Former University of Phoenix president Bill Gibbs was looking for an adult beverage that wouldn’t make him hungover.
“I’m old,” joked the 72-year-old Gibbs. “As you get older you can’t drink and you’re looking for healthier alternatives. I didn’t like the prospect of giving up alcohol, so I was looking for something else.”
What the owner and CEO of Sweet Dreams Vineyards found were cannabis-blended beverages that are created with nano-emulsification technology (to make the THC water soluble) and natural ingredients. Currently, Sweet Dreams Vineyard’s flagship product, Cannabernet, and Marijuarita THC beverages are available in Tucson’s Nature Med Dispensary off Ina Road.
Sweet Dreams Vineyards is a bit of a play on words, as there is no wine in the products, nor is there a vineyard.
The Cannabernet is based on a blend of pomegranate and blueberry juice with the nano-emulsified THC added to it. Gibbs and a local sommelier went with a high-antioxidant blend of pomegranate and blueberry juice that tasted more like red wine.
The Cannabernet replicates the dry fruit, pepper and vanilla notes of Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Marijuarita has the slightly sweety-yet-acidic flavors of a classic margarita. All-natural lime juice mimics the flavor of a margarita.
Sweet Dreams Vineyard will soon offer Hi-Tai and Sex on the Grass, reminiscent of tiki and beach cocktails.
“The reason I like this kind of mocktail approach is people buy this and take it to a party and participate in the social aspect of it,” he said. “They kind of fit in where everyone else is having wine or cocktails and it is also a conversation piece.”
Gibbs is no novice in the cannabis world. Before the Sweet Dreams Vineyard, he owned a dispensary from 2014 to 2019, when he sold it to Harvest, now Trulieve. Gibbs was also part of the Arizona Dispensary Association board of directors and helped get the industry off the ground here.
“Marijuana has been found to aid in pain management, and sleep and has been prescribed by medical professionals as a viable alternative to opioids and pain medications,” Gibbs said in a statement. “There are many marijuana-based products out there.”
Sweet Dreams Vineyards recently added cannabis-infused water, H2Whoa, in lemon and mango flavors, made from all-natural juices. These waters have only 9 calories per serving size.
The THC drinks give consumers a quick high but will fade quickly. Unlike alcohol drinks, the calories for a serving size, about a quarter cup or 2 fluid ounces of drink equals 31 calories per serving for the Cannabernet and 45 calories for the Marijuarita. Each serving size equates to 10 mg of THC.
Gibbs said he plans to expand and sell his products in more dispensaries in Tucson soon. Nature Med in Tucson sells these 210mL, 100mg THC hybrid strain bottles of Cannabernet and Marijuarita for $18. They come with a dosing cap.
Sweet Dreams Vineyard
1-800-420-8709, sweetdreamsvineyard.com
Sold at: Nature Med Dispensary
5390 W. Ina Road, Tucson
520-620-9123, naturemedaz.com
