Carl’s Jr.’s 420 Burger Won’t Make You High Enough to Eat Carl’s Jr. | Eater
"A major fast-food chain has rolled out a CBD test at a single Denver restaurant: the “Rocky Mountain High: Cheeseburger Delight,” a stacked cheeseburger topped with a CBD-infused “Santa Fe Sauce” and priced at $4.20 as an obvious 4/20 promotion. Marketed as a way to gauge nationwide demand, the launch positions the chain as the first major fast-food brand to put CBD on a menu, banking on Colorado’s history of legalization even though CBD is widely legal and sometimes viewed skeptically. While the item leans into weed-themed marketing and the munchies-friendly appeal of fries and pickles, it has drawn criticism for glossing over the racial and legal inequities of drug enforcement—citing that 90.8% of marijuana arrests in 2017 were for minor possession and disproportionately affected Black and Latinx people—and for failing to address barriers created by the 2018 Farm Bill that bar people with controlled-substance felonies from participating in the CBD industry for ten years. Commentators suggest the brand could make a more meaningful statement by supporting bail funds or equity programs rather than relying on lazy stoner jokes and provocative advertising." - Jaya Saxena
