Edible Brands, which is behind Edible Arrangements and Edibles.com launched a national website last year, Edibles.com. The company now enters a bold new area: THC. Yes, You can also find out more about us here. Edible Arrangements — the name behind the flower-shaped pineapples and chocolate-covered strawberries gracing teachers’ desks and mother-in-laws’ kitchen islands since 1999.
After settling the cybersquatting suit to free the name, World Media Group (an entity who had purchased the site in the hopes of reselling for profit) agreed to let the brand have the domain. Thomas Winstanley was soon hired as Edibles.com’s executive vice-president and general manager by Edible Brands. Somia Silber, after 8 years at the company, was appointed CEO in late 2014.
Synergy is not just a name. It’s also the trusted reputation of the brand. Edible Arrangement is a trusted name in a market dominated with gas station grams, and edibles that are poorly labeled and sold by prohibition states.
Edibles.com is now reaching more than 65 percent of Americans through lab-tested and federally approved THC products. They also offer the option for same-day shipping in certain markets. This is a unique ecommerce network for a market that was previously defined by patchwork regulations, consumer confusion, and underground connections.
Cannabis Now spoke to Winstanley recently to learn how the model was created and to find out what this means for a new age of cannabis commerce.
The “Amazon of THC”.
Winstanley described his model ideal as “The Amazon THC.” Edibles.com, in the same manner that Amazon built trust and ease of e-commerce for e-commerce nationwide, aims to educate as well as serve as a hub and central THC resource.
“We initially avoided that term, but there are parallels.” Winstanley says. Amazon started out with a category of books that was logical for online commerce. “For us, functional ingestibles is the starting point. These are products that have been tested, proven to be safe and that focus on outcomes.”
Winstanley is not just interested in product aggregation. Amazon created an ecosystem to educate consumers on online shopping. He explains that we’re doing the same with cannabis. “Our goal is to demystify the access point—to help people understand what they’re buying, why it’s legal and how to shop by outcome rather than just strain or potency.”
At the end of the day, Edibles.com’s is focused on consumer health and wellness—helping people enhance their wellbeing through hemp while being able to skip the hassle of going to the store. Winstanley says, “Wellbeing is our guiding principal: Highly categorized products with a focus on outcomes.” Many people are buying products for the first-time online, and getting them delivered right to their doorstep.
It is not easy to start a new company, especially within an organization of this size. In some ways we are starting a new business inside a larger company. It’s not just another way to sell strawberries. This is a brand new product line.
Design for function
Edibles.com’s UI/UX mirrors its mission, which is to offer products that deliver results. Edibles.com does not overwhelm users with an overwhelming menu of SKUs. Instead, it organizes products by their needs: energy, mood, sleep, and pain relief.
He notes that this health-oriented lens is more aligned with Target’s Vitamin aisle than traditional cannabis shops. Olly Sleep gummies are a favorite of his and that of his wife. “Our products should be included in the conversation.” We’re not marketing ‘getting high’; we’re marketing better sleep, less stress and overall functional outcomes. This is the link between cannabis and wellbeing.”
This frame places THC in the same category as Ashwagandha. It demystifies the ingredient by presenting it as part of a larger wellness ecosystem. Winstanley says their framing is “more in line with nutraceuticals rather than controlled substances.”
Compliance Maze
Every state brings with it a different set of bylaws, laws and risk assessments. There are also separate sets of legal reviews as well ongoing screening. He adds, “We’re fast and cautious at the same time.” Each day is a balance between innovation and conformity. “You want to be successful quickly but cannot compromise consumer trust and partner integrity.”
Trust is built through transparency and curation. Edibles.com only features brands with established reputations, such as Wyld, Wana, Kiva, and Cann—all of which undergo rigorous compliance audits before being listed. Winstanley remarks, “This is the varsity lineup.” It allows us to go further beyond the margins.
Restaurating Confidence on a Market Worth $28B
While U.S. consumers are skeptical about the legality of hemp-derived THC, it has now exceeded $28 billion. “We get asked all the time: ‘How is this legal?'” “We get asked all the time: ‘How is this legal?'” We’re talking the same molecule. Just different extraction processes because of regulation.
As hemp plants contain legally less than 0,3% THC (as per law), industry practices require hemp-derived THC be converted into THC using CBD. The process is more complex and requires advanced techniques such as the isomerization. Marijuana plants have naturally higher levels of THC, making them more suitable for extraction using solvents, CO2, ethanol, or other substances.
He claims that hemp “leveled the field”. It allows for a more vibrant and diverse group of businesses and entrepreneurs to pursue their goals. They can find a contract manufacturing with a brewery, gummy or candy company rather than in an regulated market.
In November, however, the President signed a bill that included a prohibition on hemp-derived THC-based products. While nothing has taken effect yet—and industry professionals are pushing back—it remains a very real threat. Winstanley was one of them, promising to use the year-long grace period as an opportunity to organise resistance.
“We are executive directors for the US Hemp Roundtable. Our goal is to make sure that federal laws do not eliminate the $28 Billion industry that soy and corn produce, or the 3,000 jobs and income that farmers currently receive. I’m fortunate to have to solve these problems; I think there’s a major generational shift happening – the issues we’re arguing about now will be so far in the rearview mirror in the next ten years. It will all be worth it.”
A Responsible Revolution
Winstanley’s stakes are more than just business. Winstanley says that the stakes go beyond business.
He is open about his concerns, with the most pressing being that unregulated products pose a real health risk to consumers. I have two children, one of whom is four years old, so if he saw that a Nerds Rope-infused gum was on the market, my son would be more inclined to try it. This is why we use age-gates, self regulate, and advocate for better policy.”
Winstanley is optimistic despite the difficulties. He believes that THC is a good thing for our country. It’s processed, grown and sold right here. A true domestic supply chain. “What excites us most is the fact that we are finally including cannabis in the conversation about wellness, health and joy.”