November 8, 2016, at 1:23 p.m.
First we had marijuana wine, and now gourmet ganja? Across the country, people are ditching the pizza and Doritos of yesteryears and adopting a more high end way to meet their munchies and continue their lift, and much of this is thanks to the increasing legalization of marijuana across the country.
Even places where marijuana might not necessary be legal just yet, like the notoriously difficult New York City, a number of underground dinner clubs have been popping up featuring all bud infused delicacies. And those who attend aren’t just the stereotypical stoners and college kids either. According to a report by a CBS 2 news team that actually attended one such dinner, those present represented a veritable cross section of the city, with lawyers, teachers, bankers and fashion designers all among those indulging in this less than legal meal .
The head chef at these dinners, a man who gives his name only as Mike, explains that he carefully selects the various strains of marijuana he wants to use with his dinners beforehand and then extracts the THC, putting it into a variety of sauces, seasonings, and oils.
“Your head is in a cloud, you feel light as air, you feel just right, it’s a good feeling you feel very relaxed,” a guest who gave her name as Marylou told the CBS news crew documenting the ordeal.
Elsewhere, companies such as the Herbal Chef, the brain child of 24 year old Californian Chris Sayegh, serves up 12 to 15 course catered meals to those with a dispensary card in his home state. The meals, which he calls “cerebral experiences” come complete with a pre-selected musical track to set a tone and different plant extracts strategically placed about the table to help provide a more relaxing atmosphere. These dinners, however, don’t come cheap, and typically run a customer about $500 a person, but they do show that there is a market in the making for the burgeoning industry.
In Colorado too, another state where marijuana has been legalized, we can see several $200 a plate dinners complete with marijuana infused chocolates and specially created marijuana and food pairings. The proprietors at Blackbelly Restaurant, where these pairings take place, select their strains like a well trained sommelier chooses their wine, determining what best goes with different foods or drinks based on earthly, citrus and herbal notes in each one, among other attributes.
As the future continues to look brighter for the legalization of marijuana, it is increasingly likely that the marijuana cuisine industry will be one that will be as normal as the wine and cheese pairings that we see in any nice restaurant today. Until then, however, those wishing to elevate their senses and take a load off either need to travel to where it is legal, or find the nearest underground supper club in their city, or else head on over to the Stoner’s Cookbook, a website featuring a ton of recipes that gathers almost 5 million page views a month!