WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JUNE 29, 2017 23
EXCLUSIVE: Glendale chef looks to
sell cannabis-infused coffee
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
AGIUDICE@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@A_GIUDICEREPORT
The chef who brought New York
City’s fi rst cannabidiol- (CBD)
infused dinner to The Keep
in Ridgewood is now planning on
opening what he is calling one of the
state’s fi rst fully legal CBD-infused
coff ee shop in Glendale this summer.
Chef Leighton Knowles of Glendale,
who calls himself the Culinary Ninja,
is partnering with the owner of an
established business on Myrtle Avenue
to create a coff ee shop that will off er
customers coff ee infused with CBD, a
non-psychoactive component in marijuana
that gives the plant many of its
medicinal properties including pain and
anxiety relief, helping to ease seizures,
and a host of other benefi ts, while avoiding
the high associated with smoking it.
Knowles declined to provide the
name and location of the Glendale
business where the coff ee shop will be
situated because the copywriting papers
are pending fi ling and approval.
Knowles got the idea to sell
CBD-infused coff ee from David Dzurik,
the founder of DeezCBDCoff ee
and DeezTea, sponsored by Joshua
Jetton and his company SacredBody
CBD. Dzurik — who runs his business
out of Colorado — and Knowles have
now partnered to sell DeezCBDCoff ee
products out of the coming coff ee
shop in Glendale.
The soon-to-be coffee shop will
cater to all customers, not just those
looking for the CBD-infused coff ee.
They will also have a selection of
regular coff ees, espresso, cappuccino
and fresh juice.
“We’re not just going to be doing one
infused coff ee,” Knowles confi rmed.
“We’re obviously going to have other
types of coff ee, but we’re only going
to use one infused. We’re going
to have non-infused and infused
because obviously some people may
not want it, but if you’ve got a coff ee
shop, you’ve got a coff ee shop. And as
a chef, that’s what I like to do. I like to
bring the community together.”
The back of the shop will have
outdoor seating where Knowles anticipates
hosting community coff ee
nights where they can host events
and where local artists can display
their artwork once a month.
Knowles is expecting the shop
to open at the end of August or the
beginning of September, aft er renovations
are made to the shop that
will create a counter, a to-go window
at the front of the store, and other improvements
needed to sell the coff ee.
All certifications and licenses,
along with the lab results for the
CBD-infused coff ee will be on display
in the shop. Anyone who is looking
to purchase the CBD-infused drink
must be over 21 and will need to show
proof of age.
Marijuana is still illegal under federal
law; however, the drug has varying
levels of legality across the United States,
with some states already fully legalizing
recreational marijuana use. New York
has legalized medical marijuana, but
only in liquid, vapor or pill form, and
has also decriminalized possession of
small quantities of the substance.
Knowles understands, just like
with the dinner he hosted, there will
be plenty of skepticism with selling
CBD-infused coff ee, but he assured
the Ridgewood Times that everything
is 100 percent legal.
“I happily encourage the 104th Precinct
or any offi cers to come in, run
tests, do whatever they need to because
at the end of the day I am about being
legal,” he said. “I’m trying to make people
realize it’s not bad for you.”
Follow the Culinary Ninja Facebook
page for updates from Knowles
about when and where the coff ee
shop will open.
BUZZ
Photo via Shutterstock
Chef Leighton Knowles wants to open a cannabis-infused coff ee shop in Glendale.
