Baton Rouge, La (NBC33) — It's not your average chocolatey snack. A new type of brownie has special ingredients to loosen you up. But are they a sleep aid or a new way to get high? NBC33 headed to LSU to see what students had to say about the new product.
They're called Lazy Cakes, and according to the manufacturer, they're the world's first relaxation brownies. "I think they're hilarious," says Hannah Connelly. "I think my friends would be big clients of this product."
These baked goodies are being marketed as a chocolatey way to unwind. They're selling at convenience stores and head shops for about $4. "I'd try it right now. Why not?" asks Larry Kuhn.
The treat is made to make you feel drowsy. Steven Zumo says his friend has tested the Lazy Cakes. "My friend said it just made him lazy and real, real laid back."
Manufacturers say the brownies are aimed at adults with high-stress lifestyles, but some are wondering, are these calming cakes just a legal form of pot brownies? Manufacturers say no. Instead, they say the sweets are laced with natural ingredients, like rose hips and valerian root. These are supplements found at health food and vitamin stores. They're all perfectly legal.
The main ingredient is melatonin. That's the hormone in your body that makes you go to sleep. Nutritionists say they normally sell 1 to 5 milligrams of the hormone. Lazy Cakes have almost 4 milligrams of the sleep aid. "You eat a brownie and you sit on your butt all day," says Zumo.
Makers say they're safe, but some don't buy it. "How they mix the chemicals together, I don't know what's causing that, but maybe they shouldn't be mixed," says Zumo.
Whatever's in the mix hasn't slowed down consumers from buying them off the shelves. Lazy Cakes are being sold in two dozen states and online. Here in Baton Rouge, one local shop employee says they have to open a new box of the bedtime brownie almost everyday.