Ben & Jerry's Wants To Chill You Out With CBD Ice Cream

BEn and Jerry's CBD infused ice cream

There's nothing better than kicking back on a Friday night with the Netflix queue loaded and a pint of your favorite Ben & Jerry's ice cream. But, there's a brand new food trend that the company can't wait to get in on - CBD-infused ice cream.

"You probably already know that we’re fans of all things groovy— think: Half Baked and Dave Matthews Band Magic Brownies. So it’s no surprise that we can’t wait to get into the latest food trend: cannabidiol, or CBD," a press release from the company states.

According to one study from the National Restaurant Association, 3 in 4 chefs say CBD and cannabis-infused foods will be one of the hottest trends in food for 2019. Of course, Ben & Jerry's is interested in the non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant. CBD has been pitched by many as allowing people to relax without the high provided by THC.

Unfortunately, the ice cream company can't fire up the ice cream machine for a CBD-infused treat just yet. Regulations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prohibit CBD being added to commercially sold food and beverages. However, that could be changing after hemp was legalized last year with the 2018 Farm Bill. But because the FDA considered CBD a drug, it can't be added to any food or beverages, nor can it be advertised as a dietary supplement. Cannabis also remains illegal on a federal level and only 10 states allow recreational weed, making it difficult for restaurants to offer CBD and cannabis-infused foods and beverages.

Last week, the FDA held its first public hearings on CBD-infused foods and beverages last week. Dozens of speakers, including researchers, health professionals, advocates for CBD, manufacturers and opponents offered their views on the issue.

Still, Ben & Jerry's CEO Matthew McCarthy says, they want to try and make the CBD-infused ice cream for their fans.

"We listened and brought them everything from Non-Dairy indulgences to on-the-go portions with our Pint Slices," said McCarthy. "We aspire to love our fans more than they love us and we want to give them what they’re looking for in a Ben & Jerry’s way.”

Should the company get the go-ahead to go through with creating the CBD-flavored ice cream, the company says they plan on using locally sourced CBD from Vermont.

The momentum on cannabis legalization appears to be shifting as well. Last week, the Illinois state House passed a bill making it the 11th state to fully legalize cannabis. Sales are expected to begin next January.

Now if only we could get Ben & Jerry's to make 'Hulk-A-Hulk-A-Burning-Fudge and Stark Raving Hazelnuts' our Friday nights would be complete.

Photo: Ben & Jerry's


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