The Future of Weed Is Liquid

“Yes, people are excited about something! Let’s do more of that!” Cullum says. “Let’s have some customers to serve.”

Cullum says THC seltzers don’t sell at the same rate that popular beers like local IPAs, but they’re drawing repeat customers who ask for them specifically. He imagines that in the years to come, these drinks will just be a standard part of the beverage menu that requires less and less explanation.

“The more it’s in the marketplace, the more it demystifies it,” he says.

Will all these THC drinks overtake alcohol at Attagirl? Cullum doesn’t think so. Though some people do entirely substitute cannabis for alcohol, this doesn’t appear to be having widespread effects on drinking.

An analysis of federal data by Sightlines, an alcohol and cannabis insights platform I also report for, shows that in most states that have greenlit recreational cannabis, per capita rates of alcohol consumption have actually increased since legalization. Some states, including Colorado and California, saw double-digit increases in per capita drinking since legalization. One explanation is that, for many people, THC and alcohol serve different functions. Sleep, relaxation, and mood boost are generally the top reasons people cite for using THC, while others say they tend toward alcohol for high-energy social moments.

Still, it’s the cultural parity between alcohol and THC that seems core to the mainstreaming of cannabis and hemp. Alcohol is so deeply a part of our American rituals that the Fourth of July is perennially beer’s biggest sales week. If THC drinks can be part of the same barbecues and pool parties, they’ll eventually cement cannabis as just another way for adults to catch a buzz.

“Anyone who goes to a bar now knows which brands to ask for,” says Eliza Colon-Harris, a 33-year-old makeup artist in New Orleans. She still drinks alcohol occasionally, but says her city is a glimpse into the future of what a “420-friendly” city looks like. More frequently, she finds herself swapping in a Louie Louie blackberry lemonade instead of an espresso martini. And unlike she might have had to do with a joint or a vape, Colon-Harris doesn’t have to covertly step out into the alley to enjoy a bit of THC.

“I tell everyone about it.… My friends want to try them. I’ll randomly tell people at the bar,” she says. “I cannot stop telling people how amazing it is and how nice it is not to have a hangover.”