StaffApril 16, 2020
Today a new trade organization, the Cannabis Beverage Association (CBA), announced its formation along with the founding board members that operate at the highest levels within the industry.
To advance the interests of cannabis beverage producers and their consumers through advocacy and education, it is the mission of the CBA to help the burgeoning cannabis beverage sector reach its potential; a potential beyond a robust market cap, but that can offset society’s dangerous affliction with alcohol consumption with products that are enjoyable, session-able, and offer the healthful benefits offered by cannabis consumption.
“The rules governing cannabis manufacturers were developed without much regard for beverages and some of those rules are onerous and deserve a second look to ensure the nascent cannabis beverage segment is allowed to grow to its potential,” expressed Macai Polansky, co-founder of Spacestation, a cannabis beverage manufacturer, and founder of the CBA.
The CBA seeks to educate policymakers and consumers, establish standards for operators and testers to uphold, and advocate for common-sense policies so we can ensure that the cannabis beverage industry delivers safe, high-quality, reliable products to the consumers who enjoy them.
“In an industry that’s littered with misinformation, membership in the CBA gives us a compelling and necessary platform through which to educate our legislators about the benefits of infused beverages and the challenges we face as an industry in bringing those benefits to the end consumer.,” said Tracey Mason, co-founder & CEO of the House of Saka.
Some of the immediate goals that this organization will be addressing during this legislative session include advocating for more realistic packaging requirements, less restrictive requirements for child-resistant resealable closures for multi-dose products, loosen the restrictions on use of alcohol-related terminology (i.e. rose’, IPA, etc.), increase the tolerance for variance from the labeled amount in microdose products, and to simplify the process for obtaining finished product beverages to use as samples. These are some of the issues that are keeping infused beverages from reaching its potential and the CBA hopes to help alleviate these harsh and unnecessary restrictions through strategic and thoughtful lobbying efforts.
Founding Board Members Include:
Macai Polansky – Spacestation – Founder and President/Chairman
Austin Stevenson – Vertosa – Founding Member and Treasurer
Aaron Silverstein – BevZero – Founding Member and Secretary
Ben Larson – Vertosa – Founding Member
Amy Ludlum – California Dream’ – Founding Member
Peter Bishop – California Dream’ – Founding Member
Cynthia Salarizadeh – House of Saka – Founding Member / PR & Messaging
Tracey Mason – House of Saka – Founding Member / PR & Messaging
Sebastian Smuts – Cann – PR & Messaging
Ishan Kapoor – Cann
Brands Involved:
Spacestation
Vertosa
House of Saka
Cann
BevZero
California Dreamin’
KZen Beverages
Venice of America
Fiorello
Calexo
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