• Cannabis Beverage Association (CBA) Board of Directors elects a new President, Diana Eberlein of SōRSE Technology, and Secretary, Jon Purow of Zuber Lawler.
• The CBA will host its annual “Speak-Easy” Happy Hour event during the Marijuana Business Conference, MJBizCon, where members can meet the new leadership team.
• The CBA will continue to focus on core values, regulation, and standardization that create safer, more enjoyable consumer experiences through infused beverages.

SACRAMENTO, Calif., November 16, 2022 / — The Cannabis Beverage Association (CBA), a non-profit trade association established to represent and advocate on behalf of products and consumers of cannabis beverages, announced the addition of two new members of their leadership team, Diana Eberlein of SōRSE Technology and Jon Purow of Zuber Lawler. Eberlein will serve as the President and Purow as the Secretary of the CBA through the 2023 calendar year.

The cannabis beverage sector is less than 5% of the current market but has the fastest growth of any other segment with over 60% growth since 2020 (BDSA).  Founded in 2019, the Cannabis Beverage Association’s goal is to provide appropriate regulatory guidelines and consumer safety while continuing to advocate and grow the infused beverage category.

Eberlein is a sales and marketing leader with over 15 years’ experience, including 6+ years in the cannabis sector. She’s currently the VP of Sales & Marketing for the leading water-soluble emulsion technology company, SōRSE Technology. With an emphasis on thought leadership and experiential marketing, her passion for infused beverages comes from her personal experience with the plant. This experience has made beverage her preferred method of consuming cannabis and one that she believes will be a preferred method due to its ability to blend into the consumer’s regular routine.

In his law practice, Purow specializes in cannabis regulatory and transactional matters, as well as general intellectual property transactional work and litigation. He works with a wide array of clients, from publicly-traded multinational companies and private equity-backed companies, to cannabis plant-touching and ancillary service companies. Purow focuses on how cannabis federal and state regulations impact his clients and their brands. He frequently authors content speaks at cannabis industry conferences and hosts a podcast called “Cannabis Last Week” where he analyzes current events and interviews industry leaders. 

“The cannabis beverage sector represents the future of cannabis consumption – and a tasty one at that!  As we strive to make cannabis more approachable for consumers, I look forward to pulling passionate industry leaders together to educate regulators and consumers alike on what ‘standardization’ of infused beverages looks like from manufacturing, safety, quality, and accessibility standpoints,” said Diana Eberlein, recently elected CBA president.  “Collaboration is the key to the continued growth of the cannabis beverage sector and at the end of the day, we all have a shared passion for beverages, but more importantly – improving consumers’ quality of life.”

“I’m looking forward to serving on the leadership team of the CBA in the coming year, and assisting with the continued growth of the fantastic products in the cannabis beverage sector,” commented Jon Purow, recently elected CBA secretary. “This is an exciting time for the beverage sector as new states legalize cannabis, and models such as delivery and on-site consumption continue to expand. Underlying all of this are regulations that are being developed in newly legal states and revised in mature markets, so my goal is to leverage my knowledge and experience to promote the development and understanding of the optimal regulations for cannabis beverages everywhere we can.”

This week, during MJBizCon in Las Vegas, the CBA will host its annual “Speak-Easy” Happy Hour event, where beverage and cannabis industry leaders can meet the new leadership team, talk about future collaborations, and network with CBA members and other cannabis business professionals interested in the beverage category. Follow the CBA on LinkedIn and subscribe to the CBA newsletter to receive all the details about the CBA and upcoming events.

About The Cannabis Beverage Association

The Cannabis Beverage Association (CBA) is a nonprofit trade organization formed by industry leaders who are changing the way cannabis is consumed. Since 2019, the CBA has continued to expand nationally and includes companies across the beverage industry, including brands, distributors, labs, packaging companies, and ancillary companies. The CBA Board of Directors consists of representatives from cannabis beverage industry leaders Cann, Pabst Labs, Sands Lane, SōRSE Technology, Vertosa, Spacestation, The Parent Company, Wunder, House of Saka, and Zuber Lawler. 

In the past two years, the CBA has had several victories in California for the beverage sector including AB 2155, identifying a specific category for cannabis beverages (to adjust testing requirements unique to low-dose beverage platforms) and AB 1646, permitting common sense and less restrictive packaging forms for beverages.  The CBA works to uphold the following values in how we conduct business: Diversity and Equality, Inclusiveness, Reliability, Testing & Safety, Trust in Manufacturing, and Safe Access.

For more information about the Cannabis Beverage Association and membership details, please visit cannabisbeverageassociation.org.