Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at new cannabis confections, an edible based on a snack for astronauts, Uber’s move into the cannabis sector and more. Enjoy.
New Product Showcase
If consumers describe a new cannabis edible as being “out of this world,” they’re not exactly exaggerating. That’s because a type of snack food developed for astronauts has reappeared as an edible.
Nicolas Jose Rodriguez, reporting for Benzinga, writes that Space Food Sticks, a protein snack created for astronauts by Pillsbury about 50 years ago, has been repurposed as a cannabis edible by a joint venture between The Vivid Team of Denver, Colorado—a company that creates and sells food, beverage, cosmetic and cannabis products—and Retrofuture Products, a Brooklyn-based specialty-foods company.
The product is now being marketed as “the Original Buzz” and is available at both recreational and medical dispensaries in Colorado. The companies hope Space Food Sticks will soon be available nationwide in legal states.
Eric Lefcowitz, owner of Retrofuture Products said in a press release, “I was looking to bring back an iconic snack from the space age. Space Food Sticks have a truly unique history.”
Steffen Weck, co-president along with Jessica Cristadoro of the Vivid Team added, “Very few brands in cannabis have established themselves as trustworthy. And we have a track record of being trustworthy with decades of experience developing mainstream CPGs (consumer packaged goods). So we leaped at the chance to apply that to (the) Space Food Stick.”
To learn more, we suggest you read Nicolas Jose Rodriguez‘s article in the November 23, 2021 edition of Benzinga.com.
Feel free to start humming that Bowie song about Major Tom before you blast off.
Cannabis Confections
In another article from Benzinga, Javier Hasse reports on a new twist on a sweet meringue-based confection thought to have been introduced by the Italian chef of queen Catherine de Medici during the Renaissance—the macaron.
Hasse writes that Hervé, the makers of luxury French-inspired and cannabis-infused desserts, has launched a signature line of cannabis-infused macarons in California. This marks Hervé’s first release of a product outside of Nevada.
According to Hasse, each macaron will contain 10 mg of premium THC cannabis distillate. They will be sold in a box containing three macarons, which will retail for $20 per box, plus applicable taxes. Flavors include raspberry, chocolate, salted caramel and celebration birthday cake.
Said Cheyne Nadeau, vice president of marketing at Hervé, “We’re excited to launch Hervé in California. Building upon the success of our launch at Hall of Flowers Santa Rosa and industry recognition during MJBizcon we feel right at home in the California market where consumers are seeking out premium products that stand out above the competitive set.”
Javier Hasse’s article appears in the November 23, 2021 edition of Benzinga.com.
The Shape of Things to Come
For those who live in Ontario, Canada, Uber isn’t just for getting from here to there or using the Uber Eats service to order Pad Thai.
According to Rithika Krishna, reporting for Reuters, Uber will allow users in Ontario, Canada, to place orders for cannabis on its Uber Eats app. This marks the company’s initial step into the cannabis business, a company spokesperson said recently.
Krishna writes that Uber Eats will now list cannabis retailer Tokyo Smoke on its marketplace. Using the app, customers can place orders for cannabis products and then pick their order up at their nearest Tokyo Smoke store.
It should be noted that third-party delivery of cannabis from services such as Uber Eats is not legal in Canada, so Canadian consumers can’t expect a little black car to roll up with their order. However, service providers, such as Uber Eats, can accept orders for cannabis transactions since cannabis consumption is legal in Canada.
There is little question that the pandemic has helped to loosen restrictions on how consumers can access cannabis, from curb-side pickup to the growing trend toward home delivery. In California, Colorado and Michigan recreational cannabis can be delivered to your door and several other states are considering it or have legalized it but have yet to implement it. In addition, twelve states have legalized medical cannabis delivery.
Uber acknowledges it is keeping an eye on legalization efforts in the U.S. and may, if and when the time is right, add cannabis delivery to its menu of services, which now includes ride hailing, food delivery, package delivery, couriers and freight transportation.
Having a multi-faceted, international operation such as Uber enter the cannabis delivery business could mean more convenience for consumers and mark a significant change in how many get their cannabis.
To learn more, we suggest reading Rithika Krishna’s article in the November 22, 2021 issue of Reuters.com.
Consumer Safety
A number of federal lawsuits have been filed in Oregon by consumers who claim they required medical attention after taking CBD drops that actually contained THC instead.
The target of the lawsuits is marijuana multi-state operator Curaleaf Holdings which manufactures a product called Select CBD Drops.
According to an article in MJBizDaily, one individual claims he required “immediate medical treatment in the emergency room, and experienced harm including the belief he was going to die, shaking, racing heart, psychosis, discomfort, and distress, and interference with life activities.” The claimant thought he was taking CBD drops. However, those drops contained THC instead of CBD.
MJBizDaily reports Curaleaf has attributed what it refers to as a “mix-up” to an “unintentional human error at our facility that led to the production of a batch of CBD drops that were actually THC drops and vice versa.” It’s believed the problem was limited to two batches of the drops.
The story raises several issues for mature consumers. For starters, while reading product labels is always important, labels alone do not guarantee safety. Don’t be afraid to chat up the bud tenders at your local dispensary when purchasing a new product and ask how other consumers are responding to the product you are about to buy.
Also, if you start to have an unfamiliar or negative reaction to a new product do not hesitate to reach out for assistance, either from friends or from medical personnel.
You can learn more by reading the article, “Marijuana Giant Curaleaf Now Faces 7 Suits in Oregon Over CBD-THC Mix-Up.” It appears in the November 23, 2021 issue of MJBizDaily.
mjbizdaily.com/marijuana-giant-curaleaf-now-faces-7-suits-in-oregon-over-cbd-thc-mix-up/?
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com and at 347-528-8753.
