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Cannabis ale to go on sale
A home-brewed ale made from cannabis is to go on sale at a pub in Devon, UK, with its creator aiming to roll it out nationally.
The makings of a spliffing drink? Cannabis in its natural form (Photo: Wiki)
The £3-a-pint ale, dubbed by some as “ganja” or “Mary Jane” – Jamaican slang for marijuana – is made using cannabis leaves but is completely legal.
It is the creation of pub landlord Giles Hawkins, of the Albert Inn in Totnes, Devon, who is initially brewing 54 gallons of the controversial ale.
He will debut it at a beer festival next month and hopes to roll it out nationally if it proves popular, reports the Daily Star.
He uses the typical ingredients of barley, hops and yeast, but adds in an entire kilogram of cannabis leaves per batch to make his spliffing drink.
The brew manages to dodge drug laws by using a lower strength variety of the plant.
Mr Hawkins told the Star: “It has a light colour, a citrus taste on the palate and a dry finish.
“It is 4% proof, so middle of the road, and it will cost £3 a pint. I will see how successful it is before deciding whether to brew some more.”
The pot-pint is still without an official name, but Mr Hawkins is considering calling the ale “Hey Ho” alluding to the drinks being a combination of hemp and hops.
The publican said there had been no objections from the police or from local government.
He added: “The hemp is from the same family as the hops. It’s all legal. It is Government certificated.”
The brew will be officially launched at the pub’s October beer festival, which appropriately has a rock ’n roll theme, early next month.
The Albert Inn, Totnes, Devon, where the brew will be debuted (Photo: Google)
It is the latest in a long line of weed-inspired drinks creations.
According to Crane Carter, president of the Napa Valley Marijuana Growers, California winemakers are increasingly keen on lacing some of their produce with cannabis for drinking at parties “with like-minded people”.
Hemp-infused vodka is also making a mark in Canada with the release two years ago of Mary Jane’s Primo Hemp Infused Vodka – a small-batch artisan spirit made from “choice domestic ingredients”.
And with the recent news that big-business weed soda is set to launch in Washington State, US, the joining of joints and drinks is a trend that looks set to continue.