CBD-Infused Drinks

NYC Chef Puts CBD-Infused Drinks on Menu

By Jacqueline Corba

Chef Ron Silver wants the CBD experience to have a faster effect more consistently than current products allow, and he's developed his own sweetener to help do it.


"Azuca is a technology that makes cannabis or CBD edibles kick in in 15 minutes," Silver told Cheddar's CannaBiz on Tuesday. "I did a lot of research into figuring out how to make the molecules sort of more water-soluble, so it dissolves in your mouth."

New York City-based Silver launched his own cannabis company, Azuca, this past spring to commercialize a line of edible products using his patent-pending technology, which produces a low-dose, controllable edible. The health effects can be felt much more quickly than with traditional CBD products, which can take an hour ー or several, depending on the person ー to metabolize.

And Silver's found an opportunity to showcase the new offerings at his hugely popular restaurant, Bubby's, which has added Azuca's CBD to the menu.

"Our main thing is to create an ingredient so that people can create their own edibles," Silver said.

At Bubby's, which sprang to fame for its homemade pies after launching 28 years ago, customers can now order coffee, lemonade, and cocktails infused with 25 mg of pure hemp CBD per drink. The Azuca formula acts primarily as a sweetener for each drink.

CBD is an extract of marijuana that does not contain THC or make people high. The substance is legal in most states.

"Our goal is to set a standard that the law and regulations want to look to for guidance," Silver said.

Beyond New York, Azuca is looking to license its technology in markets where it's legal to create infused products and has long-term plans to sell THC-based products through licensed dispensaries in Massachusetts.