Mindy Segal and Marijuana Infused Sweets

Marijuana based foods are not anything new - but buying them in a supermarket is...

James Beard Award Winning Chef, Mindy Segal is bringing her culinary talents to create a line of decadent foods that launch in February that have marijuana as an ingredient that include: a line of chocolate brittle bars, a line of infused granola bites, an infused chocolate drink that is intended to be warmed to enhance the soothing effects, and a ready-made mix with do-it-yourself instructions. Before you get too excited, these foods will only be available at licensed dispensaries across Illinois for patients approved with nearly 40 medical conditions. Segal and her Chicago based restaurant Hot Chocolate have been active since opening in the Greater Food Depository, Community Kitchens and Charlie Trotter's Culinary Education Foundation; she now wants to “give back” to those suffering from chronic conditions by reinventing the marijuana-infused sweets industry.

She is partnering with Cresco Labs, also based in Illinois, who is the largest marijuana cultivator in the state. 

You may remember earlier in the year when music legend, and avid pot smoker, Willie Nelson announced plans to roll out his own brand of marijuana Willie’s Reserve.  The whole story is at www.williesreserve.com and is backed by the private equity firm Tuatara Capital. And while all the attention seems to be focused on using marijuana and its healing powers to help those who are ill, I have to once again remind all of us in the food world that it’s more nutritious cousin hemp has even more potential to be an important ingredient in many of our foods for the general population, not just those who unfortunately are ill. Hemp seeds are a rich source of Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids and other polyunsaturated fatty acids. Hemp actually has almost as much protein as soybeans and rich in Vitamin E and has proven beneficial effects on our cardiovascular health; and is one of the most sustainable and easy to grow crops on earth. It’s just not legal to grow here in the U.S.