With all the promise and hype surrounding the emerging cannabis-infused beverage space, BD invited a pair of beverage executives to Future Smarts 2018 to discuss their work in the sector. 

Farm Bill Legalizes Hemp. The newly-passed $867 billion U.S. Farm Bill, awaiting President Trump’s signature, includes a provision to legalize hemp nationally. This could make it easier for beverage companies to market products infused with CBD, a non-psychoactive ingredient derived from hemp...

During an earnings conference call on Oct. 30, CEO James Quincey was asked about any plans for beverages infused with CBD, which is extracted from cannabis and said to relieve inflammation (among other benefits). “We don’t have any plans at this stage to get into this space,” he answered. Quincey later told CNBC: “It’s just not something we’re interested in.” The answer appears to close the door on the ingredient at Coke, for now at least. Coca-Cola had said in September that it was “closely watching the growth of non-psychoactive CBD as an ingredient in functional wellness beverages around the world.” In an interview with Quincey following the conference call, BD asked Quincey how Coke evaluates such an ingredient. Getting to “serious consideration” means crossing a number of “hurdles,” he said. “To put it in simple terms, there are at least three: Is it safe, is it legal, and is it consumable?” Quincey asked. He said safety means reaching a “consensus