Put down the Red Bull and chill, dude, with Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda

With hard times and threatening skies raising our anxiety, we could use some low-cost relief.

Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda hopes to mellow out the country one $2.49 bottle at a time. Touting its active ingredient kava, a South Pacific root that supposedly calms the nerves, the brand is part of a new line of "slow-down" or "anti-energy" drinks expected to seize the market in 2010, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Slow Cow and Ex Chill are expected to provide some of the competition, the Dec. 29 story said, but Mary Jane's is the one purposely using its name to equate it with the tranquility-bestowing properties of marijuana. No cannabis is in the drink, however.