Rumors have been swirling that Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is working on a new cannabis-infused product, and they have just announced that they are indeed releasing a new frozen treat… sans cannabis.
The new BRRR-ito is obviously marketed to pot smokers, however. The product is being rolled out on April 20th, sort of the unofficial “National Day of Weed.” The commercial plays upon some (rather degrading) marijuana stereotypes, depicting a crowd of droopy-eyed, brain dead stoners staring at a screen. But I must say that the BRRR-ito itself (which as you might guess is basically ice cream and chocolate wrapped up like a burrito in a waffle cone shell) does look delicious. Check it out here:
In an interview with Huff Post Live, founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield addressed the rumors of a THC-infused treat. They definitely spoke out in favor of legalization, and even seemed keen on the idea of cannabis edibles. But the decision is not up to them. The company has to answer to a board of directors, and prove that the potential profit of a weed-laced ice cream would be greater than the risks – especially when major banks and financial institutions are refusing to do business with cannabis companies.
Still, the new BRRR-ito, and the ad campaign surrounding it, shows that big name companies have their eye on the cannabis market. They can read the writing on the wall: legalization is here to stay, and there is nowhere to go but up.
Who knows what mega brand will jump on the bandwagon next, or what new pot oriented products are yet to be unveiled? But please, no more dumb stoner stereotypes! Cannabis users are more sophisticated than that, and smart companies would do well to recognize that.
