Toke On This: California Jack In The Box Stores Will Offer A New Munchie Meal

Ronald Holden , CONTRIBUTORI write about food & drink as a pleasurable activity and as a business  Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Jack In The Box ad for a “Munchie Meal” in Oregon when marijuana was legalized two years ago.

First things first: sunset today (Thursday, Dec. 21st) will be at 4:20 PM. Got that. Okay, now we can get a little more serious.

Anticipating that weed will be legal in California (for adults, for adults) come the first of the year, Jack In The Box–a burger chain that got its start in San Diego over half a century ago–is wasting no time getting ready. It will partner with Merry Jane, one of the largest suppliers of medical marijuana in California to offer a Munchie Meal at some of its California locations.

Merry Jane is run by an entrepreneur named Ted Cheung, who is also known as Snoop Dogg’s business manager.

A couple of pesky questions from my editor (they’re guidelines, dude, guidelines!): “Is this something that’s going on the Box’s menu permanently or temporarily? How widely?” And, I might add, what’s the price going to be?

But wait, will the new Munchie Box actually include, you know, bud?

Hey, cool it. We’re getting ahead of ourselves.

In Oregon, a Munchie Box at Jack In The Box stores coincided with the legalization of weed two years ago, but it was all double-entendre.

And in Washington State, weed has been regulated for the past three years by the State Board of Liquor and Cannabis Control, and the humorless bureaucrats have total control over advertising. No misleading health statements, no ads aimed at kids, and so on.

An internet entrepreneur named Ian Eisenberg has positioned himself, on the site of a former Church’s Fried Chicken store, as the Poobah of Pot and Maharajah of Marijuana.

His shop is called Uncle Ike’s, an emporium of legal weed in all its forms. Cash only. Beefy security guards checking ID. A completely separate building for accessories. Skeptical neighbors. Intense scrutiny from the state liquor board.

“I’m not selling pot,” Eisenberg told me, “I’m in the regulatory compliance business.” So no Happy Meals in the Evergreen State.

But while we waited last night for Merry Jane to clarify what, exactly, it wanted to put in its California Munchie Boxes, we had to admit that it’s an intriguing thought. Medical weed is legal in the Golden State (with a doctor’s prescription) for people over 18; “adult-use” weed won’t be available to anyone under 21, and is expected to cost 14 to 20 percent more than medical.

The problem with statewide legalization in California is that licensing at this writing is still up to cities and counties. There are 58 counties and 482 municipalities around the state. So it may take some time for the local authorities to establish criteria and issue licenses for recreationaluse of marijuana. In the meantime, thousands of citizens with permits to use marijuana for medicinal purposes may find themselves unable to find a nearby medical dispensary. Dr. Perry Solomon, chief medical officer at HelloMD, suggests that medical patients contact their physicians.

Is all this making you hungry? Mickey D and Taco Bell know how you feel. They’re at the top of the list when it comes to late-night munchies for stoners.

So it’s understandable that Jack wants some of that action. It already has a country scrambler plate and a havarti grilled red onion burger on its menu, along with a peppermint brownie (yum!), plus a You-Tube channel, an Instagram feed, a Facebook page and a Twitter handle. Oh yeah, and Snapchat. Ya gotta keep up, after all, what with 2,200 stores in 21 states. The Jack in the Box song, for all that, finished 4th in the Eurovision competition, back in 1971.

Jack has had some recent problems as well. Its $45 million acquisition of the fast-casual Qdoba chain, for example. The two companies reached an amicable divorce earlier this year.

As for the new Munchie Meal, a company spokesman says it will be “infused with the most craveable and snackable products that Jack in the Box has to offer.” Halfsies (½ curly fries, ½ onion rings), two tacos, crispy chicken strips, and mini churros.

All for the price of (wait for it) $4.20.

Said Ted Cheung, “Launching the Merry Munchie Meal is the perfect way for both companies to celebrate legalization in our shared home state of California.”

The fine print, if you’re not too stoned: the munchie meal is only available in Long Beach after January 18th. More locations to come, to be revealed online.

Jack and Merry, how sweet! Now just don’t go off half-baked.