The firm said the word ‘joint’ was a slang term for a place or establishment, and was used in the advert in reference to a bar, pub or retail outlet; the use of ‘munchies’ in the ad referred to hunger generally felt after drinking alcohol; and ‘dealers’ was a slang term for someone who bought or sold any type of goods or products.

In its defence, Dead Man’s Fingers owner Halewood International said it had adopted “commonly used slang words” but did not believe that linked its product to cannabis. So there. You’re not getting a drink with cannabis in it, otherwise it wouldn’t be on sale in supermarkets up and down the UK. So what are you getting? Thirdly, the trade magazine advert, published in July 2019, stated “dealers wanted” and featured a bottle of Dead Man’s Fingers Hemp Rum. Accompanying text said: “Dead Man’s Fingers has crafted a version of their classic Caribbean rum infused with natural hemp and CBD,” along with: “Mixed with coke or ginger ale, it’s delicious, unexpected and always chilled, man.” As such, the ASA has told Halewood International the ads cannot appear again in their current form, and any future advertising much not link alcohol to illicit drugs or suggest the ability to change a person’s mood.

Consider this similar product...

The hemp rum comes in a similar chunky and solid bottle to their other spirits, with a skull very prominent in the design, though this time the bottle is purple. The rum, by the way, is the standard 40% ABV. Fun Fact Well, there is a bit of a thing with CBD happening in the drinks world. I’ve a CBD-infused gin sitting on the shelves waiting to be tasted too. What is CBD? More recently however, they have just released a 4th flavour (in addition to coconut, coffee and the original spiced). This time it’s hemp, or CBD. Once again, perfectly good on it’s own, or with a cola.

The second complaint that the adverts appealed to under-18s was not upheld after the ASA ruled the design and colours would not appeal any more to under-18s as they would to over-18s. Dealers wanted” would be understood as a reference to drug dealers, the ASA ruled, while in context, the use of “chilled, man” would be understood as a slang reference to the mental effects of cannabis.

It’s totally worth trying on its’ own or mixed with a cola. It’s a fantastic rum from Cornwall and contributes to making my favourite biscuit in the range.

The ASA upheld the complaint that the adverts linked alcohol to illicit drugs, stating those who saw the ads would generally be aware that hemp and CBD were derived from the cannabis plant. It also said consumers would understand the slang terms used in the ads to be in reference to cannabis: “a joint” would be associated with a cigarette containing cannabis; “munchies” would be a reference to hunger felt after consuming cannabis; and due to the shape of the cigarette being smoked by the skull in the second post, consumers were likely to assume this contained cannabis.The third complaint was also upheld after the ASA reiterated that adverts must not imply that alcohol has therapeutic qualities, which it believed Dead Man’s Fingers did with the use of “it will quite literally blow your mind” – deemed to be an indication that the product would change someone’s behaviour. Our favourite DMF rum has been infused with the hemp oil to create an amazing experimental rum. Which leads to the next obvious question… could it work as a biscuit? Part of the Cannabis family, hemp or more specifically industrial hemp, is grown for it’s stem fibres. They’re incredibly strong and used to make room and fibreboard among other things. The seeds also contain oil, which can be extracted. CBD is the abbreviated name for cannabidiol, which is a chemical found in the cannabis plant. It can be extracted and turned in to an oil, and is believed to have medicinal properties. You can find out more about CBD and its possible effects on the body here. Rhys Staley knows a lot about cannabis – but he’s far from being a stoner. As the Co-Founder of the natural spirit company, Natural Distilling Co, a brand that launched with a hemp product line, it’s kind of part of the job description. Not to mention his “day job” as the general manager of a privately owner Australian based medicinal cannabis company.