Five years into its launch, Seth Rogen and his Houseplant lifestyle brand enter a new chapter of the business today, releasing its first consumable product in the US that gets you lifted. Cofounders Rogen and Mikey Mohr tell me that Houseplant is launching a hemp-derived Delta-9 THC-infused sparkling water with four flavors: Black Cherry, Blackberry, Citrus and Pineapple.
“We have always been strong believers in beverage as an amazing format for THC. [This moment] feels like when you make a movie and it turns out well…The drink speaks to me and my personality, my sensibility, my aesthetic and my taste–literally and figuratively,” Rogen tells me. “As much as I smoke weed, I’m not always somewhere where I can smoke weed easily. That’s where these have come in very handy for someone like me.”
Each tall 12 oz can contains a low dose of THC, 3mg. The beverage format is faster-acting than other edible cannabis products, which can take over an hour to feel the effects of. Like many other cannabis beverages, you feel this high within minutes. “We strongly believe that that’s the right entry dose,” says Mohr, who is also Houseplant’s CEO.
Given Rogen’s decades-long advocacy for the benefits of cannabis, the launch of this product is no surprise; in fact, it seems somewhat overdue. While the group of guys (including fellow cofounders Evan Goldberg and James Weaver) started talking about a company like this for over a decade, Houseplant got off the ground in 2020 by selling THC-infused beverages in Canada, which are no longer on the market. The pair started from square one for this new US iteration several years ago. “These taste profiles are formulated totally from scratch,” says Mohr. “The technology on emulsification has improved as well.” While they were ready to bring this to market a while ago, they felt that the cannabis industry was not. “To go through the regulated marijuana channels was nearly impossible.”
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Since, Houseplant has primarily been associated with ceramic home goods designed by Rogen and catered towards cannabis enthusiasts, which has garnered the brand a loyal weed-loving base. “We knew that the way to do that was to destigmatize weed and to show the culture and the world that weed is for people who appreciate nice things…and who don’t want to ash in a tuna can,” Rogen says. Earlier this year, Houseplant stepped its toe into the beverage business with Houseplant Coffee in partnership with the flash-frozen coffee tech company, Cometeer. Houseplant Coffee does not contain any THC.
Now, the duo feels the time is right to bring a consumable THC product to the US market. That’s largely because this product is not marijuana-derived. Instead, it’s derived from its cousin, hemp, which became federally legal as a result of the 2018 Farm Bill, and strengthened legally in 2022. Practically, the difference is next to nothing. But legally, because hemp and marijuana are different plants, Houseplant could move forward with mass-producing the beverage. “We started to watch the hemp-derived THC market start to exist,” Mohr says. “We didn’t rush in. We watched patiently.” The North American cannabis beverage industry hit $1.83 billion in 2023 and is projected to skyrocket past $81 billion by 2032.
The flavors are really what make Houseplant stand out from other THC-infused beverages. Bold flavor profiles make it taste almost as if there is fresh fruit inside. “Zero calories, zero sugar, the dosage and the flavor, I think sets us into an entirely different category,” Rogen says. Houseplant worked with a flavor house to formulate the taste and bubbly texture of each variety, an emulsification plant to extract the Delta-9 THC from the hemp plant, and then manufacture and can the product in Minnesota, seen as the most progressive state in cannabev, with Surly Brewing Co.
“Living in a world where we could sell consumable products has always been something we’ve been working towards,” Rogen says. “…and trying in our own way to normalize this lifestyle culturally to the point that something like this would be possible and that a big liquor store chain would carry this type of product.”
He is referring to Total Wine & More, the retail launch partner for Houseplant’s THC beverage, which begins its rollout of Houseplant in its Texas, Florida, Arizona and Indiana stores. “Bringing Seth and the established Houseplant brand into the fold continues to add relevancy to the category,” a spokesperson for Total Wine & More tells me. “[The drinks] showcase our commitment to delivering exceptional products that resonate with evolving consumer preferences in the hemp beverage space.”
Total Wine & More, the country’s largest independent wine retailer, has been a leader in introducing THC-infused beverages to a mainstream demographic since launching the category in its stores just one year ago. Despite $6 billion in revenue last year, alcohol sales are down at the retailer, according to its co-owner, Robert Trone. However, he says its sales of nonalcoholic adult beverages, which typically include THC-infused beverages, are up 30% year-over-year and expected to increase, showing the energized consumer demand for these products. “Even in their more mature markets, [Total Wine is] moving more and more product,” Mohr says. “They had a massive summer and they thought that that would maybe top out and they have not found the top yet.”
Rogen, Mohr and the entire team are committed to normalizing and bringing attention to the benefits of cannabis through Houseplant. “Weed is less dangerous than alcohol, period, hands down, end of story,” Rogen passionately says. “When I get excited about something, I work very hard to execute it.”
H/T: www.forbes.com
