PALM BEACH, Fla. — The demand for CBD-based products is steadily rising as the cannabis market continues to gain momentum via sweeping legalization in North America, as well as natural economic growth as it settles into the mainstream consumer markets. Consumer interest in CBD products has dramatically spiked over the past year, with searches on Google nearly doubling in frequency from last year at this time. The Hemp Business Journal estimates CBD-based products will generate nearly $2 billion in annual revenues by 2022. Leaders in the CBD market are privy of this current opportunity and consumer interest and are in turn developing a wide range of CBD-infused products, ranging from everyday food and beverage items to products with more poignant health benefits.

The Alkaline Water Company announced  that its wholly-owned subsidiary, A88 Infused Beverage Division, Inc. (A88 Infused), has entered into a Binding Letter of Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Infusion Biosciences, Inc. (IBS), that provides a non-exclusive license to utilize its proprietary Aqueous Phytorecovery Process (APP) technology. Under the Agreement, IBS will provide A88 Infused with ready-to-drink natural hemp-extract formulations. With APP’s formulations A88 Infused will be the first national U.S. beverage company to bring true water-soluble, full-spectrum features of bioactive natural hemp extract molecules to U.S. consumers.

“With the benefit of IBS’s chief executive officer Dr. Arup Sen’s knowledge and formulations, we are positioned to take a leadership position in the emerging natural hemp extract infused beverage category. Coming off the heels of another consecutive record revenue quarter, generated from our rapidly growing national retail footprint, we believe the launch of our new natural hemp extract infused products will provide a significant increase to our sales growth and provide for another record year,” stated Richard Wright, president and CEO of The Alkaline Water Company Inc.

“The quality and purity of IBS’s formulations are uniquely aligned with our commitment to ‘clean beverages’ that our nearly 50,000 retailers and loyal Alkaline88 consumers have come to trust and expect from us. These proprietary formulations will allow us to infuse water-soluble hemp extract without the use of any chemicals or additives. Being truly water soluble, they will absorb through the stomach and the small intestines, therefore allowing for rapid absorption within minutes. Combining this science and technology with the power and integrity of the Alkaline88 brand creates a market-leading approach to the fast-growing hemp beverage category,” he concluded.

IBS is a biotech company focused on discovering and commercializing innovative products that use cannabis and hemp plant ingredients in their natural forms produced by the APP Technology. APP Technology comprises a patent-pending process that uses proprietary reagents to produce two unique, ready-to-consume ingredients with the full-spectrum features of bioactive cannabinoids and terpenes from hemp. These are Infuz₂O, which is a solution of naturally water-soluble molecules, including cannabinoids and terpenes, directly from the plants; and Bio-Natural Oil, which are free, naturally-occurring oils, including cannabinoids and terpenes, recovered as a natural oil from the plants. Due to the retention of the natural state, both Infuz₂O and Bio-Natural Oil are unique in that both deliver plant specific experience in novel products. APP Technology is based on more than 12 years of research and development of water-soluble minerals and plant phytochemicals.

New Age Beverages Corp. recently debuted its portfolio of CBD-infused relaxation tea’s, CBD-infused sparkling waters, and CBD-infused shots, each with 25mg of full-spectrum CBD. Planned launch with major retailers and distributors nationally as soon as the Farm Bill is enacted, utilizing New Age’s existing national distribution footprint and penetration in 40 of the top 50 retailers in North America. CBD portfolio, other New Age brands, and store brand/private label offerings expected to round out New Age’s portfolio and position the company as the authority in the emerging and high-growth healthy beverage category.

Lagunitas, Heineken’s fast-growing Calif. beer label, bills its new brew as “hoppy sparkling water.” That’s because these cans of brew contain zero alcohol. Instead of booze, the beer-like beverage is made with THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Called Hi-Fi Hops, Lagunitas’ new cannabis drink is the latest wave of a larger move by established companies diving into the marijuana industry. In addition to a brew made with THC, the ingredient in marijuana that causes a high, Lagunitas’ new “beer” is also available with CBD, the non-psychoactive cannabis component that’s thought to be responsible for many of its therapeutic effects. Having only launched on July 30, the brew is currently available in a handful of marijuana dispensaries in California, where the drug is legal.  For more info on Lagunitas, go to: https://www.businessinsider.com/heineken-marijuana-beer-taste-photos-lagunitas-2018-8