Just in time for Easter -- but only for adults -- are jelly beans infused with cannabidiol (CBD). And they come in 38 scrumptious flavors.
Confectioner David Klein, the creator of "Jelly Belly" brand jelly beans, is the man behind CBD jelly beans. This new adult candy is being marketed under the brand name, Spectrum Confections.
Klein broke the news about his CBD jelly bean on Instagram. His goofy post shows him almost submerged in what seems like a vat full of his colorful cannabidiol candy.
Each jelly bean contains just 10 mg of CBD. Spectrum coats the beans with dextrose sugar or Malitol to disguise the CBD flavor, which some people don't like. It tastes like cannabis but some prefer to describe the taste as "grassy," which is ironic since marijuana is also called grass.
Klein said he recently learned about the benefits of CBD, "And I said to myself, 'is anybody doing a jelly bean with CBD?'"
By the way, CBD is a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis or marijuana plants. CBD is a chemical in the marijuana plant (cannabis sativa) and doesn't trigger a high in its users.
It's been used for medical purposes for decades. CBD has been successfully used to mitigate inflammation, pain, and nausea. It's also been used to ease anxiety, bipolar disorder, seizures, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, a muscular order called dystonia and schizophrenia.
But there's some bad news for those of you with a sweet tooth for grass candy. Spectrum says its standard package of 800 beans has all sold out.
And because of the unexpectedly high demand, Spectrum is only taking wholesale orders between 8,000 and 32,000 pieces. It also won't process any CBD with a content higher than 0.3%.
Both cannabis and CBD remain illegal in the United States under federal law. But there seems to be no prohibition on CBD candy. On the other hand, it seems a safer bet to buy CBD jelly beans in states such as California, Washington, Nevada and Oregon that have legalized marijuana.
In the U.S., the CBD market is estimated to be a $1 billion business. The market could well soar to $22 billion across a range of CBD categories, including beverages, snacks, and beauty products, in the next four years.
In late 2018, The Coca-Cola Company said it was working with Canadian weed firm Aurora Cannabis, Inc. to make drinks infused with CBD. Spectrum, however, is steering clear of CBD-infused drinks -- for now.
