A California entrepreneur is debuting a new line of soft drinks laced with THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, in a bid to quench medical-marijuana needs for people who don't want to smoke or eat marijuana.

Clay Butler plans to introduce the Canna Cola brand of so-called "soda pot" beverages to Colorado stores by February.

The marijuana-laced Canna Cola soft drinks come in five flavours: the Dr. Pepper-inspired Doc Weed, the orange-flavoured Orange Kush, the grape-flavoured Grape Ape, the lemon-lime Sour Diesel and the original Canna Cola. (Drinkcannacola.com)

Butler, who claims he has never done drugs or smoked a cigarette in his life, has designed flavours such as Doc Weed, Sour Diesel, Grape Ape and Orange Kush. The original Canna Cola flavour will remain as the company's "flagship" beverage.

"I'm a firm believer that adults have an inalienable right to think, eat, smoke, drink, ingest, decorate, dress any way they choose," Butler told the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper.

Each of the bottles bears the company's logo — a cannabis leaf composed of bubbles — along with the promise of "12 mind-blowing ounces" of carbonated drink within.

Marijuana drinks already exist, but Butler, a commercial artist, believes his branding savvy sets his product apart.

A slogan on the product's website reads: "Canna Cola — Just Say Yes".

"You look at all the marijuana products out there, and they are so mom-and-pop, hippie-dippy and rinky-dink," Butler told the Sentinel. "If someone can put every colour on the rainbow on it, they do. If they can pick the most inappropriate and unreadable fonts, they will."

The dosage of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in the product is around 35 to 65 milligrams, and would be lower than other marijuana drinks available on the market. It will also have "a mild marijuana taste," according to the company marketing the product.

Each bottle will retail for around $10 to $15.