So here’s a fairly common experience circa 2015…you’re at a social function — a party, a get-together, the office holiday party — and at some point, you’re offered an “edible.” Edibles are food, baked goods, sweets laced with THC. “Why not!” you say, and indulge. An hour or so later, things start to get very, very loopy. Sometimes this can be a fun change of scenery, and other times it can be mind-meltingly unpleasant.
Enter Peter Lograsso, founder of the award-winning Green Gold Baking Company. Lograsso is on a two-prong mission: 1. to create “edibles” that are not just edible, but utterly delicious. And 2. to give customers the piece of mind of knowing what they’re getting when they consume one of his carefully crafted crackers, cookies, or breakfast bars.
The first in a three-part series of talks devoted to issues facing Californians, this Thursday, April 16th at 8pm, join us at The Standard, Hollywood for Dank Tank, a discussion with experts about how society and industries are evolving in light of the normalization of marijuana. Industry experts will be on hand to discuss the importance of safe access to marijuana, the entrepreneurial side of things, as well as advocacy, and creative influence.
Below you’ll find an interview with Lograsso of Green Gold from "High Minded", the zine that will accompany the talk, covering the obstacles of having a successful business within the marijuana industry. And down at the bottom, you’ll find a list of resources for those who want to learn more.
What was the biggest hurdle in setting up a cannabis business?
PETER LOGRASSO: Banking. Federal banking. It’s simply illegal in the United States; they’ve labeled it a Schedule 1 drug like cocaine or heroin, so banks don’t want to touch it.
Is it profitable to balance healthful ingredients with medicinal cannabis?
PL: It’s not right now, but the tide is changing. If cannabis becomes more accepted, and legal, then the general public will demand healthy ingredients, so why not do it first?
What do you think it says about the industry that more consumers are looking for lower THC-edibles?
PL: As it becomes more aboveground, people are going to read more about edibles. If someone has never eaten one before, there should be a product out there that they can take safely. I believe five or ten milligrams is the maximum dose for somebody for the first time. What I want to try and change is the acceptability that someone can pay for THC in a manageable amount, and also for something that is healthy, organic, sugar-free, and made with coconut oil.
What would be the best-case scenario for reform?
PL: If the marijuana industry appointed some kind of council, and got leaders in the community together to sit down in one room with Sacramento, NORML and pound it out, talk about it, and try to create a Magna Carta for the industry. For edibles: informed and childproof packaging.
What are the best reactions you've gotten from your products?
PL: That they’re not too strong; they’re more of a pleasant experience. Each cracker has 10 milligrams, so if you have a high tolerance, then you need to take 50 or 60 milligrams. The people with low tolerance, they just need one, and the bag lasts longer. The sweet spot is to keep the package under 100 milligrams. People who are new to edibles appreciate that. They like the idea that you can just take one cracker. Also, they love the taste: we do a Sharp Cheddar Chili Cracker that’s delicious. Why can’t edibles be delicious, organic, and gluten free?

Dank Tank and the High Minded zine were made in collaboration with Intelligence and Paper Chase Press.
More information on Cooking & Edibles:
Aunt Sandy's Medical Marijuana Cookbook
The Official High Times Cannabis Cookbook
BAKED by Yzabetta Sativa
