Ben & Jerry’s is the latest food brand to jump on the CBD bandwagon! The company announced on Thursday, May 30, that it is committed to including CBD (a non-psychoactive cannabis compound) in its ice cream innovations in the near future.
The Vermont-based dessert producer intends to make its CBD-infused ice cream available once CBD is legalized at the federal level, according to a press release. Currently, CBD is only legal in a handful of states, including California, Colorado and Massachusetts. Furthermore, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) prohibits adding CBD to food and beverages, but the agency has set a public hearing on the legalization of the matter for Friday, May 31, and Ben & Jerry’s has submitted comment on the issue.
Given that the brand is known for flavors such as Half Baked and Magic Brownies, this move isn’t exactly a surprise. The CBD-infused flavor is tentatively titled CBD, TBD.
“We’re doing this for our fans,” explained Ben & Jerry’s CEO Matthew McCarthy. “We’ve listened and brought them everything from non-dairy indulgences to on-the-go portions with our Pint Slices. We aspire to love our fans more than they love us and we want to give them what they’re looking for in a fun, Ben & Jerry’s way.”
While the company waits for federal legalization of CBD, it is looking into procuring a sustainably sourced version of the substance from Vermont. By using high-quality, sustainably sourced ingredients, the company helps to support a linked prosperity model within Ben & Jerry’s supply chain, making sure the brand is positively impacting every community it’s a part of.
According to a National Restaurant Association survey, three in four chefs named CBD – and cannabis-infused food – as a hot trend in 2019.
Celebrities have caught on as well. In April 2019, Kim Kardashian hosted a CBD-themed baby shower ahead of the birth of her fourth child, Psalm West. The event, which was attended by stars including Paris Hilton and Chrissy Teigen, featured plenty of CBD oil and goodie bags complete with CBD-infused mints.
