Those days of sprinkling a bit of weed into a brownie is being put to shame, as a new cottage industry focused on edible marijuana products is fast becoming the next greatest business.
We're talking cooking oil to candies and even cookbooks sprouting up thanks to new state laws that are making marijuana easy to get for medicinal purposes and those needing the drug are looking for other options than smoking a joint or lighting up the bong.
"You're seeing a lot of these types of products like cannabis cookbooks," said Erik Altieri, spokesman for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. "They've always been popular among a subset of marijuana, but with the fact that more and more people from the mainstream are able to consume, there's a lot more interest."
Everything from whoopee pies to snack bars are being created with pot, especially in states such as Washington and Colorado where lawmakers approved recreational use in the past year. For those needed marijuana for medicinal needs the ability to control the dose of marijuana can be very useful as controlled dosage in edibles provide relief but avoids the high that comes with pure application.
Chocolate bars are fast becoming a favored edible and business is booming as both residents and tourists are enjoying the new options.
There are even cooking classes cropping up as making edibles isn't just a matter of a few tablespoons of marijuana seed. Pot's main ingredient, THC, needs to be heated or cooked to become active. Its effect is greater when ingested than inhaled, say pot experts.
"People are turning the corner and making lots of money in the rec department, and we expect to almost double the business in a year," said Chad Tribble, co-owner of Mountain High Suckers in Denver.
In response to the burgeoning industry state liquor authorities are crafting new rules regarding edible marijuana product labeling.
Washington's state's Liquor Control Board published its guidelines on Wednesday for the packaging and labeling of marijuana edibles.
