From cannabis-infused sparkling water that contains only five calories to pot beer that doesn’t taste disgusting (no seriously, the taste has been compared to dish soap and even urine), these Canadian companies are thinking outside of the box when it comes to drinkable weed.

Sweet Reason: Hemp CBD-infused sparkling water

There’s no reason why obsessions can’t be healthy. If pitched to the right audience, obsessions can lead to a sweet million-dollar deal—just ask Hilary McCain.

Obsessed with cannabis beverages, McCain launched Sweet Reason Beverage Co., a Toronto- and New York-based beverage brand, in December 2018.

The drinks come in three different flavours: grapefruit, cucumber mint and strawberry lavender. Each bottle contains seven mg of pure hemp CBD and no sugar, sweeteners, carbs, sodium or artificial ingredients — and only five calories. It is meant to be “enjoyed throughout the day as a mild stimulant compared to something like a Red Bull or a soda,” TechCrunch reports.

The products are available in more than 150 retail stores, mostly in New York, with one per cent of sales going towards mental health initiatives.

Latest buzz: This year, the company raised US$2.5 million to complete its seed financing round led by ​Lerer Hippeau, an investment firm behind popular brands like Glossier, Warby Parker, Allbirds, Casper and Soylent.

Hill Street: Alcohol-free, cannabis-infused wine and beer

Whoever said never mix medicine and wine obviously never tried a bottle of Hill Street wine.

“We’ve done it! World peace,” notes the Toronto-based company on its website. “We’re healthier, getting home safe, we have fewer regrets and we’re having an ice cold beer for breakfast… you’re welcome, Miss Universe.”

The line of beverages is award-winning and, as per a press release, recipient of three Gold, two Silver and two Bronze Medals at the U.S. Open Beer Championships, the Retail Council of Canada’s Grand Prix award, and a prestigious Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco International Wine Challenge.

“We initially set out to create the world’s best-tasting, alcohol-free wine and beer so that consumers could enjoy the beverages they love most, but without the toxicity of alcohol,”  Terry Donnelly, chairman and CEO of Hill Street Beverage Co., said in an email to The Growth Op. “When it became possible to provide an intoxicating beverage that can do the same thing using cannabis, it made tremendous sense to us to use our beverages as the perfect platform to provide for consumers—great tasting wine and beer, with up to 100 percent fewer calories, no toxicity and no hangover.”

The non-infused drinks are available in Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws, Sobeys and Zehrs.

Latest buzz: Late in July, the company announced a joint manufacturing partnership with Lexaria Bioscience Corp., a medical cannabinoid  research company that promotes healthy administration methods. “The partnership positions us to be one of the main processors of cannabis powder for use as an infusion material, as well as giving us a much better product with which to make infused edibles,” Donnelly says.

Cannabis powder “made using Lexaria’s patented process has an onset of two to five minutes, and averages about 90 minutes in duration,” he says. The product allows infusing any beverage with cannabis without altering its taste, smell or other physical attributes.

Flow Glow: CBD-infused antioxidant water

Raising a toast for cannabis can now make one glow, especially with a glass of Flow Glow.

Late last year, Ontario-based Flow Alkaline Spring Water launched its beverage line Flow Glow, a CBD-infused antioxidant water that aims to be  an “ultra-hydrating, mineral-rich H2O super food. With Flow Glow, you can hydrate and nourish your cells to the fullest with naturally occurring minerals, powerful antioxidants and the qualities of CBD,” Nicholas Reichenbach, founder and CEO, said in a press release.

Cannabidiol (CBD), and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are two main components of the cannabis plant; the main difference between the two being CBD doesn’t get you high, whereas THC does.

Founded in 2015, the products are packaged in a Tetra Pak paper carton made from nearly 70 percent renewable resources. “Four years ago, I left Burning Man with an idea. After seeing the mountain of plastic water bottles that had to be removed at the end of the festival, I knew there had to be a better way. I immediately thought of the delicious water from my family’s artesian spring, but in a sustainable package,” Reichenbach notes on the website.

Latest buzz: In June, the company announced a campaign with Gwyneth Paltrow, goop CEO and founder. “Flow is changing the game with spring water that is naturally alkaline, nothing added. The pack is made from sustainably sourced fibers and even has a plant-based cap crafted from sugarcane,” Paltrow says in a press release.

Province Brands of Canada: Weed beer that doesn’t taste awful

The taste of cannabis drinks has been compared to urine and soap dish. But Toronto-based Province Brands of Canada claims it’s found a solution: brewing with the cannabis plant instead of the barley, a traditional part of the beer formula.

“Adding hops and water, the company is convinced it can create a line of non-alcoholic beverages that taste just as good as any beer on the market,” reported Bloomberg last year.

So far, many companies have not found the go-to solution to get rid of the pungent, bitter aroma and taste—the drinks are often loaded with sugar, additives and other taste enhancers to hide the smell and taste.

CBD and THC are not water soluble, so the way infused drinks have been prepared up until now is that users either “shake the bottle to mix it; by using common emulsifiers and surfactants (ingredients that help mix water with oil) to create water compatible cannabinoids; or by using nano emulsifications (small emulsion used to mix liquids) to create water compatible cannabinoids,” reads a report in New Cannabis Ventures.

Latest buzz: Province Brands is looking to raise around $100 million by the end of the year to fund its commercial market in Canada, U.S. and Europe.

Sproutly: Water-soluble cannabis solutions

Vancouver-based Sproutly Inc. aims to lead the charge when it comes to formulating water-soluble cannabis solutions. In partnership with Infusion Biosciences Inc., Sproutly, as per its website, has developed “Infuz2O, the first truly water-soluble cannabis solution to be formulated into beverages/drinks.”

Latest buzz: The company recently announced the “expansion of its operations with a new manufacturing facility in close proximity to the Toronto Herbal Remedies Inc. production facility in Scarborough, Ontario.”