Mary Jones Cannabis Beverages to Expand to Michigan and Nevada

Jones Soda Co., the craft soda brand based in Seattle known for its unconventional flavors and user-submitted photo labels, has announced an agreement expanding distribution of its new Mary Jones cannabis-infused beverage brand to both Michigan and Nevada, the fourth and eighth largest cannabis markets in the U.S., respectively.
533
photo of four Mary Jones soda cans in different flavors
Mary Jones cannabis-infused beverages from Jones Soda Co. are coming to the Michigan market. // Photo courtesy of Jones Soda Co.

Jones Soda Co., the craft soda brand based in Seattle known for its unconventional flavors and user-submitted photo labels, has announced an agreement expanding distribution of its new Mary Jones cannabis-infused beverage brand to both Michigan and Nevada, the fourth and eighth largest cannabis markets in the U.S., respectively.

The Mary Jones line debuted last June in California and is slated to launch in Washington state in the second quarter of 2023, continuing a planned national rollout to all recreational-use markets.

Mary Jones already ranks as a top seller in the cannabis-infused carbonated beverage category in California, where it is carried in more than 275 dispensaries.

“As the first branded soda company to expand into the cannabis space, we have unique advantages that include 26 years of brand recognition, deep flavor science expertise, and an edgy brand personality that’s a perfect fit for the canna culture,” says Mark Murray, president and CEO of Jones Soda Co. “These attributes have already helped turn Mary Jones into California’s top infused carbonated beverage and the state’s fastest-growing cannabis brand, and we fully expect similar success in Washington, Michigan, Nevada, and every other market we enter.”

Mary Jones manufacturing and distribution in Michigan and Nevada will be handled by Maxxx Labs, a cannabis contract manufacturing and distribution company specializing in beverages. The company operates licensed cannabis manufacturing facilities in both states as well as licensed dispensaries in Michigan, with planned expansion into the Ohio, Florida, and Texas markets.

“This collaboration presents a unique opportunity to combine our expertise in cannabis manufacturing with Jones Soda’s well-known creativity in beverage development,” says Paul Schmitz, CEO of Core Investment Group, the parent company of Maxxx Labs. “We will be bringing canna consumers in Michigan and Nevada new products that I fully expect to fly off the shelves and continue building Mary Jones into a leading brand in the space.”

The new agreement brings Mary Jones into two states that are currently expanding their cannabis footprints. Michigan voters legalized recreational cannabis in 2018, and the state has more than 1,050 cannabis sales locations and is set to open the first Detroit dispensaries this year following the recent awarding of 33 licenses out of the 160 permitted under the city’s recreational cannabis ordinance.

Nevada legalized recreational cannabis use in 2017, now ranks second in the nation in cannabis sales per capita, and is slated to distribute licenses this year for cannabis consumption lounges that are expected to create a “marijuana zone” in Las Vegas.

Mary Jones will launch in both states this summer with the full portfolio of current products, including Mary Jones 10-milligram and 100-milligram THC-infused sodas and THC-infused syrups. Michigan and Nevada will join California and Washington in the launch of Mary Jones edibles in multiple flavors and formats, also this summer.

All products will be available in a variety of flavors that taste like the mainline Jones craft sodas that have been offered for over 25 years. Limited-edition flavors will be added seasonally.

The brand’s 10-milligram sodas are packaged in single-serving 12-ounce glass bottles sold in four-pack carriers. The 100-milligram sodas come in 16-ounce resealable, child-resistant, multiserve cans designed for paced consumption and/or social sharing with friends.

The syrups come in 4-ounce glass bottles containing 100 milligrams of THC for multiple servings that can be added to any soda, used as a cocktail mixer, sipped straight from the bottle, drizzled over desserts, or used to infuse favorite recipes.

“This launch is special for us,” says Bohb Blair, chief marketing officer of Jones Soda and chief brand officer of Mary Jones. “Our Michigan Jones Soda fans are passionate about the brand and their favorite flavors. They’ve been ready for this launch right alongside us, and we know they will love these products.

“Nevada is unique, with a hometown group of consumers matched by a large tourist population. We want each of them to have a great Mary Jones experience to talk about when they get home.”

The first Michigan and Nevada dispensaries to carry Mary Jones products will be announced on the “Where to Buy” page at gomaryjones.com shortly before launch.