Coming Soon to a Bar Near You: Cannabis-Infused Beer in Israel

Local companies Kaneh-B and Beer Bazaar are aiming high—to make cannabis-infused beer available to the general Israeli public as of next month

On a hot Tel Aviv summer's day, there is nothing more refreshing than sitting on the beach with a cold bottle of beer. Or is there? CBD-based product company Kaneh-B Ltd. and Beer Bazaar, a local craft brewery with several outposts in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, are aiming high—to make cannabis-infused beer available in Israel. The beer, called CannaBrew, is set to reach market in January of 2020, Yahav Blaicher, Kaneh-B’s co-founder and chief technology officer, said in a recent interview with Calcalist.

 

While cannabis is not currently legal in Israel except for medicinal indications, the companies’ CannaBrew will be legal since the beer contains only the plant’s legally-permitted aroma substances, called terpenes, and not the cannabinoid component that the law prohibits, Blaicher said.

Beer Bazaar and Kaneh-B's beer in production. Photo: Gadi Kablo

The companies will first launch two cannabis-infused beers, one with a stimulating effect and one with a relaxing effect. The beers are being brewed at a brewery in southern Israeli town Kiryat Gat.

 

Kaneh-B is currently working on existing partnerships that will see other food and beverage items, including ice cream, energy drinks, vegan burgers, and even a children’s nutritional supplement infused with cannabis terpenes, Blaicher said.