Pot-like drink offers relaxation without the munchies
By: Shannon Proudfoot, Montreal Gazette (CN QC), 08-18-09

Energy drinks have mellower company on store shelves these days, with a growing number of non-alcoholic relaxation beverages promising frazzled consumers drinkable Zen rather than amped-up caffeine.

The latest "anti-energy" drink, Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda, will be available in Canada within the next few months and claims to deliver "euphoric relaxation and focus to a stress-filled life."

The company says some people liken the drink's effects to marijuana — hence the name — but without bothersome side effects such as "laziness, 2 a.m. pizza runs, black-light posters or handcuffs."

"It's been overwhelming, to say the least," Matt Moody, CEO and founder of the Denver-based Mary Jane's Soda Inc., says of the response since they launched a month and a half ago. "We're swamped right now."

Similar products have meandered serenely into the marketplace recently. Quebec-made Slow Cow's slouching bovine logo parodies Red Bull, and the drink launched a few months ago with a tagline touting that each can contains "an acupuncture session."

Currently distributed only in Quebec, the company says plans are in the works to expand across Canada and internationally soon.

Drank beverage, meanwhile, claims to contain the sleep-cycle-controlling hormone melatonin and markets itself with the slogan "Slow your roll."

Blue Cow claims to be the original relaxation drink, and the company suggests it could come in handy on the golf course, in a courthouse or hospital and at a wedding or funeral home.

Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda is marketed as the perfect elixir for everything from a long day at work or a job interview to road rage and a lousy boyfriend. Moody describes the effect as slowing down everything around you while your mental sharpness stays in place, and he says the effects come on quickly and are most noticeable on an empty stomach.

A lot of people have typically turned to alcohol to take the edge off, he says, but products such as his offer similar results with fewer detrimental effects while still allowing people to function coherently.

It's a reflection of our rapid-fire lifestyle that even in seeking a way to take it down a notch, people are still looking for a quick-fix solution, he says.

"Everybody would probably enjoy yoga and meditation, but it takes a lot of time, so something that can help you really quickly is very appealing."

Travis Hollman, CEO of Dallas-based Vacation in a Bottle, says he first hit on the idea of creating a mellowing beverage while producing a movie sponsored by an energy drink company. The company provided drinks for the crew, he says, and by the end of the shoot, they were each tossing back half a dozen cans a day and fights were breaking out on set because everyone was so wound up.

When he first started marketing ViB to retailers, Hollman says they had no idea what a relaxation beverage was. The category has grown rapidly in the last year, he says, and he believes that's due in large part to the bad economy ratcheting up people's stress levels.

"There seems to be a groundswell," he says, adding that consumers have told them they refill the bottles with water and carry them around as a way of letting others know "today will be a better day than yesterday."

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