Aluminum cans degrade cannabinoids in infused drinks

Cannabis-infused drinks have exploded in popularity in recent years. Most grocery stores in the United States now offer a wide range of cannabis-infused beverages. CBD, Canadian licensed producers are also offering beverages with THC and/or CBD. Alcohol manufacturers are also interested in this potential growth driver, for example Heineken with Lagunitas.

These drinks are often sold in aluminum cans. These usually contain a plastic lining which prevents the drinks from tasting metallic, and reduces corrosion of the can to optimize shelf life. But when canned drinks are pressurized, the coating can attract tiny emulsified droplets of e cannabisnoids, reducing the advertised effect of the drinks.

«Our theory is that the cannabis particles, the droplets, will stick to the liner and cling to it. When you open your can to take a drink, it will lose its potency,» a declared Harold Han, founder and scientific director of Vertosa, a cannabinoid beverage company.

Cannabis is naturally not aquaphilic, so the manufacture of a CBD or THC drink requires the use of a nanoemulsion principle that breaks down oily compounds on a microscopic scale so that they can remain suspended in a beverage.

Cannabis beverages that use this technology have a faster effect than traditional edibles form. They also have a high bioavailability, as the body absorbs a higher quantity of THC or CBD more quickly in this form.

Vertosa first noticed the problem when Lagunitas migrated its Hi-Fi Hops drinks from cans to glass bottles in early 2019. «Then we thought, let's test some can coatings. Let's test our emulsions.» After conducting these tests, Harold Han and his team found that the loss of cannabinoids «was horrible».