Trendy cannabis ingredient CBD is showing up in everything from beauty creams to vape pens. Now it could be coming to a cheeseburger near you.
Closely held fast-food chain Carl's Jr. will be selling a burger with pickled jalapeños, pepper jack cheese and CBD-infused sauce on April 20 from a single location in Denver, Colorado, the first U.S. state to create a legal marijuana market.
CBD, an abbreviation for cannabidiol, was decriminalized by the Farm Bill that was passed late last year but has not yet been approved for use in food and drinks by the FDA. Still, there is seemingly little risk of enforcement, so around the country, restaurants, bars and bakeries are experimenting with adding the cannabis compound to menu items. Unlike its cousin THC, CBD doesn't give the user a high. Instead, it's pitched as a natural way to mitigate anxiety, insomnia, inflammation and other ailments.
The burger will contain 5 milligrams of CBD, the Roark Capital Group-owned company said, far below the 500 milligrams some experts say is required for it to be effective. Dubbed "The Rocky Mountain High: CheeseBurger Delight," the sandwich will sell for $4.20. The company says it has enough ingredients to sell at least 1,000 of the specialty burgers.
"We are a West Coast brand," said Patty Trevino, senior vice president of Carl's Jr. marketing. "The states out in the West Coast have been the ones to really adopt and appreciate and be open to cannabis."
The company says it hasn't decided whether to roll this out more widely or keep it as a one-day promotion. Trevino says it depends on feedback, but so far, it's been positive: A lot of franchisees have already contacted corporate saying they also want to test the CBD burger, she said.
