Ontario Cannabis Fieldnotes: See how this cannabis kitchen creates edibles

With a small but mighty core team, Black Rose Organics has created a family atmosphere at its 20,000-square-foot facility in Markham, Ont.

It’s home to Black Rose’s in-house brand, Gas Station, but also the site of a commissary-style kitchen where it’s welcomed in several brands that leverage their facility. In the kitchen, you may find Fritz’s Cannabis Company whipping up gummies and in a bottling room, you might see Beacon Hill putting finishing touches on their infused beverages.

Black Rose also has a secondary location, in Scarborough, Ont., that’s home to the brand’s clones and mother programs and supports the Markham facility and other Licensed Producers with its strains.

We took a field trip to see the Black Rose kitchens and learn how Gas Station’s infused chocolates, Fritz’s gummies and Beacon Hill’s beverages are made. 

How Gas Station Creates Cannabis-Infused Chocolates

Meet Shirelle Amouyal, the head chocolatier for Black Rose. Amouyal came into the cannabis industry through her work in food service. She began her career as a self-taught baker and chocolatier and transitioned to cannabis after owning her own chocolate company. Amouyal has a keen sense of flavour and taste and applies them to Black Rose edibles. Above all, she wants consumers to enjoy delicious chocolate, so she sources mostly fine Belgian chocolate for the best taste experience.

Amouyal works on a number of brands and products, but she's particularly proud of the chocolate almonds. At 2 mg THC a piece, she says, they offer a great way to understand dosage and how to customize your experience. She also recommends the Gas Station Chocolate + Peanuts (1 mg THC per piece) as a great edible option for beginners and more experienced consumers alike.

How Fritz’s Cannabis Develops Gummy Edibles

Meet Ari Cohen, co-founder and head of production at Fritz’s Cannabis Company. Fritz’s is a legacy producer that Cohen started with his wife, Tabitha Fritz. What began in their home kitchen has since moved to the Black Rose operation as they’ve expanded their offerings and developed new products and processes. 

Cohen touts the difference it makes to use hash rosin — instead of distillate — to infuse gummies. Rosin is a concentrated form of cannabis, a translucent, sap-like substance that is squeezed out of hash using mechanical processes and heat. It can also be made from dried cannabis flower or kief. Because hash rosin is not created with solvents (like butane), Cohen says, it retains a full spectrum of terpenes and aromas. 

Fritz's hash rosin gummies in production

With flavours like mango, peach and raspberry lemonade, Fritz’s bold and bright aromas stand out in the marketplace. “Our gummies are hand-cooked by our gummy expert before being poured into silicone moulds,” explains Cohen.  

Once the gummies cool, they’re popped out of the moulds and left to cure, ensuring that each piece reaches the proper moisture content. Throughout the curing process, the gummies are coated with a sugar mix that helps make their flavours pop. 

Created in small batches, all by hand, Fritz’s cannabis gummies exemplify the ideals of craft cannabis. 

How Infusion Technology is Used to Develop CBD Beverages

Meet Stephen Dick, founder and CEO of Beacon Hill Brands. Beacon Hill introduced Kalvara Cannabis, an innovative cannabis beverage that uses a unique infusion technology, to the Canadian marketplace. Beacon Hill also produces Nuveev CBD beverages in Canada at Black Rose.

Kalvara uses a patented closure and delivery technology — Vessl — to store its cannabis-infused emulsion in the cap of its beverages through the automatic capping machine at Black Rose. The bottles are pressurized with nitrogen, which acts as a natural preservative, so no added preservatives are needed. The rest of each bottle is filled with reverse-osmosis water before being sent off for final packaging. With the twist of the cap, the infusion concentrate is released and mixed into the non-infused portion of the beverage. This technology makes dosing more efficient and precise.