Edibles are a growing category of the cannabis economy, but as this sector gets saturated, will all types of weed infused foods become popular? Outside of the errant vegan, low sugar, and/or gluten free item, ‘healthy’ infused foods are not as prevalent as we might think.Â
It makes complete sense when you consider how cannabis infused foods have been underground, stigmatized, and now only partially available from limited producers — it hasn’t been exposed to the whole wide world. What would chefs and consumers make if there were no limits?
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It seems like everything edible should be given a shot if we’re really to discover new and exciting ways to use cannabis, and this includes healthy foods like plant based dishes. Is this a valid (or tasty) place to put cannabis? Even though we currently treat this intoxicant with a decadent angle, similar to alcohol, cannabis fits into our lives much differently, and binge partaking will likely wane in the post prohibition decades.
As we creep towards weed norms we can only dream of, the real question is can these infused foods still be delicious? Coming from someone who has written over 100 cannabis recipes, I think the answer is 1000% yes, but without laying out the case clearly, I don’t expect anyone to agree.Â
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Here are some of our exquisite and healthy faves!
Raw Leaf Salads
This is among the healthiest things you can scarf down. A pile of greens is always good, but the more pungent they are, the better for you they can be. Cilantro based dishes like Tiger Salad are packed full of the same chemicals that gives cannabis its aroma—terpenes!
Roasted Chickpeas
Few foods are as affordable as legumes. Countless cultures use this protein source to make filling foods that taste great, and people seem to be coming around to their full potential, stocking shelves with stuff like roasted salted chickpeas and sometimes black beans. When roasted, these take on a nutty flavor and a satisfying crunch, and if you have some kief or powdered cannabinoids to sprinkle on, all the better the munching will be.
White Bean Tapenade
Speaking of beans, sometimes you need to have them marinated with a pile of garlic and herbs, soaking in THC rich olive oil. Capsaicin from yummy red pepper flakes and slightly fennel-esque tarragon give these beans a well rounded flavor that goes far beyond hummus while still being incredibly nutritious.
Vegan Cheese
More than trendy, vegan cheeses are part of our future plan if we want to keep the planet kicking for our grandkids. Dairy cheese is plenty good, but experimenting with cannabis and real cow curds isn’t in the cards for most of us, so trying the cashew kind is more accessible and also great for lactose intolerant people. Weed cheese is definitely going to be a thing in the future, vegan or otherwise.
Now you have a cheat sheet, and you can’t excuse away infusing only junk foods. This may seem like fun while we’re in this speakeasy, prohibition-ey frame of mind, but when we start to use cannabis for long term health, using healthy foods to dose makes so much more sense.
