Power Biopharms
For many of us the days of prohibition are part of a long-gone folklore relegated to period pieces created by Hollywood. The era of the speakeasy is now more of a style choice then a necessity, given how readily available alcohol is in its many forms. However, for a select few Americans, the days of prohibition are still going strong in the form of the federal ban on cannabis otherwise known as marijuana. To date, twenty-four states have opted to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Texas, however, is not among them. Instead, in 2019 House Bill 1325 went into effect allowing a concentration of .3 % THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) to be sold over the counter, which is, by all classifications — hemp. Anything above this is considered illegal and a controlled substance. It’s under these strict guidelines that businesses like Power Biopharms out of Euless have been able to create a foothold in the hemp industry. Since 2020, Colt Power and his team at Power Biopharms have been growing and distributing hemp flower and edibles to the masses via the company’s website and local stores.
Now with several years of success behind them in this highly regulated realm, Power Biopharms has teamed up with the Fort Worth-based Martin House Brewing Company to create a brand-new THC offering of a liquid nature. The product is called Power House and it consists of two flavored seltzer waters that contain a small amount of D9 THC. That’s right — you can now get your THC fix in drink form without even the slightest hint of cannabis in the taste. (Check out our review below)
This 21+ beverage, is already available at select retailers throughout the metroplex in two flavors, strawberry and lemon lime. This newly crafted fizzy beverage is available in a four-pack of 12-ounce cans that contain 5 mg of D9 THC in each can.
Stephen Montoya
Colt Power - CEO and founder of Power Biopharms
This is just part of what Power and his team have been leading up to since Power Biopharms first opened. Since then, Power and his crew have been busy making a name for this local business, which means coming up with ideas outside of the box, or in this case, out of the can.
Power struck up a great relationship with several of the local DFW brewers when he first started his business as a way of get his name and product out to the masses. He would host pop-up events selling his THC laden products to attendees on Saturdays and Sundays eventually joining forces with Martin House Brewing Co. on a collaborative sale.
“We had Biopharms prickly pear watermelon sour gummies and they made a beer based on that flavor,” Power says. “There was no THC in it, but it had terpenes and it was a matching flavor that went really well with our product.”
Several months later, Power says he began to see a trend in infused beverages, which prompted him to reach out to Martin House for ideas.
Stephen Montoya
“I asked if we could team up and figure this thing out together,” he says. “You guys know how to brew and can things, we know the hemp side, we know the compliance side. Let's see if we can figure something out. And so yeah, we started working on it late last summer and worked towards making test batches in the fall.”
After settling on a few flavors, Power says he and his teammates had to do a lot of due diligence on formulating the THC so that it would stay in suspension the right way and be stable in the can form. All while figuring this out, Power says states like Minnesota made some changes to their rules that made these styles of drinks more acceptable in the mainstream market.
“Because of the law framework where it was a little bit less of a gray area, you immediately had big players like Total Wine starting to carry these products. And I say that to say that it has been an unbelievable phenomenon in the market, how accepted the beverage form is and how it's getting into pretty much any of the major retailers.”
Although Power House isn’t available through these big retailers locally yet, there is a list of local spots that carry this product like the Thrive Apothecary on 212 Carroll Street in Fort Worth’s Foundry District. And no, the Federal Food and Drug Administration has not cleared it, which is true for many if not all hemp-derived edibles and drinks.
“I describe it as just kind of turning the volume down on everything,” Power says. “It has a much more rapid onset, so if you’re new to this, it’s a great way to gauge how much you feel comfortable with.”
Power Biopharms
So, how does Power House taste and feel? See what two of our very own, executive editor Brian Kendall and digital editor Stephen Montoya, had to say after sampling one can each.
Stephen Montoya: The first thing that struck me was the comic book—graphic novel-style artwork, which kind of gave me the impression I was in for a wild ride. I mean, THC in a drink? You just never know how this stuff might hit you. After opening the can, I was surprised how sweet the after taste of this beverage was. Colt Power likened this drink to a La Croix, but I found the taste to be sweeter and devoid of any THC flavor.
I guess I was thirsty because I finished my Power House in almost five drinks prepping for whatever came next. About thirty-minutes later, after I was done with dinner, I began to feel a little something. I felt a calm light feeling waft over me starting in head and then moving down to my legs. I could tell I was slightly buzzed but I never felt anxious or completely out of my depth. This feeling lasted for about 30 to 45 minutes before it was gone, long before I brushed my teeth for bed. Contrary to popular Cannabis myths, I didn’t get the munchies, see hallucinations, or even get “the fear.” It was more like taking a strong ibuprofen that helped me relax after a long day of deadlines without any noticeable side effects. Believe me, alcohol is way more potent.
Brian Kendall: Like the nice lady at Thrive Apothecary advised, I cracked open a can a couple hours before my usual bedtime with nothing on my plate. No errands to run, parents to call, or homework left undone. I was surprised by the taste — we had the strawberry flavor — which was better than expected. When I saw that the drink was sugar-free, I assumed a sugar substitute would be necessary to counteract the bitter flavor of THC. But no sorbitol, xylitol, or lactitol could be detected. Instead, the beverage tasted like your typical fruit-flavored seltzer water. Not half bad, but I shouldn’t be the one to judge since I’m not big on carbonated beverages.
Feeling-wise, it ain’t alcohol, folks. But I also didn’t get the expected chill feeling paired with a ravenous appetite for chocolate-chip cookies. My experience with THC, as a whole, is admittedly limited, but I felt light, and I’d argue my senses were slightly enhanced. I was planted on my couch, watching an old comedy I’d seen before, so perhaps my choice in entertainment could’ve been better. I also couldn’t say whether it helped or hindered my sleep — the effect on catching z’s was minimal. Drinking only one can is clearly where beginners, like myself, need to start. But when comparing what I felt with our measuring units for drunkenness, I wasn’t even tipsy.
