Exclusive: THC-lined straws could transform the food industry

Innovative THC delivery systems are abundant in a market saturated with transdermal patches, dissolvable strips, and more – but from time to time a unique product idea disrupts the playing field. Enter THC-infused drinking straws with an inner lining – fortified with THC.

Today Drnq Budz launched its first line of THC fortified drinking straws directly in the straw lining. The feed dissolves when drinking and offers a new titration system: the consumer can observe the amount of THC that is consumed through the outer layer of the straw. This technology enables very precise dosing and thus stands out from other titration methods.

Give your lungs a break, but while maintaining a relatively rapid onset of THC that occurs within six minutes. You can actually see the colored coating inside the straw go away as the THC is consumed.

Drink up Budz founder Joe Wallace.

“Here’s the situation: people take gummy bears and wait half an hour to get high,” Drnq Budz founder Joe Wallace told High Times. “How often do you end up using a second when you get bored of waiting? And in the end much higher than they wanted to be? With Drnq Budz, the coating dissolves in the liquid you drink with it and increases bioavailability – we have a six-minute start, which is definitely more fun, but also gives people more control. “

How is that possible? The Los Angeles-based startup secured master rights to the technology from Unistraw, the world’s largest straw producer based in Australia. Unistraw’s patented, award-winning straw delivery system can infuse beverages with a coating of flavorings or active ingredients – in this case THC.

Drnq Budz will be available in three flavors and three dosages: 25 mg, 50 mg and 100 mg dosages, with individual drinking straws containing 5-10 mg. Further options are expected shortly. This way anyone can infuse a cocktail or almost any other type of drink with THC without knowing the intricacies of an edible infusion. Typically, cannabis must be decarboxylated and added to alcohol or an oil-based medium for infusion. It’s just not something most average consumers know how to do right.

The straws are available in the natural flavors of mango, lemon-lime, berry and matcha in packs of 10 straws. Drnq Budz will be available in pharmacies and delivery services across California starting December 15, 2021.

There are many bans on plastic straw as plastic pollutes the oceans. Seattle, Washington banned plastic straws in July 2018, followed by Washington DC and other cities. Large food and beverage chains like Starbucks also began phasing out plastic straws. This provides an opportunity for compostable options.

Photo courtesy Drink Budz.

Drnq Budz straws are 100 percent certified compostable and come from biological sources. They’re actually made from corn – not plastic. The straws could help massively reduce the carbon footprint of the cannabis industry, reduce shipping and storage of heavier products, and reduce the plastic and chemical waste associated with vaping products.

“This delivery system is going to change lives,” said Wallace. “I know this sounds like an exaggeration, but think about how convenient and comfortable it is to take care of yourself and to feel good. This is a natural disruptive factor in the edible market – which is set to grow to $ 12 billion by 2025. And come on, we’re adults here – do you really want to sit around and eat gummy bears? Imagine what we can do with this technology – all you have to do is take a sip. “

Straw technology offers a new way to quickly feel the effects of THC, outside of the typical edibles you know well.