NJ hemp seltzer brand releases THC version in Maine

Pequannock hemp seltzer brand Kaló launched a THC version in Maine, propelling itself into the legal cannabis beverage market with lemon lavender and pomegranate peach flavors.

The high from the Sept. 30 release will reportedly set in under five minutes, said Ken VandeVrede, chief executive officer of Kalo’s parent company Hillview.

The product announcement called the 5-milligram THC drink “a sessionable replacement for beer, wine, cocktails, or spiked seltzers – as well an alternative to slow-onset edibles that can take more than 30 minutes to produce effects.”

Kaló THC seltzers have 25 calories, just five ingredients, are 100% vegan and formulated with patent-pending, naturally water-soluble whole cannabis plant THC extract, which is what causes effects to set on quicker than other products, the company said.

The company partnered with Maine-based beverage maker Novel Beverage Co. on the launch, bringing it to all 40 dispensaries currently open in the state. An expansion to Massachusetts and other markets is planned for the coming months.

He added, “Given the exploding interest in the category, we are now able to choose the partners we work with, and we prioritize partners who share our enthusiasm, who are authentic in their commitment to their brand and who bring an innovation and value through their unique products,” Matthew Hawes, CEO and founder of Novel Beverage Co. said “We found all those attributes in Kaló and their team. With their proprietary extraction technology and their functional beverage approach, Kaló will bring a new and exciting option to the space.”

VandeVrede launched Kaló hemp seltzer in 2020; it is distributed in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Wisconsin.