Creator of Jelly Belly launches CBD-infused beans

Author: CBS News
Published:
Gourmet candy. (Credit: CBS)
Gourmet candy. (Credit: CBS)

Cannabis confections are all the rage now that CBD oil is increasing in popularity, and the creator of one sugary snack is jumping on the bandwagon. David Klein, known as “The Candyman” and founder of Jelly Belly jellybeans, has announced a new company – one that makes his signature product, but with a twist. Klein created “Spectrum Confections,” which offers CBD-infused jellybeans.

Klein invented the Jelly Belly bean in 1976. The new line offers “gourmet” jellybeans, sugar-free jellybeans, and sour jellybeans that have about 10mg of CBD inside each bean.

Spectrum Confections is compliant with laws regarding CBD, according to its website, and does not process any CBD with a higher content then .30%. The beans come dusted in sugar or another powder. Why? “CBD isn’t always the best taste,” Spectrum Confections said. “Therefore adding this layer of flavor creates an immediate masking…The CBD is not in the powder.”

The company said it is trying to secure a patent for Klein’s formula.

Coca-Cola announced last year it is looking at potential cannabis drinks. It may target consumers seeking to ease inflammation and related pain by using CBD, which is unrelated to the ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

CBD won’t make you high, and people use it for a variety of conditions including anxiety, insomnia, depression and seizures. All but four states allow CBD use, and legalization of marijuana may be on the horizon. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker reintroduced a bill last month to legalize marijuana nationwide and expunge federal convictions for possession or use of the drug.

The bill, which Booker first introduced in 2017, is the latest in a series of splashy proposals by the early field of 2020 candidates. Ten states and Washington, D.C., have fully legalized marijuana for recreational use, and several state legislatures are currently considering their own laws.

As for getting a dose of CBD from a jellybean, consumers may have to wait a bit. While Spectrum Confections had offered each type of CBD jellybean in packages of 800 pieces, all of them have sold out, according to its website. “Due to recent media attention, our inventory has been depleted,” the site reads.

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