Adolphus Busch V, great-great-grandson of the late founder of the Anheuser-Busch brewery, has started his own company, ABV Cannabis Co, a cannabis company based in Denver, Colorado.
“Drawing on his familial heritage of the pioneering spirit and entrepreneurship, and a half decade of cannabis industry experience” (press text), Busch has launched a line of disposable vaporizer pens that allow an occasional user to vaporize cannabis instead of smoking it. It offers a discreet method of inhalation that is similar in effect from smoking a joint.
The pens are filled with CO2 extracted cannabis oil derived from environment-friendly, greenhouse grown cannabis. Each is complete with natural, strain-specific terpenes added to the oil at specific ratios for stronger flavor and effects. These products will be followed shortly with ABV cannabis flower products, as well as other form factors, all created in a facility in the heart of the Colorado Rockies.
ABV Cannabis Co. products are available at retailers throughout the state of Colorado, with plans for national expansion over the coming months.
"Growing up I always knew I wanted to work in the family business, creating quality and affordable products that appealed to a variety of consumers," says Adolphus Busch V. "However, once I saw all the incredible benefits that cannabis could bring to people and the immense opportunity presented by the cannabis industry, I knew I could take all I learned from my pioneering family heritage and create a new legacy for myself in the cannabis space."
After graduating from Colorado State University, Busch returned home to St. Louis and applied for employment at Anheuser Busch as an entry level applicant. After being turned away by the company, he headed back west to Colorado and worked in various positions within the burgeoning cannabis industry.
Belgium based InBev, already the largest brewing company at that time, submitted in June 2008 a $46.4 billion unsolicited offer to take over Anheuser-Busch, one of the most prominent family-run companies in the United States. After the offer was formally rejected InBev began a hostile bid. Since the family only had about four percent of all shares in the public listed company and did not own supervoting stock, as do many publicly traded companies with family affiliations, InBev was finally able to acquire the company one month later for $52 billion. This made an end to 156 years of full family control of the brewery.
Anheuser-Busch was given two seats on the board, including one for August A Busch IV, the company's former chief executive and nephew of Adolphus Busch IV, who in turn is the father of ABV Cannabis’ founder Adolphus Busch V.
Adolphus Busch IV has also put about $100,000 into ABV Cannabis Co. as its sole outside investor. In September 2017, Adolphus Busch IV urged support for medical marijuana in Missouri. After being criticized, a spokesman for him said Busch had no commercial or economic interest in the issue at that time.
