Argentines create first and only CBD-infused organic yerba mate

By Estudio Chaloupka

Milonga Yerba Mate, the first yerba mate brand to correctly blend CBD with yerba mate, was created by Samer and Shadi Atassi. Father Samer was born in the Middle East and migrated to Argentina, where his son Shadi was born.

“It hit us one day. We had been using different CBD products that have been in the market and we really liked the results we were feeling. We’re also avid mate drinkers due to our origins and social circle. So we thought, ‘Hey, what if we mix the two?’ After much research, we saw that we were going to be the first brand to correctly mix CBD with yerba mate, and our excitement to get people to try it grew even more”, said Samir.

Mate is the National Beverage in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. It is prepared by steeping dried leaves of South American native plant yerba mate in hot water and is served with a metal straw from a shared hollow calabash gourd. CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the most beneficial active ingredients in cannabis. Although it is derived directly from the hemp plant which lies in the same family as the cannabis plant, it contains less than 0.3% THC, the active ingredient that causes mind-alteration.

“You could argue that drinking mate is embedded in some cultures and so it is an acquired taste. Personally, I am not the fondest sympathizer. However, Milonga mate has a special sort of mystery that elevates mate to a completely different league. I think that Milongas’ mission is the evolution of mate and this will make it inclusive around the world”, Samir added.