A: At this time, Sunflower Patisserie does not have a storefront. However, all items are made in a commercially certified bakery—Moonflower Macarons, in Auburn, NY. We share space, using it when Moonflower bakers are finished with production to prevent any cross-contamination. Q: What are your hours of operation? A: Sunflower Patisserie is not open to the public yet for walk in purchases as, at th
is time in New York, it is still technically illegal to sell cannabis or cannabis products in a retail fashion, outside of existing licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. A: All orders are arranged through private message with Sunflower Patisserie’s owner and chef, Michael Richards. Interested parties may reach out via either Facebook or Instagram’s messaging portals, or by texting/calling (315) 246-7676 to place an order or an inquiry. Q: Do you have a menu? A: Yes, and no! We are a new and experimental bakery, and as such, new ideas (as well as revisions, improvements, and eliminations of old ones) are a constant. The menu will be updated each week as we experiment with new treats coming online, and others becoming unavailable. Q: What forms of payment do you accept / Do you accept credit cards? A: Cash only, please. We are eliminating Venmo as an acceptable form of payment in all but extenuating circumstances. Q: Can I come to Moonflower Macarons and place an order, or pick up my order during their regular business hours? A: At this time, no. Because legislation and tax codes pertaining to the sale of cannabis and cannabis-extract products has yet to be formalized, Sunflower Patisserie cannot “sell” items alongside Moonflower Macarons regular inventory of cookies and cakes. Please allow us to keep these entities separate for the sake of legal liability—and professional quality—for both businesses until such a time as the legal sale of cannabis-infused baked goods has been more uniformly streamlined and codified by the Office of Cannabis Management and the Cannabis Control Board in Albany, NY. We expect 2022 to be a busy year for our legislators as they hammer out the details over how to proceed with cannabis as an important and permanent commodity in our economy. Q: Ok, so you’re telling me “edibles” (sic—see: gourmet cannabis-infused pastries, cakes, and tarts) are not legal to sell or buy; you don’t have a store or hours, but items are available… so what’s going on? A: We understand this is a confusing issue for our friends looking to reach out and try our products. Though predictable, no one is more frustrated by this legislative inaction than we are. It is an admittedly “grey” time for the cannabis industry in New York as a whole, as we make the transition to allowing for the sale of what was considered a felony drug, just one year ago. We are living in and working our ways through a time that is post-legalization, and yet pre-regulation. And so it is a very personal choice that anyone concerned with cannabis needs to make for themselves as to what level of involvement and risk they will allow in their business ventures as this transitory period evolves. It is the position of Chef Michael that, “Fortune favors the bold.”, and so we proceed, but with caution, discretion, and an odd set of rules. It sounds silly at the surface and, frankly, it is: orders are considered “gifts” and compensation is labeled as a “donation for the research and development of improved cannabis-infused foods”. This is an example of liability-mitigation, plain and simple. The moment we can apply for, and are granted licensure by the state of New York to legally sell, and tax, these goods, that is exactly what we intend to do. In the meantime, the language is our protector in the same confounding fashion that music and clothing shops long ago openly sold drug paraphernalia under the pretense that it was made, and sold, for the exclusive purpose of tobacco use. We don’t sell “edibles”, we give them away for free, and we gladly accept donations (though in a court of law, there is absolutely no connection whatsoever). Simple, right? Q: How much of a “dose” should I take? A: This is another example of a personal consideration, as there are are digestive and metabolic factors that make orally consuming cannabis an intensely individualized experience. Onset times vary from 30 minutes to 2 hours, and in some instances orally consumed cannabis will not affect the user at all (this is a function of a particular liver enzyme some people possess and has nothing to do with dosage, tolerance, body weight, or any other factors). Additionally, the duration, intensity, peak, and decline of the psychoactive effects of the eaten cannabis will also vary from person to person. So how much DO you take? Many of you already know your tolerances, but for those of you that are new to this, the prevailing wisdom is: “Start low, and go slow.” Begin with a minimal dose, which is no more than 5 milligrams (and yes, in order to appreciate cannabis when eaten, you need to shift your relationship perspective from “good or bad weed” to an understanding of the number of milligrams of THC, generally speaking, that you are consuming). Then wait and see how it affects you. The whole point is to find a medium that makes you happy, brings about a feeling of peace, and wellness, and improves the quality of your life. On the other hand, you do NOT want to get so high you endure a panic/anxiety episode, which IS the unfortunate result of eating too much cannabis. Those who have gone through it typically do not wish to repeat the experience. The average dose in most regulated markets is 10 milligrams THC per serving or piece. Most adults never consume more than 50 milligrams at a time until they’ve been eating cannabis foods for awhile, and developed some experience and a tolerance for the effects.
