Gourmet chefs are taking the art of cooking with marijuana to a higher level.

In Denver, US, a new medical-marijuana shop called Ganja Gourmet serves cannabis-infused specialties such as pizza, hummus and lasagna.

Across town in the Mile-High City, a Caribbean restaurant plans to offer classes on how to make multi-course meals with pot in every dish.

And in Southern California, a low-budget TV show called Cannabis Planet has won fans with a cooking segment showing viewers how to use "weed" in teriyaki chicken, shrimp capellini and steak sandwiches.

The evolution of pot cooking was perhaps inevitable given the explosion of medical marijuana around the US in recent years. Many health-conscious patients would rather eat the drug than smoke it. And they would prefer to eat something other than sugary treats.

"When I started using marijuana, I was eating a brownie every day. I gained a ton of weight," said Michael DeLao, a former hotel chef who hosts the Cannabis Planet cooking segments on Los Angeles' KJLA. "Then I learned how to really cook with marijuana, and once more people learn about all the possibilities, we're going to see a lot more people wanting this in their food."

All patrons at the Ganja Gourmet must show a medical marijuana card that proves they have a doctor's permission to use pot for some kind of illness.

So far, 90% of its business has been takeaway.

The food isn't cheap. A whole pizza sells for 89 dollars (£55), and a dozen sweet treats called Almond Horns cost 120 dollars (£74).

PA