
Budweiser's ex-marketing chief: Weed is the new craft beer - fishcolorbrick
http://www.syracuse.com/business-news/index.ssf/2017/11/budweiser_weed_craft_beer_greenrush.html
======
Balgair
Just as beer went through it's 'extremes' phase, weed is going through this
right now too. Beer was super hoppy, then super stouty, then had loads of
coffee, then loads of NO2, then sours, then glassware.

Finally, beer settled on the 'all-day-IPA': a beer that tastes good, and you
can bring to your niece's birthday party but not get too tanked to be able to
drive her to the hospital after the bounce-house gets out of hand.

Weed needs that for a recreational substance that 'relaxes' but still allows
for emergencies to occur. Think a bag of something (bitter orange chips?) that
kids won't eat outright, that comes in low/variable dosages just enough to
chill with, that will allow you to drive your kids to the hospital should the
need arise. It, frankly, needs to be an 'adult' thing, not juvenile and
bacchanalian as it is perceived to be today.

~~~
Retric
IPA is just another fad.* It was designed to be shipped to India on sailing
ships without refrigeration and have a high alcohol content.

It's different than the mass market piss Americans are used to, but there are
much better options for the average pallet.

*It's not going away, but it's current popularity is outside of historic norms.

~~~
Balgair
Maybe. Beer-dom is moving about still, try getting a ticket the GABF next
year. You'll find some pretty crazy stuff. Also, I think the IPA craze is
already over, it peaked in 2014 or so. Now it's all sours and martzens. Nearly
every brewer I see is doing something with a German brewery or ageing in some
whiskey barrel or another.

~~~
mmmpop
Try going south of Colfax once in a while.

~~~
Balgair
?

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Jgrubb
Duh. And on that note, if there are any marijuana entrepreneurs reading this,
I'd like to share a product idea with you.

"Session pot" \- tastes amazing like this 30% stuff that the kids are breeding
these days but with only 3-5% THC so it won't kill me like this 30% stuff that
the kids are breeding these days. You're welcome.

edit: the "high CBD" idea is one that I'll look into and thanks all, but for
those of us who live outside one of the legal states our options and
information about those options are rather more limited.

~~~
ShabbosGoy
How is that different than a high CBD strain?

~~~
Jgrubb
I was never serious about it enough to know what you're talking about. I just
used to _really_ enjoy smoking, but am too busy these days to partake, largely
because of how strong everything is now.

~~~
maxsavin
Look for a CBD strain it's what you're looking for :)

Most people don't like it because it doesn't get them "high" but it gets you
feeling good.

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baldfat
Great so now instead of alcoholism being the number one reason for an
emotionally numbed population now we have weed that makes people emotionally
numb. I know I'll get downvoted but I don't think people realize how people
are emotionally detached when they are high all the time just like if your
friends with an alcoholic. There still your friend but you certainly waren't
as close as before.

~~~
riebschlager
I'd recommend this Freakonomics episode that analyzes the impacts of alcohol
and pot usage. [1]

I'm not arguing in favor of a "numbed population", but all things being equal,
I'd honestly rather our numbed population be high instead of drunk.

[1] [http://freakonomics.com/2014/04/17/whats-more-dangerous-
mari...](http://freakonomics.com/2014/04/17/whats-more-dangerous-marijuana-or-
alcohol-full-transcript/)

~~~
veidr
A lot of people say that in the abstract, but I vividly recall a bunch of
specific examples from my junior high school days in northern California.

It was always a relief when certain older troublemakers that were regulars on
the scene showed up at a party high on weed, rather than Coors, because they
would tend to sit around and laugh, or at least goof around harmlessly, rather
than starting fights and driving their large trucks recklessly and endangering
nearby people and property.

It's very hard to quantify, but alcohol definitely "brings out the asshole" in
people way more than weed does.

~~~
enraged_camel
Well yes, alcohol lowers inhibitions. Hence it's common nickname, "liquid
courage".

------
simonsarris
> "Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to
> midlife"

[http://m.pnas.org/content/109/40/E2657.full](http://m.pnas.org/content/109/40/E2657.full)

(it's 2012 but a good study)

Knowledge workers (in the future, everyone?) should be more skeptical of pot.

~~~
MrFantastic
Ideally no one should smoke until they are 24-26 years old as their executive
functions are still developing.

You shouldn't be drinking either until 26 for the same reason.

I've not seen any study showing damage from people that waited until 26 to
consume cannabis.

------
hprotagonist
relatedly, my money is on "terpene" to be a trending food word of 2018.

~~~
subway
This, so very much.

I've been excited watching the extracts in WA evolve over time -- initially
cartridges were just BHO or CO2 oil, then processors started pumping out THC
distillates, followed by CBD distillates. Now they're recombining those
distillates and adding terpenes back in from various fruits, resulting in a
reproducible, adjustable product.

~~~
JTon
Wow. What keywords do you suggest I use to search for more info about this
particular topic?

