Legalization has brought edibles to the next level, making nearly any confection you can imagine available in countless flavor options. Want a daily CBD gummy? We have that in mango or strawberry. Marshmallows that mellow you out? Oregon has you covered (and even dipped in chocolate). Vegan candy? Check! However, there seems to be a scarcity in the market when it comes to savory snacks and we wanted to know why. So, we headed to the experts with our questions.
We recently had the chance to speak with Katie Stem, CEO of Peak Extracts, and Laurie Wolf of Laurie + Mary Jane about savory edibles. First, we asked Katie why she thinks there aren’t more savory products readily available in dispensaries.
“There are two primary reasons why there aren’t more savory products on the market—one, that the demand is considerably lower than for a sweet edible. And two, most of them require sophisticated equipment for the products to be manufactured and dosed homogeneously. For instance, a packet of seasoned almonds could be made inexpensively; however, the infusion would have to be a part of the seasoning, and would naturally drift to the bottom of the packet, creating an irregularly dosed product. In Oregon, every product must be rigorously tested for homogeneity in order to make it to market. Alternatively, something like oyster crackers could be made homogenous rather easily but requires sophisticated equipment to manufacture and be cost-effective. In addition, savory items are often less durable than candy, more vulnerable to crushing and careless handling.”
Regulation and transport issues aside, there seems to be an even bigger deterrent keeping savory cannabis treasures from dispensaries. Laurie pointed out that consumer demand always factors into her product decisions when determining what to create for the market.
“People ask us to make our Nut Mix that we did years ago (it won the Dope Cup), but to do it right we would have homogeneity issues. It is a great recipe, I would like to do it if we can figure it out. But according to the budtenders I meet, people want sweets,” said Laurie.
An amazing cannabis chef, Laurie is totally into savories, but has to trust the budtenders who speak daily with the average consumer on the front line regarding trends when they say the market wants more sweets.
So what can we savory snack lovers do?
“People do seem curious about how they can make savory foods at home. A bunch of people have made pot brownies but no one has made a cannabis pizza! I do think this will change as the wine crowd continues to give cannabis life a try,” says Laurie.
On cooking at home, Katie says, “People can readily purchase infused oils or tinctures, and then make their own savory foods at home. We just released a line of oil tinctures, and have heard of a number of people integrating those into their cooking regimen. There’s a huge community of folks sharing recipes and meal plans for infused foods, and it’s exciting to see our products integrated into their creative expression of cannabis consumption.”
In the meantime, we must wait patiently for the next company to break through these savory issues and make delicious groundbreaking edibles we can pick up at any local dispensary. If we want those dosed savories we will just have to roll up our sleeves and get messy in the kitchen! Could that innovator be you?
Have thoughts, savory recipes, or products to share?
Email us at wholesale@confidentcannabis.com
Laurie + MaryJane— Laurie + MaryJane is a family-owned and operated business, serving the state of Oregon since 2014. Our goal is to provide high-quality, reliable edibles for the cannabis community. In 2015, our Spiced Nut Mix won a Dope Cup for best savory edible and our Almond Cake won second place for best sweet edible. At the Oregon Dope Cup in 2016, our Fudgy Brownie Bites won first place for best sweet edible. http://www.laurieandmaryjane.com/
Peak Extracts— Woman-owned and operated Peak Extracts was the first adult-use edibles producer licensed in Oregon and currently holds a position as the #2 cannabis chocolate manufacturer in the state. Originally founded in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program in 2014, Peak Extracts is locally owned and based on principles of quality and integrity. Every Peak product is made using a proprietary in-house Terp-Lock™ extraction process that retains the character and effects of the original material. Peak’s hypoallergenic topical salve Rescue Rub is critically acclaimed and based on an exclusive combination of traditional Chinese herbal medicines used to treat inflammation, pain and blunt-force trauma. Peak Extracts’ new vaporizer cartridges feature a focus on CBD, terpenes, and CBG and are the only CO2 cartridges available in the market that retains 95% or more of the original terpenes and flavonoids. Peak Extracts’ best-in-class creations are found in more than 150 carefully selected retailers across Oregon. Find Your Peak — http://www.peakextracts.com
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