Los Angeles-based Blaze Mota is releasing a hemp-derived THC version of its Mota'lada, a non-alcoholic ready-to-drink michelada, next month.

The Mota'lada is made with non-alcoholic Mexican lager and a michelada base of tomato, lime and spices. It contains 10 mg of hemp-derived THC and 2 mg of hemp-derived CBD.  

The cannabis-infused version of the Mota'lada hit California's regulated cannabis market in May 2023 as the first ready-to-drink cannabis-infused michelada. 

"We wanted to produce a cannabis-infused Michelada that rivaled any alcohol-based canned michelada," said Shreyas Balakrishnan, CEO of Blaze Life Holdings. "The development took nearly two years as we worked on finding the right non-alcoholic beer provider and ensuring stability and compatibility of the emulsion in beverage with high particulate."

Following the success of the Mota'lada, Blaze Mota partnered with cannabis legend Cheech Marin to release the Cheeche'lada, a 50 mg THC-dosed variant of the Mota'lada. The Cheeche'lada launched in September of last year and took first place in the beverage category at last month's Emerald Cup Awards.

In June, Blaze Mota extended its partnership with Cheech Marin, replacing its 20 mg cannabis-infused Mota'lada with a 20 mg dosed option under the Cheeche'lada product umbrella.

This move allowed Blaze Mota to transition the Mota'lada brand into the emerging hemp-derived THC market while keeping the Cheeche'lada brand in California's regulated cannabis market.

"The michelada is defined by its rituals, variety and occasions, and we want to expand those occasions with a THC-infused offering that tastes as good as any other michelada on the shelf," Balakrishnan says.