Part of the confidence and supply agreement between the Green Party and the Labour Party was an obligation or the government to undertake a nationwide referendum on cannabis law reform, which could potentially open the door to a whole range of cannabis-infused recipes, similar to what is happening in Canada and certain states in the US. Market research firm Grand View Research puts the global legal marijuana trade at just under US$10 billion, and estimates it could reach as high as $146 billion by 2025.
Chefs in the US are experimenting with THC butter, the ubiquitous pot brownie among others. One chef is planning a THC degustation, which will take guests through a physiological journey – front-loading the guests with THC to create a sense of euphoria, before slowly bringing them down with CBD towards the end of the meal.
Cannabis experimentation is not limited to the realm of independent chefs and small startups. Although there were rumours of Coca-Cola investing in a pot-infused drink, the company has tried to temper expectations.
“We have no interest in marijuana or cannabis,” it said. “Along with many others in the beverage industry, we are closely watching the growth of non-psychoactive CBD as an ingredient in functional wellness beverages around the world. The space is evolving quickly. No decisions have been made at this time.”
