There’s a new term being coined internally within the boardrooms of big alcohol and cannabis conglomerates– “mood management.” No longer is alcohol stuck as a social stimulant in the form of beer, wine, or spirits; it can now leverage natural cannabinoids from marijuana to formulate a portfolio of mood states in liquid, vape, or cosmetic form. Cannabis analytics platform BDS Analytics has already tracked 286 unique moods used in various cannabis products from legal dispensaries and we’re just getting started. Some of these newer states can help suppress appetite, cure hangovers, or create alternative sources of energy beyond caffeine without any psychoactive side-effects of traditional delta-9 THC.

In its past three quarterly filings, HEXO, a publicly traded Canadian cannabis producer who has partnered with Molson Coors for its beverages, has repeatedly outlined key mood states it plans to serve across multiple form factors:

Sleep — to relax and quiet the mind

— to relax and quiet the mind Sport — to be active and energetic, recover quicker and reduce inflammation

— to be active and energetic, recover quicker and reduce inflammation Focus — to be alert, concentrated and more productive

— to be alert, concentrated and more productive Diet — to help curb desire for food

— to help curb desire for food Sex — to bring intimacy and arousal

— to bring intimacy and arousal Fun — to enjoy social gatherings

Canopy Growth, which is partially owned by Constellation Brands (Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, etc.), wrote the following in its last two earnings reports:

“We believe cannabis-based beverages can be tailored to meet specific outcomes across a variety of consumption occasions, while avoiding such things as weight gain, “hangover” effects, and interactions with traditional pharmaceutical medications. Given this, cannabis-based beverages could serve as a disruptive alternative to traditional alcohol beverages.”

Occasions are another term that the alcohol industry has used to measure its ability to pair specific beverages with societal rituals. Lighter lagers might target consumers looking to relax at home after a long day of work whereas IPAs and hoppier beers are brewed for a meal occasion. Canopy’s acquisition of BioSteel sports drinks last month is a testament to the opportunity for CBD in sport occasions to reduce inflammation.

Mood outcomes are achieved through proper cannabinoid doses and formulations. For example, Dosist’s popular vape products use a ratio of 10:1 THC:CBD to create a state of arousal and an inverted 1:10 THC:CBD ratio to create a state of calm. Beyond these two common cannabinoids are 68 other unique cannabinoids that have yet to be fully explored as base ingredients in the recreational market.

One startup, LEVEL, is on a mission to untap the power of these rarer cannabinoids through products such as sublingual (under the tongue) tablets, gum, and Pax pods to create unique experiences. While many consumers have reported negative first-time experiences with cannabis, like the most recent story of athlete Dion Waiters’ mid-flight edible panic attack, LEVEL believes that there’s something for everyone. Whereas traditional edibles convert traditional THC into a potent 11-hydroxy compound in the liver that’s 5x more potent than its original state, 3mg sublingual tablets are ingested directly into the bloodstream and are felt within 15 minutes. Check out a segment about dosing below from HNGRY’s latest episode, #futureofalcohol.

“Part of the amazing beauty of cannabis– and something that we love about the ability to pioneer– is there are so many cannabinoids that we can look at with so many different ratios and formulations that we can find something for everyone,” explained LEVEL CEO Chris Emerson, Ph.D. “You don’t have to get high from cannabis, at all. It can address all these other things for you. It’s crazy exciting but it’s also really challenging.”

Take, for example, LEVEL’s Stimulate sublingual tablets that are 1mg THC : 1mg THCV : 1mg CBG (disclosure: as of two weeks ago I have been consuming these daily). The company knew through empirical evidence of a decade-long breeding program conducted by GW Pharmaceuticals that THCV has a stimulating effect and is an appetite suppressant. In certain forms, it has a de-focused frenetic energy to it. That’s where LEVEL comes in and adds CBG (Cannabigerol) and traditional delta-9 THC to dial in the experience.