CBD and THC Drinks Are Popping Up Everywhere

A CBD seltzer or THC mocktail may seem like a good alternative to alcohol but their effects are very different.

Published on September 23, 2025

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Brent Hofacker / Getty Images

You may have heard the buzz about cannabis beverages and wonder what they're all about. Whether mixed with CBD (the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis) or THC (which creates a "high"), these drinks are making their way into the mainstream. On the surface, CBD or THC-infused drinks may seem like a good alternative to alcohol. But that’s not always the full story.

Daniele Piomelli, PhD, PharmD, is the Director for the Center for the Study of Cannabis at the University of California Irvine.
Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, is host of the Media Savvy Podcast, creator of BetterThanDieting.com, and author of Read It Before You Eat It—Taking You From Label to Table.

What These Drinks Are

Beverages infused with THC or CBD are made much like sparkling waters or mocktails, but instead of alcohol, they include doses of cannabis compounds. CBD is often marketed for relaxation without intoxication, while THC is associated with feeling lighter or euphoric. "These beverages can be lower in calories, for example if it's a seltzer with CBD," says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, author of Read It Before You Eat It—Taking You From Label to Table. "But THC mocktails can be mixed with syrups and juices and rack up calories just like a cocktail."

What to Watch Out For

The bigger concern about these beverages is control. With alcohol, most people have a sense of their limits: They know what a drink or two feels like and when to stop. But with CBD drinks, especially those that include THC, it’s much harder to gauge how your body will respond. "With THC it’s very variable," explains Daniele Pomelli, PhD, PharmD, Director of the Center for the Study of Cannabis at the University of California, Irvine. "Some people experience the effects within 30 minutes, others two hours later."

So, say you're at a party and you're drinking a CBD or THC beverage and 15 minutes later you don't feel anything. So you finish the drink, and maybe start another, then all of the sudden the effects hit you—maybe even very strongly—but it's too late go back. "It takes several hours for the CBD or THC to clear your system," explains Piomelli. "The delayed effect makes moderation tricky and people can feel caught off-guard or even unsafe," says Taub-Dix.

Factors to Consider

CBD and THC-infused drinks aren't necessarily "better" than alcohol, they're just different, and they need to be approached thoughtfully, says Taub-Dix. A few things to keep in mind:

Labeling and Amounts. Reputable brands share exactly how many milligrams of CBD or THC are in each can or bottle. But that might not give you a definite idea of how the drink may affect you. Unlike alcohol's standardized ABV (alcohol by volume) THC potency varies widely which makes dosing unpredictable. While there's no standard dose of THC, 5 mg is what's usually used in research to study effects. But again, everyone reacts differently.
Driving and Safety. Because THC takes longer to kick in, someone may feel fine and decide to drive but then feel impaired later. Mixing CBD/THC drinks with alcohol can dramatically increase impairment and safety risks so it's best to avoid that combination.

The Bottom Line

The effects of THC/CBD can feel very different and take longer to kick in, which can make people underestimate their level of impairment. Just because you don’t feel buzzed in the same way doesn’t mean your reaction time, judgment, or coordination aren’t affected. Whether it’s wine, a cocktail, or a CBD/THC beverage, the safest choice is always to plan ahead and avoid getting behind the wheel.