FREDERICK, Md., Jan. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Flying Dog Brewery is partnering with Green Leaf Medical Cannabis on a plan to release Maryland’s first THC-infused beer in 2019. The beer, a non-alcoholic India Pale Ale named Hop Chronic, will serve as a medical delivery system to provide Maryland medical cannabis patients with therapeutic cannabinoids including CBD, CBG and THC without the patient having to smoke or vape the cannabis. The product will be released at dispensaries throughout Maryland and will be available in six pack or single serve 12 oz cans. Release of this new product is subject to regulatory and legal approvals.
Hop Chronic IPA will only be available at licensed dispensaries and only to people who have a medical recommendation for the use of cannabis. Hop Chronic IPA will be available in a variety of THC and CBD potencies.
“We see a lot of interest in cannabis from the craft beer community, and we jumped at the opportunity to partner with Green Leaf on a product that captures the passion and energy you see in fans of both craft beer and cannabis,” states Flying Dog CMO Ben Savage. “There are definitely similarities between the natural flavor profiles we extract from hops and the terpenes and cannabinoids found in Cannabis.”
As the fastest growing regional medical cannabis provider, Green Leaf was a perfect fit for Flying Dog. Both entities headquarters are located less than a half-mile from each other in Frederick, Maryland, and both Green Leaf and Flying Dog see many future opportunities to partner on products beyond the release of Hop Chronic this summer.
“In a way, the cannabis industry is a lot like the craft beer movement was a few decades ago,” Green Leaf CEO Phil Goldberg said. “We have to educate people and change the overall perception of what cannabis is, what it could be, and how it might benefit people. Partnering with Flying Dog seemed like another great way to get more people interested in cannabis.”
Goldberg also stressed that using cannabis-infused non-alcoholic beer as a drug delivery system is a great way to allow cannabis patients to reap the medical benefits of cannabis without having to smoke or vape the cannabis flower.
Green Leaf anticipates that its beer partnership with Flying Dog will continue the momentum they’ve built over the past four years. The cannabis provider has raised $23 million since its inception in 2014 and expects to raise an additional $20 million, through its recently-released Series E round of fundraising, to help fuel the acquisition of additional dispensary assets and production resources in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Flying Dog will also be working with Green Leaf on developing specific beer-inspired proprietary cannabis strains, as well as cannabis strain-inspired beer recipes and other products in 2019.
About Flying Dog Brewery:
As one of the fastest-growing regional craft breweries in the United States, Flying Dog has been brewing world-class beer that pushes the confines of traditional styles for almost 30 years. Flying Dog attracts everyone from craft beer connoisseurs to those just catching the wave with up to 20 styles available at any given time. Introduced to Flying Dog by the Gonzo writer Hunter S. Thompson, artist Ralph Steadman has produced original art for Flying Dog’s labels since 1995. Recent accolades for Flying Dog include its Pale Ale ranked as the #1 American Pale Ale in the U.S. by The New York Times. For more information, visit www.flyingdog.com.
About Green Leaf Medical, LLC:
Green Leaf Medical is a Multi-State Operator (MSO) of medical cannabis facilities in the North East United States that holds cultivation, extraction and retail licenses in four contiguous states including Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia. Green Leaf has produced and sold nearly 2 million grams of medical cannabis under its “gLeaf” brand. The cannabis provider was awarded one of just 25 Grower/Processor licenses in Pennsylvania, and Green Leaf’s cultivation application in Maryland received the highest score in the entire state. Unlike many operators in the space, Green Leaf posted positive net operating income of approximately 22% in 2018, putting it on track to meet its 2020 revenue projections of $111 million. Most recently, Green Leaf won one of just five medical cannabis licenses awarded for Commonwealth of Virginia. Green Leaf will be the exclusive provider of medical cannabis in the Richmond, VA region.
