Marijuana Business Magazine October 2019

Marijuana Business Magazine | October 2019 104 C onvincing a regular beer drinker to choose a nonalcoholic, THC-infused ale over a traditional brew is no easy task. The same goes for a cannabis consumer who’s more comfortable with smoking, vaping or ingesting edibles than drinking an infused ale. So, when San Diego-based Cannabiniers unveiled its CBD- and THC-infused craft beer under the Two Roots Brewing Co. label in August 2018, it immediately began an aggressive strategy to convert cannabis and beer enthusiasts away from old habits in favor of a new way to consume. The company executed that strategy by: • Defining a core consumer who is curious about marijuana. • Marketing specifically to that core consumer. • Offering free samples of non-infused, nonalcoholic beer at events and in dispensaries. • Educating consumers about a new way of consuming cannabis. A Craft Conversion By Bart Schaneman A San Diego edibles company seeks to break new ground by brewing an infused, nonalcoholic craft beer Business Strategies | Infused Converting marijuana smokers to cannabis-infused brew guzzlers is no easy task. Just as tricky is persuading beer drinkers to drop alcohol and get their buzz from THC. But that’s exactly what San Diego-based Cannabiniers hopes to accomplish with its Two Roots Brewing Co. brand. Here’s how it plans to do it: • Clearly define, then laser-target a core market demographic. • Take beer, a product familiar to most consumers, and infuse it with 5 milligrams of THC. • Introduce the uninitiated to its products by providing free, non-infused samples at social events and industry trade shows. • Educate consumers about the benefits of consuming THC versus alcohol. Kevin Barnes, vice president of Two Roots Brewing Co., samples the finished product. Photo by Thomas Kelsey