Of the hundreds of edibles in Canada, there are only a handful that don’t contain loads of sugar. There are pages of candies, chocolates, gummies, and other confections with nary a vegetable in sight—until now. For the first time, more health-conscious cannabis lovers can try dried vegetables and a new kind of dried fruit. Well, if you are in Quebec that is.
Dehydrated beets, cauliflower, and figs—oh my!
Quebec has always had a reluctant relationship with cannabis legalization, enacting some of the country’s strictest regulations and cracking down on cannabis culture in la belle province.
Back in 2019, the province banned the sale of cannabis-infused sweets on the grounds that such products are “attractive” to minors, and delayed stocking edibles of any kind long after the products became legal the following year.
In the shadow of what was previously the province’s only available legal edible—cassis and cinnamon-flavoured bites—my expectations for the new set of offerings were low.
Frankly, they tasted like one of those seed bells you put in your backyard in the winter so chickadees don’t starve. Nonetheless, I tried multiple bags of cannabinoid-infused fruit and veggies so you don’t have to. Here’s how they stacked up.
The basics
Quebec’s new edibles are produced by Ontario-based CannMart alongside BC-based processor Rilaxe Canada. Each bag of THC-infused edibles contains four units (aka pieces of dried vegetables).
In accordance with federal regulations, each unit contains approximately 2.5mg of THC, for a total of 10 grams per package; each unit also contains 5mg of CBD.
Each bag of CBD-infused edibles contains five units, with 20 mg of CBD per unit and possible trace amounts (less than 0.1 mg per unit) of THC.
Make your own edibles
The pros
- Vegan—all three options are vegan-friendly and gluten/nut-free, meaning that they’re compatible with a wide range of diets.
- Price—at CAD$5.80 to $6.90 per package, the price is accessible for most Quebecers buying adult-use cannabis on the legal market.
- Low Dose—the beginner-friendly small dose per piece makes it easy to “start low and go slow” without overdoing it.
The cons
- Healthy?—no real significant nutritional value, these veggies aren’t exactly going to count as a serving of fruits or vegetables.
- Low Dose—this is a double-edged sword. While the low dose of THC per piece makes it easier for newer cannabis consumers to avoid overdoing it, more seasoned adult consumers may find that they need to consume a considerable quantity to get the results they seek.
The Cauliflower: Choux-Fleurs Infusés
Ingredients:Organic cauliflower, organic high-oleic sunflower and/or safflower oil, sea salt, organic maltodextrin, MCT oil, cannabis extract.
Although each piece is shaped like a bite-sized piece of cauliflower, I found the texture and taste more consistent with a hearty mixture of day-old popcorn and rock salt.
Some pieces have a vaguely nutty taste, but it’s not really discernable over the tongue-punch of sodium that accompanies each bite. I love salt, but I struggled to get through these.
Best bet for consumption: Crumbled up as a parmesan-like topping for pasta, thoroughly mixed into poutine or French-Canadian pea soup, not at all.
Would I buy it again?Non.
Bottom line: This cauliflower probably won’t appeal to children—or adults. Ultimately, this just seems like a missed opportunity to sell some weed-infused Funyons (or Foignons).
The Beets: Betteraves Infusées
Ingredients:Beets, non-hydrogenated canola and/or sunflower oil, tapioca starch, sea salt, MCT oil, cannabis extract.
I hate beets and had imagined these as being big leathery slices of borscht-flavoured vegetable leather. I was pleasantly surprised to open the bag and discover something that looked and tasted like an earthy, purple potato chip. Unlike their cauliflower compatriot, the oven-baked beets are not overly salted and have a mostly crunchy consistency. These are fine!
Best bet for consumption: Topping a salad in lieu of croutons, tucked into a falafel wrap or shish taouk
Would I buy it again? Maybe!
Bottom line: If you like those colourful vegetable chips they sell in the bougie/hippie/organic aisle at the grocery store, you’ll probably like these.
The Figs: Figues Séchées Infusées
Ingredients:Organic figs, cannabis extract, MCT oil.
Although they’re a little less sweet and a bit chewier than the average grocery store fig, these are the clear winners of the three. They’re inoffensive, look like what they are supposed to, and blend easily into various recipes.
Figues Séchées Infusées taste pleasant enough, but not so much that you’ll be tempted to actually snack on them when hungry. If you like figs, you’ll like these figs.
Best bet for consumption: Chopped into trail mix, used as a topping for oatmeal (with lots of brown sugar), in a smoothie, on top of a tarte au sucre.
Would I buy it again? Yes, to keep in my purse/cupboard or maybe for my mom to try.
Bottom line: The kind of edible you would buy for your mom.
It’s anyone’s guess what’s next for Quebec edibles. Pot-spiked prune juice? Edibles disguised to look like homework, a stack of T4s, or a bottle of cod liver oil?
Only time will tell. But if previous trends are any indication, we’ll probably be waiting for a while. For those outside Quebec, Rilaxe has four dried fruit options—mango, cherry, banana, and apricot—with varying availability by province.
