A zesty little option

It used to be that when you heard the word cannabis, it immediately triggered the mental image of a person smoking it. Today, we all know things have changed! Any well-stocked dispensary will offer you a myriad of administration methods, and plenty of product offerings to match. Because everyone has a unique relationship with cannabis, we say: “The more options, the better!”

That list of options is about to get a whole lot sweeter for New York medical cannabis patients! We’re excited to report that CuraChews, our chewable cannabis gels, will be available at all Curaleaf NY dispensaries starting February 21st, 2020. Neighbors of Lady Liberty... let the happy dance ensue!

Why the big deal?

It’s exciting to be able to offer CuraChews to New York’s medical cannabis community, especially when considering that NY’s strict regulations make the formulation of new products a bit challenging.

The state of New York requires that all cannabis products are crafted with USP [United States Pharmacopeia] certified ingredients. This means that the ingredients used in addition to cannabis oil must be strong enough, pure enough, and high-quality enough to pass specific parameters. These extra safeguards are in place with a consumer’s best interest in mind, and we’re delighted that our CuraChews have passed the most rigorous of tests. It’s cannabis with confidence... from all parties!

Let’s chew on the details

Our zesty lemon CuraChews will be the first of three flavors to debut in New York. They boast a 20:1 THC:CBD ratio, with 5mg of THC and 0.25 mg of CBD per chew, available in a 30-count bottle. Orange-flavored chews with a 1:1 ratio, and cherry-flavored chews with a 1:20 ratio are soon to follow. (Like we said, options are everything!)

What about the consistency? CuraChews are firm (that’s why we call them “gels”) with a great mouthfeel. They aren’t too sticky, and they aren’t too hard; they’re juuuust right. If you need to consume cannabis orally, you can (obviously) chew on them. The typical onset when chewed is 30-90 minutes. Effects, on average, are reported to last 4-6 hours, with some patients feeling effects for up to 12 hours. If sublingual administration (a.k.a., under the tongue) is more your style, try sucking one for long-lasting flavor and an accelerated onset.

Chews in the making

Crystal, a Curaleaf Fill-Tech, monitors a batch of Lemon CuraChews at our formulation facility in Ravena, NY.

It’s pretty cool when you stop to think that Curaleaf is able to grow and harvest your cannabis, process it into cannabis oil at our in-house lab, then hand it off to the neighboring product formulation team to be turned into a chewable gel for oral consumption. ALL the magic happens at one locale, and it’s this start-to-finish control that allows people like you to enjoy our chews with confidence. No surprises here!

To gather more juicy details on what chew-making entails, we turned to Crystal Ziomber of the product formulation team in our Ravena, NY facility.

Crystal began with Curaleaf as a post-harvest technician in our grow room before being promoted to formulation. As a Fill-Tech, Crystal now deals with the sweet ingredients—and the testing they require—for all our consumable products. Cannabis and confections: what a heavenly combo!

When it comes to making CuraChews, Crystal first preps the cannabis oil, along with each of the ingredients necessary to achieve that perfect, gel-like bite. “Each ingredient must reach a certain temperature before anything is combined,” she explains. “It also has to be added in a precise order.” The process has no room for error. We liken it to following a cake recipe. “A really fun cake recipe,” Crystal adds.

The chews are poured into their molds and left to “set” for up to a full day. “As we pop them out, we’re looking for a very bright, beautiful color, a distinct firmness, and an overall consistency from chew to chew,” Crystal says.

employee holding tray of cura-chews in a mold

Crystal shows off a freshly poured set of chews (and one sweet lab coat) in Ravena, NY.

Consistency is exactly what makes oral products like CuraChews so desirable. There’s no guesswork on the potency; or how much to consume. Each chew delivers the same result, so once you’ve tried them, you know just what to expect.

At 5mg of THC, CuraChews are designed to deliver a lighter effect than most chews on the market. For this reason, many people say they’re ideal for daytime use. They are also easily halved if micro-dosing is your jam. Palatable and convenient, CuraChews provide a welcome alternative for the pill-fatigued patient with a heavy medication regimen. All in all, these little lemon gels are stirring up a whole lotta love in the cannabis community!

Want to see the chew-making in action? You're in luck: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B70SB1KZSB4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B70SB1KZSB4)

Ready to try them? We’ll set chew up!

New Yorkers:

Lemon 20:1 CuraChews will be available at ALL Curaleaf NY Dispensaries starting February 21, 2020. Walk-ins are welcome at all of our locations.

Not in NY?

Never fear. We hope they’ll be available in your area soon! In the meantime, remember that we strive to provide our patients and customers with a wide variety of products at every Curaleaf dispensary. Our goal is to be your one-stop-shop!

Visit curaleaf.com/states/ to find your neighborhood Curaleaf, and we’ll be happy to help you find just the right product to reach your cannabis goals.

See you then!