Interview, Part 2: Pamos Beverage President Jared Dougherty
June 25, 2024In the second part of our interview, Pamos Beverage Co. president Jared Dougherty discusses distribution expansion for the hemp-based THC drinks label, opportunities in the on-premise market, and how the regulatory environment for the emerging category is coming together.
SND: How widely is Pamos distributed?
Dougherty: We’re in 10 markets through distributors with another three to five coming online in the next 30 days. We recently did a direct to retail deal with Spec’s in Texas. We’re in the cooler door, we have an end cap, and we have dedicated racks. They’re carrying our full suite of products. Sell-in is nice, but it’s sell-through that really counts. So we’ve got a full supporting education program that we have activated with Spec’s, educating store staff on the product, education materials for consumers, as well as tasting and sampling events.
In the Northeast, (distributor) Sarene Craft Beer has really embraced the category, so we’re with them. They’ve got us in Total Wine in the Northeast. The craft beer distributors have been active in the category early on, and they make up our network. But we’re working on a few conversations with spirit distributors as well. What I think we bring to the table that’s a bit different is the opportunity for on-premise consumption, and the spirit distributors really know how to operate in that space.
SND: How do you see that on-premise market developing?
Dougherty: I think on-premise is a really good way to normalize the category. When you are recommended a THC cocktail by a server or you see one in your favorite restaurant, at a festival, or even a professional sports stadium, there’s a stamp of approval, and that inspires trial. On-premise is actually a channel that will help the category really get traction with new users.
SND: There’s a lot of discussion about appropriate regulation of this new category. What’s your take?
Dougherty: There is really an opportunity for the alcohol industry to step in and take some ownership of this. They’re seeing the trajectory of the category. Most importantly, they’re seeing the consumer demand. We believe the category would be great in the hands of the alcohol industry, under TTB-type regulations. They’ve been able to responsibly market products like this. They’ve been able to age-gate and have appropriate regulations on packaging and so on. I think all of that needs to fall into place. We see the discussion around the Farm Bill as an opportunity for cannabis beverages to come together with alcohol to solidify that.
Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning. You will also receive the Cannabis edition as part of your subscription.Tagged : cannabis, hemp THC, hemp THC beverages, Pamos
