UNILEVER

Food giant announces ice cream made out of marijuana
Ben & Jerry's is also looking at the lucrative marijuana-based product market in the United States. The traditional ice cream company announced on Thursday (30) the development of a line of cannabidiol infusion products (CBD) that should enter the market as soon as the regulation is approved by the authorities.
Cannabidiol is one of the hundreds of components of cannabis sativa, the scientific name for marijuana, and is used for various purposes such as medical treatments and the production of medicines. However, unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD has no psychoactive properties.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will begin public hearings this Friday (31) to discuss the legalization of CBD-based products. In support, Ben & Jerry's asked the brand's customers to send a message to the authorities asking for approval of the project.
The company, controlled by giant Unilever, did not make it clear what that product name would be based on CBD. In a statement, the company said the new sorveres are a response to the demand of the brand's customers.
"We're doing this for our fans. We aspire to love our fans more than they love us and we want to give them what they are looking for in a fun way, "said brand CEO Matthew McCarthy.
Besides the joy of the fans, the brand can also make a lot of money with the initiative. According to survey by New Frontier Data, CBD-related product sales totaled $ 390 million last year and could jump to $ 1.2 billion by 2022.
This is not the company's first adventure in the cannabis segment. On April 20, the brand joined the Caliva marijuana dispensary to distribute free ice cream mugs in California. Caliva donated 4.2 percent of its sales to Code for America's Clear My Record program, which focuses on people who have been arrested on marijuana possession charges. Mundophone