Truss Beverages has formally entered Canada’s burgeoning cannabis beverages category with the unveiling of its new product line.

The company marked the launch by introducing a line of limited-edition rolling paper straws. Developed by agency partner Rethink, the straws are not being sold, but made available on what the agency describes as a “surprise and delight basis” to consumers across Canada. Each pack contains 10 papers, a dowel for rolling and instructions on how to roll the straws.

“We’ve reimagined rolling papers just as Truss has reimagined the cannabis experience as a beverage company devoted to disrupting the cannabis industry,” said Rethink’s associate creative director Skye Deluz. “Rethink wanted to celebrate the portfolio launch in a way that really reframes how to consume cannabis.”

A joint venture between Ottawa-based LP Hexo Corp. and Molson Coors Canada, Truss describes itself as a beverage company rather than a cannabis company. The company’s website claims that it is “crafting a new space at the intersection of the beverage world and the cannabis frontier.” The company formally announced its product portfolio, built around five product lines:

• Little Victory  — A line of sparkling beverages
• House of Terpenes — A line of sparkling tonics that Truss says is designed to “celebrate the flavo[u]r of cannabis”
• Mollo — Which the company describes as “crisp” beverages
• Verywell — A beverage line dedicated to self-care
• XMG — A line of bold and “intensity flavoured” beverages

Truss says that introducing cannabis in beverage form removes one of the key obstacles to cannabis use: smoking. According to an online survey of 1,500 Canadians conducted by Truss in June, 71% of Canadians identified smoking as the primary barrier to cannabis consumption, with 74% saying that the smell of the cannabis on their clothing would be a possible turn-off.

“At Truss, we’ve built our brands by listening to consumers, so it was important to us to hear directly from Canadians about what they’re looking for from their cannabis consumption experience,” said Truss Beverage Co’s head of marketing Lori Hatcher.

“This data shows just how ready Canadians are for a new cannabis experience that better fits their preferences and lifestyles. Quite frankly, it shows how game changing cannabis beverages can be for consumers.”

Truss says that all of its beverages will feature a “low to medium” dose of THC (between 2.5mg and 5 mg), which addresses another concern among non-users: the ability to control the dosage.

Truss joins a growing cannabis beverage market that also includes offerings from Canopy Growth’s Tweed brand; the Everie product line from Fluent Beverages (a partnership between LP Tilray and AB InBev) and Aurora Cannabis’ Drift.

Earlier this year, Canopy Growth CEO David Klein predicted that the cannabis-infused beverage sector could eventually surpass the hard seltzer category by offering a healthier alternative to alcohol.