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Brewers used cannabis to flavor their beers well before states began legalizing marijuana for recreational use, but it's becoming more common as beer makers hope to cash in on the buzz around cannabis.
The most important thing to know is that, no matter what the name or artwork might suggest, it's illegal to sell alcoholic drinks that contain THC; the drug in marijuana that gets you high.
Mraz Brewing Company In El Dorado Hills, California provides a good local example with its playfully-named "Coffee Pot Porter."
"That one is nine percent, so you gotta be careful," warns brewmaster Mike Mraz. "It might get you a little dizzy, but it's not gonna get you high."
Mraz has been brewing the beer for about five years and says it has something of a cult following in his taproom.
You might not guess that the beer contains anything related to cannabis by taking a taste. It's a balanced, malty porter with a subtle coffee flavor. The cannabis in this beer doesn't come from a pot shop. It comes from a grocery store.
When Mraz wants to put cannabis in a beer, he does what most brewers do: Get a bag of hemp seeds.
And it's not just confined to small local breweries like his. Bigger names in craft beer, like New Belgium and Lagunitas (owned by macro brewer Heineken), are cashing in on the buzz around cannabis beers.
The terminology can get tricky. "Cannabis" refers to the scientific name of a plant: Cannabis Sativa. That plant comes in many different strains, cultivated by growers for different uses.
The strains of cannabis that contain THC are "marijuana." Those that don't are called "hemp," or sometimes "industrial hemp." Because all of the above are the same species of plant, brewers have room for ambiguity.
But they do have to be careful. State and federal regulators have specific rules about what's OK and what's not, including rules against marketing the beers in a way that suggests they have psychoactive effects or health benefits.
Some brewers are trying to push the envelope by incorporating Cannabidiol (CBD) into their beers and the policy on its use as ingredient vary from state to state. California regulators have told brewers not to use it for now.
Like THC, CBD is a compound found in some cannabis strains. Unlike THC, it will not produce a high.
But CBD is a drug. It's used ot treat a pair of rare forms of childhood epilepsy. Some swear by it as a remedy for a host of medical issues, and some of those uses are being studied.
Experts expect CBD beers to become more common in the near future, but say you may not see a THC beer for sale in your lifetime, which means if you want to get tipsy and high at the same time, you'll need to stop at two different stores on your way home.
And for goodness sake, please stay there until you sober up.
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