Heineken's Signature Green, Just Got Greener

What’s your favourite brew in Jamaica? Chances are if you’re a beer drinker, you choose between two brands, Red Stripe and Heineken. Well, it looks like the green bottle brew is about to get even greener. Through their subsidiary the craft brewer Lagunitas, the Heineken company has launched a new Ganja infused brew called Hi Fi Hops. But, it not beer, the company craftily defines it as an "IPA-inspired" sparkling water infused with THC. IPA meaning India Pale Ale and THC is Tetrahydrocannabinol, the compound in Ganja that gives you the buzz or in doctor parlance, has a psychoactive effect on the human brain.

This move is reflective of broader shifts within the industry as Marijuana acceptance and use goes mainstream. The Hi Fi Hops product will initially only be available in California, the largest US state to legalize Ganja for both medicinal and recreational uses. There have been many rumblings within the beverage industry as major companies make moves to incorporate CBD (Cannabidiol) into their product lines.

Constellation Brands, parent company of Corona beer bought a stake in the Canadian marijuana giant, Canopy Growth Corp. last year and signalled its intent to develop cannabis-infused beverages. What makes Heineken’s brand stand out is its use of the THC, they are the first to bring to market a drink with the narcotic properties of THC.

Hi-Fi hops will not be sold in grocery stores just yet. It will be available at California dispensaries from July, 2019. The THC infusion is currently available in two varieties: One contains 10 mg of THC and another has 5 mg of THC and 5 mg of CBD combined.