As the world shifts its attention to cannabis, Seattle-headquartered beverages company Jones Soda is seeking out an opportunity in the weed-infused drinks sector.

The company, which is known for tantalizing the taste buds of people who indulge in its original premium craft soda, has unveiled a new brand — Meet Mary Jones.

Based on an official press release announcing the news, Jones Soda’s launch portfolio features 16 unique SKU’s, including single and multidose products like cannabis-infused sodas, gummies, syrups and a 1000mg syrup cannabis tincture.

The company has clearly considered the sheer power of this sector. After all, if the findings of a recently published cannabis beverages market report by Global Industry Analysts Inc. (GIA) are correct, this element of the U.S. industry could be worth USD$752 million this year.

Jones Soda’s cannabis brand launch signifies major milestone moment

Most people know Jones Soda as a publicly traded company that specializes in craft soda. The fact that it is a small-scale business means that it is often overshadowed by more famous brands, including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.

Last year, Jones Soda recorded revenue of $14.8 million. This was just under .04 percent of Coke’s revenue for the entire of 2021. Nonetheless, since Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are still cautiously waiting on the sidelines to embrace cannabis – which is a federally illegal substance – Jones Soda now has a competitive edge. 

In February, Pepsi came close when it launched a range of hemp-infused Rockstar energy drinks. While they are from the same plant species, hemp and cannabis or ‘marijuana’ are different plants — hemp contains 0.3 percent or less THC, whereas cannabis tends to grow with more than 0.3 percent of the psychotropic compound.

Jones Soda wants to be the nation’s biggest player in cannabis drinks

By adding cannabis to the mix, the globally-acclaimed drinks company stands to make a significant impact on the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) market as a whole.

“We’re a small player in soda, but we’re going to be the biggest national player when it comes to a recognizable CPG name in cannabis,” said Jones Soda’s marketing chief Bob Blair during a recent interview.

The company’s foray into the cannabis beverages market emerges amid Pepsi’s recent move into the alcoholic beverages market with Mountain Dew – a collaboration that has led to the creation of Hard Mtn Dew – and the December launch of Anheuser-Busch’s Light Seltzer Hard Soda. 

All of Jones Soda’s cannabis-infused products can be purchased in Berry Lemonade, Green Apple, Orange Cream and Root Beer flavors.