Tag Archives: Keurig Green Mountain

Big business: sugary CBD-infused delivery systems

Business, National, , ,

I haven’t had the stomach to read much in depth news for the last few days but found this sort of refreshing pause. Coca-Cola Corporation is in talks with a Canadian company, Aurora Cannabis Inc. about marketing an infused drink of some kind.

(Reuters) – Coca-Cola Co (KO.N) is closely watching the fast-growing marijuana drinks market for a possible entry that would expand the world’s largest soft drink maker’s ambitions further away from sugary sodas. sodapot

Coca-Cola announced its interest in a statement on Monday, responding to a report from BNN Bloomberg that said it was in talks with Canada’s Aurora Cannabis Inc (ACB.TO) to develop drinks infused with cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive chemical found in marijuana.

Coke would join a rush by major alcohol makers and a cigarette company to test the cannabis market and find partners ahead of the Oct. 17 launch of legal recreational marijuana in Canada.

Coke and Aurora, in separate statements, each said they were interested in cannabidiol-infused beverages but would not comment on any specifics or talks. Aurora’s stock soared 17 percent, while Coke’s edged up slightly.

Coke may be coming full circle back to its 1880’s “medicinal” roots. According to Snopes.com Coke really did — at least early on — have some coke, cocaine in it. Coca-Cola was named back in 1885 for its two “medicinal” ingredients: extract of coca leaves and kola nuts. Just how much cocaine was originally in the formulation is hard to determine, but the drink undeniably contained some cocaine in its early days.

It’s probably worth wondering if Keurig Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (sort of a Vermont corporation) to see if they too are looking into cannabidiol-infused beverages. In 2014 it was partnered with Coke but jettisoned that relationship in 2015. KGMCR is now partnered with Dr. Pepper brand sugar-laden drinks. I suppose corporate cannabis soda could be just what Dr. Pepper ordered for Green Mountain Coffee.

Cannabidiol, of course, doesn’t produce a high. No widespread word on whether it gives users the munchies, although some sources say … maybe. If so, how convenient to imbibe the medicinal compound in a hunger-reducing sugary drink — no brownies required.

Coke stops funding obesity study group

Business, ,

It is good to keep an eye on the giant sugary soda company, as they currently own 16% of Keurig Green Mountain. sucrecola

Coca Cola has pulled the cork on its Global Energy Balance Network. The GEBN was an effort bankrolled by Coke designed to influence academic research into obesity and blunt criticism of big-time sugary drinks.

Public health groups said the company was promoting “scientific nonsense” through research partnerships. And on Monday the GEBN removed all content from its website “due to resource limitations.”
Public health authorities complained that Coke, the world’s largest producer of sugary beverages, was adopting tactics once used by the tobacco industry, which for decades enlisted experts to raise doubts about the health hazards of smoking. Last month, the University of Colorado School of Medicine said it would return a $1 million grant that Coca-Cola had provided to help start the organization.
“I think ultimately the Global Energy Balance Network was a megaphone for Coca-Cola,” Yoni Freedhoff, an obesity expert at the University of Ottawa who first raised questions about the group’s funding, said. “And now that Coca-Cola is no longer providing the funds to support that megaphone, it’s shutting down. I think that speaks to the purpose of the establishment of this group.”

For months, the group denied that it was allowing Coke to influence its message or the work of its scientists.

Coca Cola is no stranger to this type of thing. In 2009 the company formed a controversial funding partnership with the American Society of Family Physicians “to develop consumer education content on beverages and sweeteners for FamilyDoctor.org.” Some ASFP members in California resigned in protest. And three years ago under pressure of a product boycott the Atlanta-based corporation stopped its longtime funding of ALEC, the “corporate bill mill.”  In addition, Coke is one of six companies that together spent $12.6 million lobbying against state and federal legislation dealing with GMO labeling in the first half of 2015.

While GEBN has obviously fizzled out, Coca Cola’s CEO said, “Clearly, we have more work to do to reflect the values of this great company in all that we do.” I’d guess they’ll be back reflecting the company values after a pause to refresh.