For cannabis-infused chocolates, winter is the peak season for sales, according to Headset, a Seattle-based cannabis data provider. Edibles manufacturers agree with this assessment.
Chocolate Versus Gummies
“January and February are our strongest chocolate sales months,” says Christine Apple, the founder and CEO of Oregon-based edibles manufacturer Grön.
Grön already operates in Canada and six states in the United States and plans to expand operations to three more states in 2025. Grön has been very successful in the gummy category of infused edibles, but the chocolate segment has lost its market share to the gummies.
According to Apple, gummies account for 70% of Grön’s sales, while cannabis-infused chocolates account for more than 20%.
This development is disappointing to Apple. Chocolate “is so underrated, and nobody gives it the attention it deserves. It breaks my heart that it’s not more,” the CEO says.
Data on the Cannabis-Infused Chocolate Market
According to tracking by Headset, infused chocolate products account for 9.4% of edible sales in the United States cannabis markets. In Canada, 14.2% of all edible sales are chocolate. Headset data also reveals that Tilray Brands-owned Chowie Wowie is the number one infused chocolate product. Sales are up 35% year over year.
Blair MacNeil, president of Tilray Canada, believes that chocolates are on the verge of a resurgence even if they are still far from reaching the total edibles market share of more than 75% that gummies have in both Canada and the United States.
“Non-infused chocolate in the marketplace is growing at five times what infused chocolate is growing at. That would tell me there’s a built-up demand … that I think will make its way into the THC-infused side,” MacNeil says.
According to data from Stastia, a German-based company, and Grand View Research in San Francisco, the non-infused chocolate market is expected to grow by 4%- 5% annually until 2030. Revenue already surpasses $120 billion per year.
Production of Infused Chocolate
MacNeil says Tilray Canada is investing in increased capacity to produce cannabis-infused chocolate products to accommodate the expected rise in demand.
Tilray’s sister company, Manitoba Harvest, “has incredible experience on the food side,” MacNeil says. “So, we’ve been leveraging some of their food scientists to help us … on both gummies and on chocolate.”
To make Chowie Wowie chocolates, Tilray infuses the chocolate with cannabis and then wraps it around the filling. Chowie Wowie comes in peanut butter, praline, soft caramel, and other flavors.
“After the product is created and mixed … then it goes through a cooling tunnel, which sets everything,” MacNeil says.
Apple says developing a confectionary kitchen can be challenging when making gummies and chocolates in the same facility. Boiling the mixture for gummies creates steam, and chocolate is hydrophobic (hates water), an example of some difficulties that can arise.
Apple explains that alternating the two confections is necessary because of the challenge of creating them in the same space.
“Chocolate generally wants to be in a space that is less than 50% humidity; we don’t let our chocolate rooms get over 70-71 degrees (Fahrenheit) or so,” Apple explains. “Tempering chocolate is what creates the snap when you break a chocolate bar.”
When transporting edibles to retailers, the Grön delivery vans are kept at 65 degrees (Fahrenheit). Grön also encourages stores not to refrigerate the chocolate products because a white film will form on the surface when the chocolate adjusts to room temperature. The dusty appearance of chocolate is the result of fat and sugar separating.
Apple explains that this is the result when chocolate is not tempered correctly. It is still shelf stable even if the chocolate separates.
“Chocolate will literally last forever,” Apple says.
The Future of Infused Chocolate
Grön reports strong sales in New York’s growing marijuana market.
“We can’t keep chocolates in stock,” Apple says of the New York market.
Business partners in New Jersey are also requesting infused chocolates, which is a good sign that they are gaining popularity.
