Edible Arrangements’ Parent Company Is Now Selling Actual Edibles

Edible Brands, Edible Arrangements’ parent company, is taking the language of gift-giving in a decidedly higher direction. 

Edibles.com, a recently launched marketplace by the Georgia-based company, offers a curated selection of hemp-derived edibles for online purchase. The platform, which opened its digital doors to Texas customers on Thursday, features a variety of upscale seltzers and chews. In the coming weeks, it plans to expand nationally into legal markets across the Southeast and other regions, including Georgia and Florida.

This online marketplace serves as a sister company to the 26-year-old fruit-gifting platform. As Edible Brands CEO Somia Farid Silber explains, this new platform focuses on a diverse array of hemp-derived products, encompassing different flavors, formats, and intended effects. That includes relatively low-dose beverages, like Food & Wine 2023 Drinks Innovator of the Year Cann, along with low-THC gummies and infused items from well-known cannabis brands such as Colorado-based Wana and 1906. 

In the United States, cannabis regulation varies widely by state. Adult recreational and medical marijuana isn’t legal federally, and 24 states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, while a total of 39 permit medical use. Meanwhile, seven states have chosen to decriminalize the drug (which removes some or all criminal penalties), and more than 100 local counties or municipalities have done the same, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Cannabis Laws (NORML). 

Hemp, on the other hand, is created from cultivars of Cannabis sativa with less than 0.3% THC. Its cultivation is federally permitted under a provision by the Farm Bill.

“There’s so much opportunity for us to curate the best products. Curation really has so much to do with this platform,” Farid Silber tells Food & Wine. “For us, it’s really important for us to become this trusted place.”

Edible Brands tapped longtime cannabis professional Thomas Winstanley as executive vice president of its platform. After a six-year tenure at Massachusetts-based medical and recreational cannabis brand Theory Wellness, the company sees Winstanley as particularly well-suited for scaling and molding growth at the company. With him on board, Edibles.com is exploring innovative approaches to enter new markets with exciting cannabis products, including plans to introduce its own hemp-derived line.

“What we really wanted to do — and in certain ways, we accomplished that — is create a very accessible CPG-style website that doesn’t feel like you’re buying these infused products,” Winstanley said. “It feels just like a regular e-commerce experience.”

For now, Edibles.com is setting its sights on retail expansion of its curated products, while a brick-and-mortar flagship is also on its way to Atlanta’s Inman Park neighborhood. Beyond that, the company plans to expand its online presence in the coming weeks.

Ultimately, Farid Silber points out that there isn’t significant overlap between Edible Arrangements and Edibles.com apart from the parent company. So, no, these products won’t be available in Edible Arrangements’ signature packaged bouquet — but perhaps that’s an idea for them to bookmark for the future. 

What makes hemp and marijuana different? 

Hemp is estimated to be a $28 billion market, but it’s a complicated one. Both hemp and marijuana are different cultivars that come from the same Cannabis sativa plant. Cannabis sativa with less than 0.3% Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is classified as hemp, while those exceeding that threshold are classified as marijuana. THC is the chemical that produces a high, and it’s found in both hemp and marijuana. Winstanley notes that marijuana-derived and hemp-derived THC include the same chemical molecule with psychoactive effects.

In 2018, the Farm Bill opened doors for manufacturers to cultivate and sell products containing hemp-derived THC, such as Cann and Wynk. Under this legislation, hemp (containing less than 0.3% THC) is no longer classified as a controlled substance by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Theoretically, this makes hemp federally legal, but a handful of states have imposed restrictions on how much can be sold and where. 

While some hemp-derived products are similar to their marijuana-based THC counterparts, the hemp industry operates under vastly different legal frameworks. You may have noticed hemp-derived seltzers at local retailers and available for shipping in areas where regulations permit, while marijuana-based products remain strictly controlled through state-licensed dispensaries. It’s important to note that marijuana is not federally legal, so regulations vary significantly from state to state.