Product launches are a natural next step for celebrity chefs. Whether it’s high-end frying pans or best-selling cookbooks, these tactile goods are an extension of any gourmand’s personal brand. For Top Chef Masters winner Chef Chris Cosentino, his latest product has a deeply personal inspiration—and the potential to do a garden of good.
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The San Francisco-based chef officially launched his cannabis line at Hall of Flowers in Santa Rosa, where he held a cooking demo featuring his White CBG-infused ice cream and meringue “shatter.” Cosentino’s new Spicy Arugula pre-rolls from Sonoma Hills Farm (SHF)are a proprietary blend of cannabis flower containing not just THC but significant percentages of CBD and CBG, as well.
The minor cannabinoid-rich joints stemmed from Cosentino’s own mental health journey. With all of the high-potency products on the market, the chef wanted to create something for people who may not need all that THC.
“Part of the process in designing this particular pre-roll was about me dealing with anxiety,” Cosentino told GreenState. “I don’t take SSRIs anymore because of discovering low dose THC, CBD, CBG, cannabis.”
Cosentino’s joints are designed specifically for other people struggling with anxiety. While some people may find THC helps with worry, it can exacerbate anxious thoughts in others. According to Cosentino, Spicy Arugula is a balanced and beneficial blend that gives Goldilocks energy.
“It’s really about having that even keel,” he explained of the Spicy Arugula experience. “I like to say it’s tippy-toeing across the neighbor’s fence. You’re not going to fall in one neighbor’s yard, or you’re not going to fall in your yard. It keeps you straight and narrow.”
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Cosentino is a long-time friend of Sonoma Hills Farm, a craft cannabis and organic culinary oasis nestled in the Petaluma Gap appellation. Partnering with the team was fitting, given Cosentino’s passion for sustainable agriculture. Also debuting at Hall of Flowers courtesy of Cosentino and SHF was a line of non-infused hemp cooking salts dubbed Herbs de Petaluma.
“I’ve always believed in transparency with my food and knowing how Sonoma Hills Farm grows their product: sun-grown, organic, dry farm, outdoors—that’s just like all my vegetables that I buy and, to me, that’s important,” he said. “I know where this product’s coming from, and I know that people are going to feel comfortable with it.”
Spicy Arugula pre-rolls are available in singles, and four-packs will be on select California dispensary shelves soon. It’ll be a welcome sight for all consumers seeking more options for lower-potency products.
