Liner Scalping

The reality of the emerging cannabis beverage sector is revealing a crushing issue that the industry is failing to address, potency loss, cannabinoid inaccuracy in packaging, and shelf life degradation of cannabinoids in solution.

Texas's growing cannabis (CBD & THC) beverage industry has faced a few growing pains — one being concerns with canning the drinks and the potency degradation of cannabinoids in solution.

The major worry presented: possibly losing the drink’s potency due to the plastic liner inside of aluminum cans.

That liner is there for a reason — protecting the beverage and consumer from the metal. But as more cannabis beverage manufacturers get into the business, they’re learning their drinks on the shelves may not hold the amount of THC and or CBD advertised if not packaged right. Creating a customer value issue that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

“It is a well-documented phenomenon. It’s known by a few different names — we call it degradation of cannabinoids,” said Max Johnson technical sales manager with BevSource

In Texas we are starting to recognize it as "scalping" quality assurance testing to determining which container works best for a beverage. Max Johnson says about half of all THC drinks that have launched on the Minnesota shelves have come through their lab, making them well aware of the impact that liner can have on these drinks. Third party testing in Texas is starting to see the same phenomena. Jesse Kerns at New Bloom Labs is starting to see this in Tennessee as well as Texas.

“The real challenge is that that plastic liner is actually electronically attracted to the ingredient that holds the cannabis,” Johnson said. “What happens over time, is that the cannabis has actually pulled it towards the walls of the can so that when a consumer drinks the product, they’re drinking the liquid that is holding it, but they’re not actually consuming the cannabis.”

Simply put, THC drinks can lose potency because of that liner. It is critical to understand what companies, can providers, and processes protect the cannabinoids in solution and to start to educate the consumer and wholesalers that are betting big on the canned cannabis market segment.

A decade from now, all of the most successful cannabis brands in the world will have mastered the art of producing cannabis products that consistently yield the same experience – every single time a consumer purchases it. It Texas it will be a race to find and secure the packaging with partners and suppliers that ensure potency and avoid scalping through the aluminum leeching. THC and CBD are prone to losing potency when infused into beverages, leading to unknown cannabinoid concentrations and thus unpredictable effects for the end user -- in other words, a brands’ worst nightmare. The effects behind scalping through packaging and oxidation reactions are currently being explored by brands like RESTART CBD + THC and their RITA line as well as other industry leaders in Texas.

Keep in mind that in Texas DSHS has the authority to regulate hemp-derived cannabinoid products including beverages. DSHS does not test beverages. The manufacturer is responsible for testing each batch of product, which is required to be tested by a third party for microbials, cannabinoid potency, mold, solvents, pesticides, fertilizers, and heavy metal toxicity.