Chef hopes to spark interest in cannabis cooking on cross-Canada tour stop in Victoria
A chef on a cross-Canada tour is trying to help pioneer a new culinary frontier, despite restrictions on serving cannabis.
Travis Petersen has partnered with Russell Hendrix Restaurant Equipment and Supplies to teach an introduction to culinary cannabis.
The course, open to culinary professionals, teaches its students about the different parts of the plant, safety practices and methods for creating extractions.
Five students attended the class Thursday night in Victoria, the first stop in the tour of 10 Canadian cities.
“It’s a food for healing,” says attendee Nelles Shackleton.
"I thought it would be brownie cookies and stuff like that with ground-up cannabis in it, but it was not that at all,” says Erik Andersen, a former head of Camosun College’s culinary department. “It was extractions made from cannabis into oils, into sugars, into salts, infused into the food.”
Strict regulations around edible cannabis prohibit restaurants from introducing it to Canadian menus.
One of the rules is that licensed cannabis processors can’t make cannabis products in the same building as non-cannabis foods.
“This control measure is designed to help minimize the risks of cross-contamination and reassure Canadians and Canada’s international trade partners of the safety and quality of food produced in Canada,” Health Canada said in a statement to CTV News.
Petersen is frustrated by the restrictions and has chosen to run his course anyway.
“This is the next frontier within the culinary world,” he says. “If you were ever going to trust anyone with cannabis, it should be the chef.”
Restaurants Canada, a voice for the food service industry, says there is interest to grow this side of culinary market and it wants a seat at the table.
“We’d love to see a level playing field where we can get involved and where these creative chefs that we have in the industry can do a little bit more than what’s currently allowed under the federal regulations,” says vice-president Mark von Schellwitz.
Shackleton likens the addition of cannabis on menus to a glass of wine.
Health Canada did not say whether it is considering changes to its rules for cannabis in restaurants.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.
New Canadian study could be a lifesaver for thousands suffering from CTE
A first-of-its-kind Canadian research study is working towards a major medical breakthrough for a brain disorder, believed to be caused by repeated head injuries, that can only be detected after death.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.