Mac ‘n’ Weed? Celeb Chef Touts New Line of Cannabis-Infused Foods

Chef Todd English says he was inspired after preparing infused meals for family members being treated for cancer.
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The world of cannabis-infused dining keeps getting more delicious, thanks in part to contributions from world-renowned chef Todd English.

English is the master chef behind LastLeaf, a new brand of food designed to satisfy your appetite and get you high.

LastLeaf’s first two products center on an American staple: macaroni and cheese.

There’s two flavors of the mac: pasta shells with white cheddar and classic elbow macaroni with cheddar, both of which come infused with ten milligrams of THC isolate.

English told ABC News in a recent interview that the products have been “getting a great response.”

For English, preparing meals with cannabis is personal.

“I saw my sister and a number of my relatives go through horrible cancer,” English told ABC News. “My sister passed away, unfortunately, but during the time she was in remission, I would prepare things with cannabis and it seemed to really help her get through the struggles of how she felt after chemo.”

Cannabis-infused food has exploded in popularity in the last decade, with more than a dozen states and multiple cities throughout the U.S. legalizing cannabis use for adults.

For now, LastLeaf’s mac and cheese products are only available in California, where adult-use cannabis has been legal since 2016, but ABC News reported that English “hopes to expand the line to more cities that have legalized marijuana for recreational use” later this year.

“Consumers are ready for it, but it’s going to take a little bit of time to get embedded into the marketplace,” LastLeaf founder and CEO Keith Burkard told ABC News.

“The cannabis industry started out with a lot of secondary food groups like drinks, chips, snacks, chocolates, candies,” Burkhard added. “We’re introducing primary food group edibles.”

LastLeaf says it’s taking a different approach to cannabis-infused food, with its emphasis on “savory flavors and micro-dosing.” 

“We work with top-rated, creative chefs to provide culinary products for the American at-home chef,” the company says on its website. “Cooking, just like cannabis, can be adventurous and fun, but we deeply believe in the healing powers of food and the cannabis plant, individually and together. Now we get to share the best of both worlds with you.”

It’s in California where another famed chef plies his trade with cannabis-infused meals.

In late February, Chris Sayegh opened The Herbal Chef in Santa Monica, California.

“Cannabis deserves to be recognized as the superfood it is and plated with other foods,” Sayegh told High Times in an interview earlier this year. “It’s way past time for diners to be enlightened to this point. In my mind, cannabis is just another food at the table with the added bonus of inducing happiness. My team and I witness this every time we feed our guests. It’s not rocket science, it’s the science of foods that uplift and heal.”

That line of work is nothing new for Sayegh, who is also the brains behind Nostalgia Bar & Lounge in Santa Monica.

The bar offers customers a chance to catch a buzz in a cozy, intimate space.

Its website bills the experience thusly: “Creature comforts from back in the day are reimagined utilizing Sayegh’s technical culinary background, paired with expertise from THC’s team- Chef and Partner Jared Ventura, Services Director Jack Goldberg, and Beverage Director Bradley Fry, to create playful New American bites and a quality bar program at Nostalgia. Guest can sip inventive CBD- and terpene-infused cocktails that draw inspiration from nostalgic delights like Otter-Pops, Orange Julius, and Capri Suns, play old-school board games like Operation and Battleship in the lounge, or kick back on the numerous picnic tables situated on the expansive outdoor patio.”

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