~~~
subway
"cannabis distillate fruit terpenes" without the quotes will get you going.
Sadly most of the commercial producers are incredibly tight lipped about their
processes, but there are some sites like
[https://skunkpharmresearch.com/](https://skunkpharmresearch.com/) that share
information pretty freely.

~~~
arca_vorago
I wouldn't touch anything that at least doesn't publish a terpene profile.

------
joshuaheard
How about a new craft weed beer? Seriously, hops and cannabis are in the same
plant family. I think it would be a great combo if you had a beer made from
cannabis with the effects from both.

~~~
callalex
The active ingredients are not water soluble so you’d need to introduce lipids
or something, which sounds pretty gross.

~~~
surement
Substances that are fat-soluble are alcohol-soluble, in particular
cannabinoids, see: green dragon

------
millstone
I was surprised to see billboards advertising marijuana in my area (northern
California). I know that tobacco advertising on billboards is illegal, and
marijuana ought to be held to the same standard.

~~~
MBCook
Isn’t it only illegal because of the consent decree from the big lawsuits?

~~~
kobeya
Tobacco advertising? No it's straight up illegal. Weed advertising should be
too since it's effects on developing minds is even more pronounced.

~~~
thebooktocome
> since it's effects on developing minds is even more pronounced.

I've never heard that before.

~~~
kobeya
[http://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/11/marijuana-
brain.aspx](http://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/11/marijuana-brain.aspx)

------
Overtonwindow
It's only a matter of time until big tobacco, big alcohol, and big pharma
descend on the cannabis industry.

~~~
bonesss
As a crop cannabis is highly amenable to small scale production, in the same
vein as craft breweries.

The realities of logistics and distribution, however, favor connected players
with robust systems either consolidating or partnering with smaller producers.
Again, much like craft breweries.

I think there is ample room for organic, whole bud, "farmers market" type
solutions alongside next-gen concentrates and extracts using high tech
delivery systems and convenient options available at the gas station from
larger established players.

------
ultimatejman
He is only thinking about the market here. And if he is looking to make cash
then that is always the right way to go. If the wave is getting bigger, the
earlier you catch it the better.

------
unixhero
Because the US is clearly the only country on the planet.

/snark

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Aoyagi
Well OK, but first maybe they might want to stop using name that's not theirs.

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gwbas1c
What was the article about?

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amelius
Meh, in 2017 it's not cool to smoke. Smoking weed doesn't change that.

~~~
AlexAffe
Yup. I dearly hope they come up with a healthy way of administration. Smoking
is really really really bad. Source: I am an ex addict. Both Cannabis and
Cigarettes.

~~~
posterboy
somehowbI'd think it's the addiction that's the problem, like smoking wouldn't
be nearly as bad as if people weren't abusing, or being abused by the
industry, but definitely not by the smoke.

------
PatientTrades
I disagree. Pot will never be the new craft beer; however, edibles do have
potential. The problem with universal pot is that it travels through air, and
the smells from some of these strains is unbearable if you are not a pot user.
Another problem is contact highs, if your a non smoker you can literally catch
a contact high from being in the presence of someone smoking a strong strain.
Beer on the other hand is odorless and your usage doesn't directly affect
others.

~~~
thethirdone
> if your a non smoker you can literally catch a contact high from being in
> the presence of someone smoking a strong strain.

I have never felt high at all from people smoking strong strains near me. I am
a fairly big guy with a high tolerance though (i haven't smoked though).

> Beer on the other hand is odorless and your usage doesn't directly affect
> others.

This is not true at all. If I haven't been drinking or been around people
drinking for a month or two, I can smell if you've had a beer just by walking
in the room.

Weed definitely has a stronger smell though. But if you are used to the smell
of weed and not the smell of beer, beer has a stronger smell.

~~~
kobeya
> I have never felt high at all from people smoking strong strains near me. I
> am a fairly big guy with a high tolerance though (i haven't smoked though).

It's you. I'm an average sized guy with low tolerance and contact high is a
real thing. I wonder what effect it would have on kids nearby...

~~~
root_axis
This is a myth. This might be a possibility in a tightly enclosed space with
poor ventilation, but under realistic circumstances a "contact high" is pretty
close to impossible.

~~~
kobeya
Says you. I've experienced it, outdoors in close proximity. People's biology
are different. Some people are hyper sensitive, others require massive doses
to experience a high. This is true of basically all drugs, btw.

~~~
root_axis
I wasn't there and I'm not you, so I can't comment on your personal
experiences, however, studies have shown that what you're describing is very
unlikely, particularly outdoors. A psychological explanation is much more
likely.

~~~
SimbaOnSteroids
The math involved would say its impossible, the placebo effect is a very real
thing though.

~~~
kobeya
There is no generalizable “math” involved. Everyone’s physiology is different
and their susceptibility to THC depends on the specifics of their exact
metabolic conditions in their own body. Some people get high on a few mg. Some
people require 10’s of mg. Someone in close proximity to a smoker or smoking
crowd could easily get a mg or two if the others are smoking heavy THC
strains. The math checks out on that...

