Just months after the legalization of cannabis arrived in some places in the United States, the lives of marijuana lovers became even sweeter (if that´s ever possible), as there are now dozens of companies exclusively dedicated to making and marketing all types of nutritional products featuring a touch of marijuana.
It has not taken long for the legalization of marijuana in a number of countries, and especially in some parts of the United States, to spark new desires and needs in the cannabis community. In addition to being able to access a therapeutic product like marijuana, or to use it recreationally, lovers of this plant want to savour−literally−the success of the legalization movement after years of intense struggle.
Almost a year ago the first beverage made with cannabis and several sweets companies began to enter the new market, including DixieElixirs and Cheeba Chews. Today their products share shelves with all kinds of chocolate bars, pastries, cereals, sports drinks and even beer with a touch of marijuana. This is, however, an industry aimed at sweet (and sweet-toothed) people.
Although in the beginning these products were envisioned for patients taking medicinal cannabis, and today they are marketed with a stress on their therapeutic potential, anyone can decide to try out the treats cannabis cuisine has to offer. In the United States alone there are more than 150 companies dedicated to this industry.
As mentioned above, Cheeba Chews continues to be one of the largest companies in the sector in the USA. With five dispensaries distributed across Colorado, it has become renowned after winning the prestigious Cannabis Cup for its little candies, sweets with different touches of CBD and THC (featuring relaxing or energizing properties, and in fruit or caramel flavours). The company continues to advise users to consult their doctors before consuming their products.
For chocolate lovers Kiva Confections markets an elegant variety of bars, ounces and small sprinkles of this product (more than a dozen varieties) containing cannabis. It is one of California's most prestigious companies linked to therapeutic marijuana, working with top local chocolatiers and associated cannabis growers, which certify the quality of the product.
Their intention, shared by Bhang Chocolate, is not just to offer a simple food item, but also to guarantee that consumers feel safe about what they're putting in their mouths. The two's delights are now in demand among both patients and normal consumers. Bhang Chocolate, on an exclusive basis, offers gourmet products (at about 17 euros each) in Michigan, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and California.
For the most nostalgic (and those who want a traditional touch in everything they buy) Auntie Dolores serves up an assortment of different foods containing cannabis: brownies, cookies, pastries, peanuts with chilli, caramel popcorn and cheese buns, containing different amounts of THC. All of them include information on their effects, levels of psychoactivity, and recommendations on when and how to enjoy them.
If you're still hungry, the Minerva Canna Group sells everything from cannabis rice cakes to cheesecakes (with touches of indica) or lemon pie (with sativa). Costing from eight to nine euros each, they are a perfect delicacy for dessert (Have you seen how good it looks?).
There are edibles for all tastes and needs: from gluten-free foods for coeliacs, to certified-kosher products for Jews. This is precisely what Julie's Baked Goods offers, turning out and marketing different types of butters with extracts of the marijuana plant, which she also uses to spike her own creations, like oatmeal (designed for breakfast); mixes of sunflower and pumpkin seeds; small almond snacks, maple and cinnamon syrup, and little bars of cocoa. You've surely never before seen such a variety of products packed with your favourite ingredient.
There is also room for beverages in this new line-up of cannabis products. Legal, "the breakfast of the champions", is a coffee containing marijuana extract (specifically, 20 milligrams of THC) which Adam Stites distributes through his own company (Mirth Provisions).
It's a big hit, but if you thought that you had seen it all, you were wrong: beers, like the German Cannabis Club Beer, Italy's The Sud Club or Euphoria Cannabis Beer are beginning to get footholds too. There are also energy drinks, teas, cocoa shakes with flavours of different strains (especially of Haze) and even lollipops (so that you can remember your childhood) filling the market.
Dixielixirsis one of the companies that places the greatest variety of juices and refreshments in your refrigerator, always designed for those who want "to have fun" and try cannabis in a different way, and accompanied by other delights. Why not while having a drink? Or even while having an herbal tea with marijuana extracts?
Sweetening your life up is now easier. Many have been dreaming for years about being able to watch a movie while they sip, for example, cannabis juice (with a scent of peach, watermelon or root beer) and eating some delicious popcorn with aromatic herbs. That day has arrived: we'll have to begin to add products to our shopping lists. Will the contestants on MasterChef dare to cook up some similar fare?