Since the legalization of recreational marijuana in New Jersey two years ago, cannabis-infused products and dispensaries have been on the rise. Fairfield-based Inclusion Gourmet came onto the scene last year, expanding its offerings to include cannabis-infused chocolates. Inclusion Gourmet has been in business for over thirty years, designing, creating, and manufacturing quality chocolates, though much more recently, it has made its debut in the cannabis industry. Keep reading to learn how Inclusion Gourmet became the only New Jersey-owned and operated artisanal cannabis chocolatier.

The Backstory

David Little started Inclusion Gourmet as a chocolate business in 1992. Over the years, David compiled an expert team to take their chocolate-making knowledge to the next level with edible nutraceuticals, or chocolates containing healthy additives built for sleep, pain, and energy. Cannabis was then a natural extension of the company’s expertise.

As David told The Montclair Girl, “We came from the nutraceutical world, which in my view, cannabis is a part of. We already knew how to infuse chocolate, which very few people know how to do, so we were able to take our thirty years of experience to take on cannabis projects.”

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Since David and his team have been infusing products with oils derived from health supplements as part of the chocolate lineup for years, they already knew how to make creations that heighten the effectiveness of nutraceutical ingredients. “We took our recipes and added cannabis in because there’s no one in the cannabis world that understands nutraceuticals. They think they can give someone 10mg of THC to help them sleep, but that’s not true. We give them five, combined with our proven sleep formula,” he said.

Inclusion Gourmet became licensed to produce and sell cannabis products in mid-2023. The company then moved quickly, since it had an existing facility and was already in operation, unlike any other company in the state. All they had to do was change gears from one type of production (artisanal chocolates) to another (artisanal cannabis chocolates). Inclusion Gourmet’s cannabis brand, Jersey Canna, is now sold in 48 dispensaries across the state. It’s considered a micro-manufacturer with just ten people working out of its Fairfield factory.

 

About Jersey Canna Products

The team melts, infuses, and shapes all Jersey Canna products in the Inclusion Gourmet factory in Fairfield using artisanal chocolate flown in from Belgium. The bonus to using such high-quality chocolate is that the higher amount of cocoa masks the taste and smell of the cannabis, making Jersey Canna products unmatched in the industry. The company produces eight different products, bars, and cubes using dark and milk chocolate.

Jersey Canna has a couple of specialty products that serve a purpose. CannaJolt, designed in a surfboard shape, provides energy and focus. The team went through at least ten recipes before landing on the perfect taste combination of marshmallow, hazelnut, and graham cracker to mask the taste of cannabis and caffeine. 

Its Wind Down products assist with sleep using clinically proven Nutraceutical ingredients, CBD/CBN, and Indica strains. Additionally, it recently started producing sugar-free versions of its cubes to add to its fruit flavors offering (raspberry, blueberry, peach, apple caramel). The last item on the menu is a Sidecar, a celebratory treat that rests on a beverage glass.

Jersey Canna products are available for sale at select dispensaries across the state.

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What’s Next

David and his team are New Jersey proud, and have even produced a chocolate bar in the shape of the state that is available this October. The Jersey Canna High Dose bar is the brand’s basic dark chocolate but in a smaller shape, so there’s less chocolate to consume to get a higher dose, as some customers are looking to save time and calories. The team prides itself on making products that are useful, healthy, and flexible for a variety of people to try. David is all about pushing his team to create new products and formulas, and they’re currently in the early stages of developing a women’s brand using the supplier and expert relationships that David has developed in the nutraceutical space.

Jersey Canna is also about celebrating seasonal moments. In June, it ran a promotion with its dispensaries for PRIDE, with a portion of sales going back to Garden State Equality. It’s planning a similar promotion for Veteran’s Day for Operation New Jersey Cares. There will also be special holiday products coming out this season.