Why Magnolia Bakery has high hopes for edibles endeavor

Magnolia Bakery is putting the “baked” back into baked goods.

The New York City chain announced a collaboration with cannabis producer Green Thumb Industries to debut THC-infused chocolate bars under the Incredibles brand. The bars are based on two of Magnolia’s most popular flavors and products, Banana Pudding and Red Velvet.

The idea was sparked after Magnolia heard from consumers throughout the years that they bought their favorite desserts when they got the munchies. The bakery chose to partner with Green Thumb because of its quality cannabis product lineup, according to Sara Gramling, Magnolia’s vice president of PR and partnerships.

Magnolia’s entrance into cannabis comes as players in the space continue to roll out new and novel products, despite the lack of federal regulation from the Biden administration.

The Bettering Company, a Chicago-based upstart that has raised $11 million over the past two years, launched its first line of THC-infused luxury edibles. The business told Food Dive in September it intends to launch a line of chocolate edible treats before the end of the year.

The Swirled Famous Banana Pudding Bar and Red Velvet Piece Ahhh Cake 1:1 Bar are available at Rise Dispensaries in Illinois, Nevada and Massachusetts. Further distribution in those three states is set to follow soon, Magnolia said.

“The Incredibles team know the space inside and out and make a great product,” Gramling said. “There’s a lot of regulations in this space, and they were able to help us through the process of finding where it could be available and managing the production.”

Green Thumb handles both the production and distribution of the edible products. The bakery doesn’t currently have plans to expand further into the cannabis space, Gramling told Food Dive. “We’ll look to the Incredibles team to help us understand if there’s possibilities down the road or if there’s expansion into different markets, but it would really be them leading it given the regulations.”