Jushi Holdings Inc. (CSE:JUSH, OTCQX:JUSHF) has announced the launch of cannabis-infused chocolates by Tasteology in Massachusetts, marking the company's entry into the edible cannabis market.
Tasteology Chocolates—handcrafted by Matt Petersen, Jushi's director of manufacturing and Bravo's top chef: Just Desserts finalist, together with the company’s product development team—are currently available for purchase at Nature's Remedy dispensaries in Tyngsborough and Millbury in Massachusetts.
"Made using just a handful of ingredients you can easily pronounce in our state-of-the-art kitchen by an award-winning chef, Tasteology Chocolates represent the culmination of extensive consumer research into taste and demonstrate our ongoing commitment to developing products that not only meet the diverse needs of consumers, but are also delicious," Jushi founder, chairman and CEO Jim Cacioppo said in a statement.
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Artfully crafted from 100% gourmet chocolate made with responsibly-sourced cocoa beans from gourmet French chocolatier, Valrhona, Tasteology Chocolates are currently available in three flavors: Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and Strawberry Blonde Chocolate. These 18-piece bars, which are easily separable for accurate dosing, contain 90mg of THC per bar or 5mg per piece.
The chocolates are also 100% Fair Trade and USDA Organic Certified, using beans that have been sourced only from suppliers that embrace agroforestry and adhere to a strict charter designed to protect labor rights, biodiversity and food safety.
"Sourcing the best ingredients was simply a no-brainer for us," said Petersen. "So many edibles on the market today simply aren't appealing to the palate. With Tasteology Chocolates, we were determined to bring to consumers, products containing all-natural ingredients, no preservatives, and some of the best cocoa you can buy," he added.
Jushi will roll out the chocolates to partner dispensaries across the Commonwealth in the coming weeks, with an expected launch in Virginia in the first quarter of 2023.
As cannabis markets mature, the demand for edibles has grown at an outpaced rate relative to overall industry growth, Jushi said.
According to cannabis point-of-sale software provider Flowhub, the edibles category made up 11% of overall sales in 2021, compared to 9% in 2020, representing $2.75 billion, the company noted. This, coupled with results from Jushi's inaugural "4/20 Cannabis Insights Poll," which show that out of any product category, 32.7% of non-cannabis users would be most interested in trying edibles, the demand for edibles remains strong and is likely to keep growing, it added.
Jushi is a vertically-integrated cannabis company led by an industry-leading management team. In the United States, Jushi is focused on building a multi-state portfolio of branded cannabis assets through opportunistic acquisitions, distressed workouts, and competitive applications. The company strives to maximize shareholder value while delivering high-quality products across all levels of the cannabis ecosystem.
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com