NEW TIMES 710 GUIDE July 2nd - July 8th, 2026 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES 24 CULINARY CANNABIS is Going Beyond the Brownie Prepared by Industry Blazers (a division of Proven Media) The image is etched into the cultural zeitgeist: a plastic-wrapped, dense, slightly-too-grassy brownie, consumed with equal parts hope and uncertainty in a college dorm. For decades, that brownie was the gold standard, and the only standard, for cannabis consumption. Then came the neon-bright era of the gummy, those sugary, gelatinous cubes that defined the early days of the legal market. But as we move to today, Arizona’s cannabis conversation is undergoing a sophisticated evolution. In Arizona, we’re shifting from high- fructose corn syrup to Himalayan pink salt, and from plastic baggies to white- linen dinner parties. Leading this charge is Chef Teresa Hansen, a culinary force who is effectively stripping away the stoner stigma and replacing it with a Michelin-starred ethos. Cannabis is no longer just an ingredient being masked when it comes to cooking. This botanical is now being celebrated, paired, and integrated into high-end home cooking and exclusive dinner clubs. The Visionary: From Nutrition to Cannabis Cuisine To understand the precision behind the modern infused plate, we have to take a look at Chef Teresa before the white apron. With classical training at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, followed by a degree in nutrition from Arizona State University, Hansen possesses a rare dual- lens perspective. She spent years as a personal chef and certified nutritionist, viewing food as medicine long before it was a marketing buzzword. This background became the foundation for High Vibe Kitchen Collective, which she launched in December 2020. Hansen founded the collective with a distinct destiny: to help people feel better and live a higher quality of life through the food they eat. For Hansen, High Vibe is a mission-led movement. The collective operates on the belief that nourishing, “high vibrational” food combined with plant medicine can fundamentally change lives. By leading the way for healthy, nutritious, infused foods, High Vibe aims to normalize plant medicine through education and empowerment, ultimately providing a heightened full-sensory experience designed to immerse the curious consumer in an elevated culinary journey. Today, her influence is felt on both the boutique and industrial scales. As the Director of Wholesale and Edible Operations at Copperstate Farms, she oversees massive production facilities, ensuring that the same chef-driven quality she brings to an intimate private dinner is reflected in her elevated gummy line for the Copperstate Farms brand. In this role, Hansen has blazed a trail to prove that cannabis belongs in a balanced, savory dinner, not just a brownie. By focusing on refining cannabis infusions within healthy, nutrient-dense meals, she is actively dismantling the persistent stereotype that edibles must always mean sweets. Her work is a calculated effort to encourage human connection through food, inspiring the curious to see cannabis as a legitimate, sophisticated tool for wellness and gastronomy alike. A Seat at the Green Table The shift toward community-driven consumption was on full display at the recent Elevate Her dinner series. Designed specifically for women, the event moved beyond the simple act of getting high, instead offering an immersive sensory journey focused on wellness, creativity, and shared stories. Held in honor of International Women’s History Month, the series highlighted how cannabis can serve as a social lubricant that fosters deep, authentic conversation. Unlike the chaotic energy of a bar, the atmosphere at a High Vibe dinner is one of intentionality, where courses are micro-dosed with
