Texas cannabis beverage hits the market

Texas Original, the state's largest medical cannabis provider, has launched a cannabis beverage called Elevate .

Why it matters: The new drink, the state's first legal CBG-based cannabis beverage, was created to help patients manage conditions like anxiety, pain, inflammation and depression, the company says.

• It's only available to patients of the state's Compassionate Use Program .

How it works: Each 1-ounce bottle of Elevate contains equal parts THC — the substance primarily responsible for marijuana's effect on mental state — and cannabigerol (CBG), a naturally occurring cannabinoid without psychoactive properties.

• It also contains ginger and turmeric, both of which are established anti-inflammatories .
• The product sells for $12 per bottle.

Context: In states with less stringent marijuana laws — like the veritable hippie hollow of Oklahoma — cannabis drinks have been available to medical marijuana cardholders for years.

Catch up quick: Though it's low profile, Texas does have a medical marijuana program.

• Last year lawmakers looked at the possibility of expanding the list of eligible conditions , but those efforts failed.

Yes, but: Texans who don't qualify for the medical marijuana program can still purchase products with very low levels of THC.

• The state's hemp law legalized the sale of industrial hemp that contains 0.3% or less of delta-9 THC. Delta-8 THC, a popular cannabis derivative , also remains legal in the state.
• The hemp law paved the way for companies to sell a host of products across the state, including in corner vending machines in Austin .

Meanwhile: Austin-based Texas Original celebrated Valentine's Day by launching a new dark chocolate THC product .

• Last year the company released the state's strongest legal THC gummy .

What they're saying: "Elevate was purpose-built to address a need we identified within our patient base: a liquid-based, easy-dose product that works quickly," Nico Richardson, CEO of Texas Original, tells Axios.