Sandton - Some motorists sitting in peak hour traffic in Sandton on Friday appeared to take the moral high ground as street marketers sought to sell them the-now-popular Cannabis Energy Drink manufactured in The Netherlands.
Some drivers rolled up their windows, showing no interest while others quizzed the sales group about the drink.
The beverage which is said to have hit local shores last year has been making some impact and distribution is gaining momentum in some areas. A three-day expo is underway in Sandton.
“It is not harmful at all nor does it make you high. It gives you energy like any other energy drink. It also has healing capacities because of the hemp extract added into it,” said a marketer, adding the drink is sold at R20 and available at some stores. It also comes in different flavours and is already distributed in eight countries across the world.
The image and popularity of the energy drink interestingly comes seven months after the Constitutional Court legalised the use of marijuana or cannabis for use in private spaces.
But not everyone thinks highly of the drink. In 2015, news reports maintained that parents in Western Australia shunned the idea of the controversial drink, calling for it to be banned as it would promote drug abuse, adding it also went against school campaigns aimed at educating the youth on substance abuse.
However, its manufacturers insist that the drink does not carry the active ingredient in cannabis, Tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC.
Importers of the energy drink to South Africa, CNS Beverage and Food, were not immediately available for comment.