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In 1976, Californian David Klein created a line of gourmet jelly beans better known as Jelly Belly. After selling the Jelly Belly brand to the Herman Goelitz Confectionery Company in 1980, Klein watched Jelly Belly soar to stardom and beyond. Astronauts on the 1983 Challenger mission snacked on Jelly Belly beans while in outer space, and President Ronald Reagan regularly served them in the White House. But today, Klein is back with another gourmet jelly bean line that has a little something extra in it: cannabidiol, better known as CBD.
Klein said the sale of the Jelly Belly brand included a 20-year non-compete cause, which kept him from making jelly beans for two decades. He stayed busy creating other candy with his signature extraordinary twists, like Sandy Candy Edible Sand Art. Klein, who had relocated to Florida since selling the Jelly Belly brand, discovered CBD when his wife, Rebecca, and he were in Colorado. Rebecca injured herself after slipping on a patio, and Klein went to a CBD dispensary to find her some relief. She felt remarkably better after eating a CBD cookie, and that’s when the idea struck to make a jelly bean infused with CBD. After a long experimentation process, Klein launched the product this past January.
The CBD jelly beans are sold under Spectrum Confections, a division of Klein’s Candyman Kitchens. Some earlier reports credited the Jelly Belly Candy Co. with manufacturing CBD jelly beans, which prompted Jelly Belly to put out this statement on its website:
"Due to confusion in the marketplace, Jelly Belly Candy Co. would like to take this opportunity to clear up the misconception that it is involved with CBD jelly beans. David Klein—the creator of the CBD jelly bean product gaining attention within the media this week—is not associated with Jelly Belly Candy Co., its brands or products. In 1976, Mr. Klein, an independent third party, came up with the name ‘Jelly Belly’ and other novel marketing ideas. Jelly Belly Candy Co. has not had a relationship with him since 1980, when it acquired the trademark."
The statement further confirmed that Jelly Belly is not pursuing the development of any CBD products at this time.
Each Spectrum Confections jelly bean contains 10 milligrams of CBD, Klein said, and the fruity, unique flavors mask the grassy taste of CBD. They’re also coated with a light dusting of sugar to keep them from sticking in humid climates. There’s no CBD in the coating, but it’s infused right into the bean. “The coating also allows the first taste to be sweeter, rather than getting a taste of the CBD right away,” Klein said.
Flavor categories include regular, sour and sugar-free, with flavors like FireBurst, a hot and sweet combination; Triple Dipple, mimicking Neapolitan ice cream by combining chocolate, vanilla and strawberry; Prickly Pear; Root Beer; Strawberry Cheesecake; Toasted Marshmallow; and yes, Buttery Popcorn. There are 37 total flavors, and Klein uses real fruit juice whenever possible.
CBD jelly beans are sold directly to retailers in bulk quantities, and retailers can package them for their own markets. Klein said he helps retailers develop their own names and concepts. “We have one customer who packages them under the name ‘Doctor Sweet Beans,’ because she wants to sell them to chiropractors. We’re helping her create a brand around our product.”
Locally, Spectrum Confection’s CBD jelly beans are available at Closet Classics, 1000 E. North Ave. Anyone heading on a road trip to the Steven’s Point, Wis., area can also find them at Green Thumb Alternatives, 824 Main St., in that city.
For more information, visit spectrumconfections.com.
