Cresco Labs and Chicago's iconic sports bar The Fifty/50 have teamed up to produce the first THC-infused buffalo wing sauce. As the Chicago Sun-Times reports, starting February 1, this tangy treat will be available for adults over 21 in select Sunnyside dispensaries across Chicago, aiming to add a spicy kick to the most popular Super Bowl snack in Illinois.
Each container of the Big Game sauce, priced at $30 and containing 100 milligrams of THC, encapsulates the spirit of collaboration and the creative evolution of Illinois' burgeoning cannabis industry. "The Fifty/50 is all about bringing people together around sports and great food, and our hope is that the new Big Game wing sauce will foster a sense of camaraderie among Super Bowl fans — regardless of who wins or loses," Matt Miller, head of operations at The Fifty/50, told the Chicago Sun-Times. The bar is no stranger to Super Bowl madness, typically selling over 1,000 pounds of chicken wings on the big day.
But the move to infuse mainstream munchies with marijuana is more than a gimmick. It reflects a larger trend among cannabis companies aligning with well-known local eateries and national food brands, shedding the stigma to stir up new consumer interest. Green Thumb Industries capitalized on this idea during the holidays with a THC-laden Magnolia Bakery collaboration, and Okay Cannabis entered the mix-in game with infused brownie and cake mixes from West Town Bakery. These innovative steps hint at a cannabis industry that's not just growing, but growing up, as explained in Chicago Business.
Cannabis edibles in Illinois have largely been dominated by the familiar gummies and chocolates; however, this foray into alternative edible options is expected to draw in curious customers and connoisseurs alike. "The name of the game I think right now in this industry is having something someone else doesn’t have that (customers) are willing to travel to you for," Scott Weiner, co-owner of Fifty/50 Restaurant Group and Okay Cannabis expressed in an interview with Chicago Business. Facing an influx of new dispensaries due to recent licensing and competition from neighboring states like Missouri, Illinois' cannabis retailers are betting on innovation to keep ahead.
With roughly 177 dispensaries now dotted across the state and a slight year-over-year sales increase to $1.6 billion, the race is on to stand out in an industry grappling with falling prices and costly growing pains.
