Just a decade into legalization, the science behind cannabis-infused edibles has already come a long way.

We’ve now got fast-acting edibles, cutting effect times from hours to minutes, made possible by nano-emulsification technology.

We've got heightened experiences and flavors, thanks to Live resin and rosin-infused foods, which contain extracts from flash-frozen freshly-cut cannabis flower.

And we now have targeted effects edibles, which specifically help us chill, focus, find energy, or sleep.

So how do edibles work, and how are they getting faster? How do food scientists maintain taste and texture while adding milligrams of THC? And how are companies using new technologies to give us a range of edible experiences like deeper highs and desirable cannabis flavors?

In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Kristi Palmer, co-founder of Kiva Confections, about how companies like hers innovate the edibles in our market. Kristi discusses the kinds of new experiences edible consumers are looking for, the hurdles edible companies typically face in the kitchen when innovating their product lines, and how Kiva's team works across state lines to meet those consumer desires.

Brit also talks to Breanna Neff, Chief Food Scientist and founder of Brelixi, about how food scientists like her get cannabis edibles to give us those different kinds of highs and faster onsets, all while maintaining the taste and texture. Breanna explains how edibles work in our bodies, the science behind nano-emulsification for fast-onset edibles like her Brelixi drink powder mix, and how targeted effects edibles work to give us certain experiences.

Read more on the science of infused food in the fall 2023 Edibles issue of Different Leaf magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com, or find your local retailer at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

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