Industry Events
Enjoying a Farm-to-Table Meal Infused with Cannabis
One of the benefits of living in a medical and recreational marijuana state like Oregon is the ability see first hand how people are incorporating cannabis into events in new and interesting ways.
When I received an invite to Conscious Cannabis: An Infused Farm-to-Table Dining Experience, I was immediately intrigued. The dinner was presented by the Cannabis Grand Cru, which was happening the following day, and was curated by the Green Heart Foundation. I adhere to a gluten-free diet and the event description promised a locally-sourced, gluten-conscious menu cooked with cannabinoids, which meant not only would the food have weed in it, I could actually eat everything that was being served. Of course I would attend.
I arrived at Elder Hall in North East Portland after a long day of trimming out on a pot farm and was not sure what to expect. The space had a rustic charm, with long wooden tables seating dozens of people filling the room, quilts hanging from the walls, shelves lined with teapots and jars and candles and jazz playing softly in the background. After showing ID (recreational cannabis is for those 21 and over), I was seated at a table next to some other cannabis enthusiasts who were already enjoying the first course — a ricotta bruschetta on a baguette chip, with 1 to 2 mg THC each. One of my favorite items of the whole night was the refreshing lemon-lime-thyme CBD spritzer that was also served at the beginning of the meal. There would be no alcohol at dinner because of the laws keeping cannabis and booze separated, but one of my table mates initiated a toast with the CBD spritzer and the cheers was just as effective and enthusiastic without it.
Each gluten-free and vegetarian course had between 1 and 5 mg of THC and/or CBD, which is a relatively light dose of ganja. While 15 mg is unlikely to have much of an effect on a daily consumer who is very familiar with edibles (like myself), it will definitely have an effect on those who don’t consume regularly. One of my table companions told us he only uses cannabis once or twice a week, and only eats it, and only ever had about 15 mg of THC at a time, so the meal was a perfect dose for him.
The event organizers made sure to mention there was town car on hand for any guests who might over indulge, and there was a vaporizing station outside where guests could try out flowers and oils just in case they wanted a little something more between courses. There was definitely an emphasis on the entourage effect, the idea that the whole plant is important and cannabinoids work together in combination to create the ideal effect. The chefs came out and explained how the menu had been crafted specifically to create a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD to exemplify this.
Other highlights of the menu included a hazelnut salad with hemp-derived CBD, a take on gluten-free eggplant parmesan and a squash soup that were both infused with less than 5 mg of THC each. The dessert course was outstanding- prepared by Chef Laurie G. Wolf of Laurie and MaryJane, it featured three cakes with ice cream. An additional dessert was gifted as we were leaving — some candies infused with more THC to enjoy on our own time. Since I wasn’t feeling much other than full after the dinner, I ate them immediately and followed up the meal with some dabs. I definitely slept quite well that night.
It was a treat to be able to see how one part of the industry is approaching cannabis events —with some caution (low-dose), a focus on local (farm-to-table), inclusive of dietary restrictions (gluten-free and vegetarian). The dinner event was attended by a wide variety of locals as well as out-of-towners and was delicious.
TELL US, would you like to attend a dinner event featuring cannabis-infused courses?
