBD businesses have also found themselves increasingly in the crosshairs.

Meanwhile, as lawmakers prepare to once again take up large-scale agriculture legislation this session, congressional researchers in January provided an overview of the policy landscape around hemp—emphasizing the divides around various cannabis-related proposals among legislators, stakeholders and advocates.

Senate Democrats released the long-awaited draft of 2024 Farm Bill last year that contained several proposed changes to federal hemp laws—including provisions to amend how the legal limit of THC is measured and reducing regulatory barriers for farmers who grow the crop for grain or fiber. But certain stakeholders had expressed concern that part of the intent of the legislation was to “eliminate a whole range of products” that are now sold in the market.

For the time being, the hemp industry continues to face unique regulatory hurdles that stakeholders blame for the crop’s value plummeting in the short years since its legalization. Despite the economic conditions, however, a recent report found that the hemp market in 2022 was larger than all state marijuana markets, and it roughly equaled sales for craft beer nationally.

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