Whenever I talk to a chef for the first time (for whatever reason), I invariably work my way around to one particular question. I try not to take them off guard, but it’s something to the effect of: “Are you now cooking with, or have you ever cooked with, cannabis?”
There are no cannabis restaurants (yet), but chef-driven, cannabis-infused cuisine is everywhere in both states where it’s legal and prohibited, usually taking the form of pop-ups, parties, or branded product lines. New edibles and culinary cannabis events are popping up right here in Chicago, all the time.
Ever since the state’s recreational cannabis law passed this summer Howry and Ijichi have been thinking about how they could apply their skills out in the open without worrying about getting hassled by the man. Ijichi is especially fascinated by the possibilities of savory applications, particularly ramen. “A lot of our chef friends have talked about this,” she says, “how cool it would be.”
“Also, we specifically prohibited sales promotions or events where a cannabis business or person promotes the sale of cannabis or cannabis-infused products by giving away cannabis products, or conduct games or competitions related to the consumption of cannabis or cannabis infused products. This was in direct response to issues in other states where cannabis businesses were hosting events to draw people in to purchase their product. It does not mention pop-up events specifically but it appears that these types of events sound similar.”
