In a country like America, it should be comforting to know that corporations are concerned about our nation’s declining health, since they do have more influence in Congress than the average activist. However, the most recent rumour regarding a solution to our health problem has me concerned.

Coca-Cola issued a statement on Sept. 17 concerning rumors about the company’s interest in cannabidiol (CBD)-infused drinks. Their statement is brief and confirms that Coca-Cola is interested in the booming CBD industry.

Aurora Cannabis is a large company based in Canada whose stock prices have seen a steady rise in the Toronto stock market. According to BNN Bloomberg, Coca-Cola is talking with the heads of this company about developing a new health-focused beverage that will take advantage of the health benefits of CBD.

Lately, the consumption of soda has been on a decline, so it’s no wonder Coca-Cola is looking for a way into the new fad: healthy living. It’s a competitive market out there so choosing something people in the U.S. really want but can’t always get is a smart move on their part.

CBD, unlike THC, is a non-psychoactive component of cannabis, meaning it won’t produce a high if consumed. It is known to relieve pain, reduce anxiety and depression and possibly treat/alleviate several other conditions such as cancer and neurological disorders.

The extent to which CBD can be used in the health world needs to be tested since many of its properties are still in the early stages of research.

This possible partnership is concerning because just this year alone, there were almost half a million people arrested for drug offenses, ranging from possession to trafficking. Now a large company wants to profit off the cause of this mass incarceration and not a peep from our government; a government that has gone to great lengths to keep a tight lid on marijuana.

There is a major difference between CBD-infused beverages and marijuana, but the connotation remains the same. Marijuana produces a high and this has been the justification for all the arrests and restrictions, which admittedly, I understand. But the mass production of a drink that bypasses this high could make the legalization of marijuana close to impossible in states like Texas.

It hasn’t been until recently that people were aware of CBD in cannabis and known how to extract it. Something they can’t do unless they are in possession of the cannabis plant, which is illegal.

It’s just another viscous cycle; one controlled by the rich and powerful.

Coca-Cola is a multimillion dollar company; one that has been established since 1892 and has a lot of influence in the financial world. Part of the reason Aurora Cannabis rose in the stock market was because Coca-Cola was looking at it as a possible partner. Money talks in this country and Coca-Cola has plenty of it.

Coca-Cola isn’t the first company to jump on this opportunity and it won’t be the last. The development of this healthy beverage by this large of a company could cascade into a political dilemma.

Now, this isn’t set in stone but it raises the question of who is to blame. The reason this large corporation is planning on capitalizing on CBD is to make up for their falling sales; falling sales caused by our healthy living craze.

Coca-Cola is simply obeying the laws of supply and demand. This isn’t the story of a company who cares about the health of America. This is the story of a large corporation capitalizing on the current craze.