Ben and Jerry’s Determined To Release CBD-Infused Ice-Cream Sooner Than You Think

The cannabis oil trend is potentially at its best, with many companies eyeing to cash in on this promising venture, Ben and Jerry’s also jumped in with their own CBD infused ice- cream.

The ice cream company shared a mock-up photo of what could be a new ice cream tub somewhere in the near future. Posting in their Instagram handle alongside the photo: ‘Trend alert! CBD-infused ice cream is ( maybe, hopefully) coming to a freezer near you!’

The internet went wild for this idea.

One person commented: ‘Thank. You. For normalizing. Hemp and cannabis. The work you guys do is SO much more than just ice cream.’ Another said: ‘This is why you guys are the best ice cream company out there’. Someone else added: ‘Ben and Jerry’s continuing to be the ice cream we didn’t know we needed’.

The American brand, however, has to navigate through legal barriers before this could be a reality since the FDS currently prohibits adding CBD to food and beverages.

But the company recently had a hearing on the legalization of CBD-infused foods, and Ben& Jerry’s submitted a comment to them supporting legalization. The regulatory body has announced a public hearing on the legalization on the issue for 31 May.

The regulator has said it plans to use the public comments to inform a federal working group looking “to explore potential pathways for dietary supplements and/or conventional foods containing CBD to be lawfully marketed”.

CBD, short for cannabidiol is a chemical compound from the cannabis plant. Its supporters claim it produces a relaxing and calm effect, unlike its cousin tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is psychoactive.

With many states loosening their hard stance on recreational use of Cannabis, the brand is hoping that eventually, CBD-infused ice cream is something they’ll eventually be able to roll out.

The announcement steers Ben & Jerry’s firmly into the hottest trend in food. A recent survey published by the National Restaurant Association found that three in four chefs named CBD – and cannabis-infused food – as a hot trend in 2019.

Ben & Jerry’s CEO Matthew McCarthy said: ‘We’re doing this for our fans. ‘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 Ben & Jerry’s way.’

While clinical studies fail to back up most claims for CBD, the political push to legalize is in part in a reaction to the opiate addiction crisis that swept across the US that has rendered health authorities scrambling for palliative solutions, however far-fetched or untested.