How did a marketing expert become The Julia Child of Cannabis? In this episode of Before It Happened, our host Donna Loughlin talks to Jeff Danzer, AKA Jeff the 420 Chef, an amateur cook and weed lover who turned into one of the world’s leading cannabis chefs. Jeff’s work is not only revolutionizing the cannabis industry but is also helping tackle down the stigma around what most people call “stoners.” Join in and listen to how his tasteless cannabutter launched his career in a completely new direction. Plus, all the genius products he’s developed since he found his true passion, the art of cannabis cuisine.
Before any world-changing innovation, there was a moment, an event, a realization that sparked the idea before it happened. This is a podcast about that moment — about that idea. Before IT Happened takes you on a journey with the innovators who imagined — and are still imagining — our future. Join host Donna Loughlin as her guests tell their stories of how they brought their visions to life.
JUMP STRAIGHT INTO:
(02:04) - How Jeff stumbled into cooking with cannabis - “If there was a way for me to remove certain compounds from the plant, but keep in the THC and CBD, then I would make a much better tasting edible. And that's exactly what I did.”
(05:32) - An 80’s kid: Coming from an Orthodox Jewish community and getting into weed - “I became that “token Jew” because we would just go out and smoke with everybody and we had the best time”.
(10:36) - New York City & Israel: Becoming an individual and searching for his true passion - “I was trying to figure out for myself what I wanted to do. I was done with fashion. I was burnt out by it.”
(17:35) - The Julia Child of Weed - “In 2014 is when I made a batch of cupcakes and there was no cannabis taste in it. I had literally figured it out.”
(28:42) - Moving to California to pursue his dream - “All these chefs out there were teaching me different things; techniques and skills that I now employ in what I'm doing. And ultimately, I became an award-winning cannabis chef.”
(30:47) - Jeff’s audience base and making high-quality edibles - “Consistency and dosing are really important to me, and when it comes to edibles it is even more important.”
(33:39) - The world’s first cannabis edibles restaurant and creating new cannabis products - “My goal is to be the McCormick of cannabis and hemp; to have entire lines that are a 100% hemp that tastes like the most familiar spices but give you a daily dose of CBD.”
(38:32) - Leading a generation into the cannabis revolution - “I love seeing all these young, new chefs coming up, wanting to cook with cannabis and wanting to do it properly.”
(43:16) - What’s next for Jeff? Infused spices, collaborating with other cannabis chefs, and helping the next generation - “My whole culinary point is if I taste something and I like it, I'm going to remake it with cannabis.”
EPISODE RESOURCES:
Connect with Jeff through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
Watch and subscribe to Jeffthe420Chef’s Youtube Channel
Read the Daily Beast article that started it all: Meet the Julia Child of Weed
Read Newsweek’s Cooking Advice From a Ganja Gourmet
Get Jeff’s cookbook and other recipes
Take a digital cooking class with Jeff
Download Jeff’s THC Calculator
Discover more about what Jeff is up to at Jeffthe420Chef.com
Before IT Happened is produced by Donna Loughlin and StudioPod Media with additional editing and sound design by Nodalab. The show coordinator is Deanna Morenci. The Executive Producer is Katie Sunku Wood. All episodes are written by Jack Buehrer.
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