Ever since medical and recreational marijuana became legal in several states, companies have been trying new ways to incorporate THC in foods and beverages. This is because many people prefer to consume marijuana in food rather than smoke it.
To see the other pros and cons of consuming edibles, visit here, but if you’re already a connoisseur of this method of marijuana consumption, consider trying some of these new trends that are taking the marijuana by storm.
Popcorn
The traditional movie-time snack is getting an adult makeover. As you may already know, many marijuana users report getting the “munchies” when they consume the drug. Popcorn is one of the ultimate snack foods that curbs hunger between meals.
Marijuana and popcorn were practically made for each other. This trend is catching on, with several companies producing what they call “potcorn” and recipes for do-it-yourself THC-containing popcorn becoming popular among foodies looking to try new edibles.
Mints
While mints that contain marijuana have been around for a while, they are just now catching on with mainstream users. The reason for this is that mints can be taken anywhere with relative ease and no one will really know that you’re consuming marijuana.
They offer a quick buzz within minutes, which is another reason for their growing popularity. Additionally, the strong mint flavor covers the somewhat bitter taste of marijuana, making it a favorite of people who don’t particularly like the traditional cannabis flavor.
Gummy Candy
Gummies are another type of edible that has offered the high of marijuana in a pleasant-tasting candy for many years, but for a number of reasons, the sale of THC gummies is exploding.
In fact, one report found that gummies are responsible for 84% of the cannabis candy market, making it by far the most popular sweet in the industry. The main factor behind this boom is that gummies are portable and provide a near-instant buzz. Like mints, they are discrete to consume and taste good.
Moreover, gummies contain less sugar than other edible forms like cookies and brownies, so users who are health conscious or watching their weight are more likely to choose gummies over other types of THC-infused foods.
Another positive for gummies is that they come in a variety of strains, so you can get the exact product you want in the precise dose you need to get consistent results. This can be difficult to duplicate in products like chocolates and baked goods.
Fruity Flavors
This trend may go along with the gummies trend, but more users are choosing foods with fruity flavors than chocolate or mint. It wasn’t that long ago that chocolate was the preferred flavor for edibles, but in the past year, fruit flavors have taken over. In fact, the most popular flavor of THC-infused gummy is watermelon!
One reason for this trend is that fruit can be paired easily with other foods and drinks. For instance, tropical fruit flavors go well with cocktails and juices, so if you want to enjoy an edible with your drink, a fruit-flavored candy will taste the best.
New Strains for Edibles
Manufacturers of edible products have realized that people want choice when it comes to the type of marijuana strain they’re consuming. At one point, consumers had just a few strains to choose from, and they may not have liked the effect from the ones that were available.
In just the last year alone, more than 1,000 strains of marijuana have been developed, which provides manufacturers with the ability to create new products that produce different effects. This trend appears to be picking up steam and will likely contribute to hundreds of new edibles in the next few years.
Edible Delivery
As with many products during the pandemic, delivery became a reality for edibles. Shopping online for edibles became more popular than ever due to the convenience and the ability to get the exact product the consumer wants.
The diversity of products available online means that you don’t have to settle for an edible that doesn’t provide the effect you want or one that doesn’t come in the flavor you want.
Delivery of edibles has opened up a whole new world for both consumers and manufacturers.
Cannabutter
Cooking with a cannabis-based butter has become a favorite way for chefs to infuse as much or as little marijuana into their meals as they want. Since they control how much regular butter they replace with cannabutter, they control the effects of the marijuana on the people who eat their food.
Cannabutter can be used in any recipe that calls for butter, so it’s going into all types of foods, including baked goods, casseroles, vegetable dishes, and more. Cannabutter is not yet available as a manufactured product, but there are plenty of recipes online that allow chefs to make their own using raw marijuana.
Seltzers
Brewers have been experimenting with cannabis-infused beer for years, but recently, marijuana has been finding its way into non-alcoholic beverages as well, including seltzers.
Currently, drinks can only contain 100 mg of THC per container, so they don’t offer the same intense buzz as other edibles, but the fact that companies are testing these products out and people are buying them is promising for the future of this trend.
A major factor in why cannabis-infused selters are gaining in popularity is that the buzz hits the body faster than a solid food, which has to take time to digest before the THC gets into the bloodstream. This segment of marijuana edible is growing quickly, so expect to see more non-alcoholic THC-infused beverages in the near future.
Conclusion
The edibles market is expanding quickly, particularly as additional states legalize either medical or recreational marijuana. However, it’s not just expanding in terms of sales, but also in terms of the types of products available, how consumers are shopping for them, and new flavors.
Compared to most industries, the marijuana edibles industry is still extremely young. It’s exciting to see how far along it’s come and where it’s going, and currently, there’s no end in sight to what manufacturers, growers, and retailers might think of next.
