WASHINGTON – Though not the first marijuana-based soft drink introduced in the United States, Canna Cola will hit store shelves next month in Colorado accompanied by a sophisticated marketing campaign aimed at making it the market leader.

Priced at between $10 and $15, each bottle of Canna Cola contains 35-65 milligrams of THC, the main ingredient in cannabis, Time magazine said on its Web site.

Canna Cola is the brainchild of California businessman Clay Butler, who says that while he has never used marijuana, he is a “firm believer that adults have an inalienable right to think, eat, smoke, drink, ingest, decorate, dress any way they choose.”

To distinguish his product from other pot-based beverages, Butler told California’s Santa Cruz Sentinel that he plans an extensive marketing campaign.

“You look at all the marijuana products out there, and they are so mom-and-pop, hippie-dippy and rinky-dink,” Butler said.

Canna Cola has “a mild marijuana taste” in comparison with existing pot drinks that have triple the level of THC, according to Scott Riddell, founder of Diavolo Brands, the company marketing the new beverage. EFE