Cannabis Cocktails Are Growing Quickly, But the Law Might Stop That Soon

Moe’s Original BBQ sits on a trapezoidal plot on Dauphin Street, in a historic district of Mobile, Alabama. The road is lined with decaying mansions and ancient, moss-covered oaks. It’s not the type of place you’d expect to be pushing the envelope of legal cannabis in America, especially because in Alabama, possession of nonmedicinal “marihuana” is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by as much as one year in jail or a $6,000 fine. But outside, just under the neon sign, hangs a banner proclaiming that Moe’s is “Now Featuring Pamos Cannabis Cocktail & Spirits.”

Inside, Pamos is everywhere. The logo appears on the coasters, the napkins, the paper menus detailing cannabis-cocktail options and the walls, where its posters crowd out ones from liquor brands the restaurant has been selling for far longer than a few weeks. It’s all to the delight of Pamos Beverage Co. co-founders Nishant Machado and David Mukpo, here with the company’s president, Jared Dougherty, to meet with the owner of Moe’s and to see how their product is faring. The signage alone is proof that their plan to embed themselves in the world of alcohol is beginning to work.