A major drinks brand has announced it is to enter the cannabis market.

The AriZona Beverage Company – makers of the hugely popular AriZona Tea brand – will launch its marijuana range with THC-infused gummies and vape pens.

The company has agreed a licensing deal with cannabis firm Dixie brands which already sells a host of marijuana-infused products across six US states. Dixie will soon distribute AriZona-branded products at licensed dispensaries.

With visibility across most major stores – including Walmart and Walgreens – the deal takes on extra significance for its potential introduction into the mainstream market.

AriZona Beverages’ chairman, Don Vultiaggio, described the move as ‘a generation-defining opportunity’.

“The cannabis market is an important emerging category, and we’ve maintained our independence as a private business to be positioned to lead and seize generation-defining opportunities exactly like this one,” he said.

“The cannabis category is an ideal space to bring the flavour and fun of AriZona into new and exciting products.”