14 APRIL 18-24, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Mama Knows Best Mama Munchies in Fort Lauderdale offers fresh- baked low-dose THC- infused treats. BY NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR W alking along Las Olas Boulevard on a bright and sunny day, you may stumble upon a canary yellow store with a large, forest green sign that reads, “Hemp Cafe & Edibles.” Although it’s not unusual to find a CBD, smoke, or vape shop along the boulevard, it is unusual to stumble upon one that also has a café menu — with freshly baked, THC-in- fused cookies for sale. Miami natives Stefan Guarch and Edgar Cohen, who met in high school and attended Florida State University together, are the founders of this Amsterdam-style bakery and shop, Mama Munchies, in Fort Lauderdale. The duo opened the company in 2020, fol- lowed by the brick-and-mortar shop in 2021 at 1221 E. Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauder- dale. This established them among the first companies in Florida to operate with a hemp food establishment permit, which the state began issuing in 2020 under the 2018 federal Farm Bill that legalized the commercial use of hemp and derivative products. The inspiration behind the company was actually a bit more wholesome than loving THC — Guarch was inspired by his grandmother. “I got into edibles because I was making edibles for my grandmother,” he says. “She was really against smoking, so I gave her a small piece from a brand in California, and she loved it and had a laugh attack. So, that in- spired me to make my own. It’s great to open the minds of people to what cannabis can look like. It’s not just a guy ripping a bowl, for ex- ample. It can be a pleasant, easy, and delicious experience made with whole ingredients.” What makes their company unique is that all of their cookies, brownies, and other baked goods are made fresh in their commercial kitchen at the shop, which even has a charm- ing seating area out by its front door along the sidewalk. Usually, those seeking edibles will find cold and stale baked goods at smoke shops made with pretty questionable ingredients. “What makes us different is that all of our cookies are freshly baked,” explains Guarch. “It’s an experience you can’t find anywhere but here in Florida because in states like Col- orado and California, it’s almost impossible to do that kind of concept because of testing and regulations, so it really provided us the op- portunity to do something different and fresh.” All of Mama Munchies’ baked goods con- tain a low-dose combination of Delta-9 THC and CBD, which provide a balanced buzz that’s more equal to having a few glasses of wine than a strong cannabis effect. Earlier this month, Florida lawmakers passed a bill to ensure that the amount of THC in an edi- ble cannot exceed five milligrams per serving or 50 milligrams per package. The THC-infused cookies are baked in 25- and 50-milligram versions, with flavors that go beyond basic chocolate chip. The cookies, which are actually loaded with chips, are made with limited ingredients and are about two inches thick in height. They come in fla- vors like “The Funky One,” made with potato chips, chocolate chips, butterscotch, and pretzels, the “Double Chocolate Chip,” “Red Velvet,” and classic flavors like chocolate chip, chocolate walnut, and white chocolate with macadamia. Each jumbo cookie sold at Mama Munchies in-store and online contains 50 milligrams of Delta-9 THC and 12 milli- grams of CBD. The brand’s mini cookies, on the other hand, contain ten milligrams of Delta-9 THC and five milligrams of CBD. An entire bag of mini cookies contains 50 milligrams of Delta-9 THC and 25 milli- grams of CBD. Each product undergoes a potency testing process to ensure quality and consistency. “We’re going to open more stores, but we’re focusing more on our wholesale. Right now, we launched Mamas, a cannabis beverage, and that’s what’s re- ally popular right now in the Miami market,” says Guarch. Mama’s THC-infused bever- ages are their latest business endeavor, with flavors like “Tangerine Cream” and iced tea. “A lot of people who walk in have never had an edible before. So, it’s so funny to hear them say they walked into our shop before a dinner reservation, bought an edible, had one before dinner, and then had a ‘wild night,’” Guarch says with a laugh. “They went from just going to dinner to having an edible and having a whole night out of it.” It’s these interactions with happy customers that have led to their success on Las Olas Boulevard, a strip of Fort Lauderdale that has grown year by year — with plenty of smoke shop competition (but not the bakery kind). “The brick-and-mortar store is a 24/7 op- eration, and we really love our customers. It’s where our brand, Mamas, was created. Ma- mas is now in 250 stores across South Florida, and that was only able to happen because we got to know our customers face to face. It’s been so great.” Mama Munchies. 1221 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-299-5566; eatmama- munchies.com. [email protected] | TASTE TEST | t Café Mama Munchies photo Mama Munchies founders Edgar Cohen (left) and Stefan Guarch serve THC-infused treats at their Fort Lauderdale retail store. “IT’S GREAT TO OPEN THE MINDS OF PEOPLE TO WHAT CANNABIS CAN LOOK LIKE.”
