Buzzy Bites

When Congress legalized hemp products in 2018, MIA COCCA knew she wanted to be in a good position to sell cannabis products in Wilmington. Initially, Cocca planned to sell legal edibles at Axes and Allies, her business on South Third Street. “The more I researched, I thought these products could be successful on their own,” she says. “I was most interested in an edible line with an emphasis on candy.” Inspired by the idea of a grown-up sweet shop, Cocca began working to bring her vision to life in Sugar Buzzed, which opened in the South Front district earlier this year. Sugar Buzzed is a first-of-its-kind candy store in Wilmington, offering a diverse selection of nostalgic and new treats including adults-only candies, frozen novelties, savory snacks, mocktails, and alternative beverages.

When you step into the store, nestled between Block Taco and The Second Glass on South Second Street, you feel like you’re in a beehive. Once Cocca pinned down a name for the business, she pictured a bee and honey theme and tapped a Winston-Salem artist to design the logo, which features a plump bee with spiral eyes. “When I saw the image, I built the look and feel around the logo,” Cocca says of the store’s aesthetic. Local artist Josue Rivera with Rivera Caribbean Art custom-poured the black and yellow epoxy floors, and Will Urena painted dripping honey along the walls. “We call it our hive,” Cocca says.

The space – and experience – that Cocca created makes CBD, Delta-8, and mushroom products more accessible to a wider population. “We see an eclectic consumer base who might be intimidated going into a traditional headshop,” Cocca says. “As people move away from alcohol and prescription medications for relaxation, pain management, anxiety, or difficulty sleeping, they are realizing the benefits of naturally derived products.”

Sugar Buzzed recently added amanita mushroom-infused beverages and candies to its inventory. Amanita mushrooms, commonly recognized by an iconic red cap with white spots, are a legally accessible mushroom in the U.S. Unlike psychedelic or “magic” mushrooms that contain psilocybin, amanita mushrooms provide a calming and balanced experience without psychedelic effects. “Delta-8 is called ‘THC’ light, so amanita mushrooms are like ‘psilocybin light,’” Cocca explains.

Cocca emphasizes that the business’s primary focus is helping people become more educated about these products. “As the stigma goes away, it’s becoming less taboo to learn about and use CBD and mushrooms,” she says. “A lot of what we do here is education. We want you to get the information and not feel pressured to make a purchase. You can buy a sample and see what works best for you.”

Sugar Buzzed also offers family- and Fido-friendly products. “I can’t believe the amount of freeze-dried candy and candy cigarettes I’ve sold,” Cocca says with a laugh. “I thank TikTok for that. We spend a lot of time on social media to stay on top of trends – like the Chamoy pickle kits. It’s so fun to see families come in – kids get their candy and the adults do too.”