The horror stories associated with strong edibles are the only reason why edibles get such a bad rap. Everyone has that story—“I ate this edible and got sooooo high that I [blank].” This is unfortunate, considering how many more people could find relief or enjoyment with edibles, if they ate them responsibly.
How does one eat edibles responsibly? Well, by consuming the amount of cannabis that your body can physically and mentally handle. The good news is that you can never technically overdose on weed. And if you do it right, finding your perfect dose can be quite valuable and fun. (If you do get too high, try one of my tips on page 24.) Schedule a day or an evening to test your dosage sweet spot. When testing, consider your energy levels, emotional state, and daily workload. Despite the fact that I’ve consumed cannabis for 21 years, I’m a lightweight and prefer lower doses at or around 5 to 10 mg. What does that feel like? Here’s a handy breakdown:
THC (mg)
0–2
Dose
Microdose
Effects
No noticeable euphoric effect.
THC (mg)
3–5
Dose
Low
Effects
Minimal noticeable euphoric effect.
THC (mg)
6–10
Dose
Minimum
Effects
This is on the lower side of what most legal and medical states consider to be a standard dose. Small euphoric effect.
THC (mg)
11–15
Dose
Standard
Effects
This is your standard dose, 10 mg being the sweet spot. Moderate euphoric effect.
THC (mg)
16–25
Dose
Experienced
Effects
Normal dose for an experienced user. Strong euphoric effect.
THC (mg)
26–80
Dose
Very experienced
Effects
Very high dose, for intense pain relief.
THC (mg)
81–100
Dose
Expert
Effects
Extremely high dose best administered by health professionals.
THC (mg)
101+
Dose
Medical
Effects
Extremely high dose that should only be administered by health professionals.
Potency Chart
More than just a trend, microdosing and low dosing are an integral part of my personal philosophy when smoking, vaping, or eating edibles. I like to keep my THC serving sizes low. What’s the point of making tasty edibles if you can’t eat every last crumb? Eating in lower doses allows you to enjoy a full meal without feeling uncomfortably high. Each cannabis oil recipe in this book starts with either 7 grams (¼ ounce) or 14 grams (½ ounce) of weed. This loosely translates into about 15 mg or 30 mg of THC, respectively, for each teaspoon of oil or butter used in the entire dish.
When testing for potency, remember that it will take some time for you to feel the effects and benefits of your cannabutter, canna-oil, or cannabis-infused food. When you eat an edible, unlike when you smoke a joint, the cannabis enters your bloodstream through your gut. This means that the THC or CBD gets absorbed at a slower rate than it does when smoking or vaping. Sometimes you might feel a more intense body high. As a rule of thumb, wait one to two hours to see how you feel before eating a second serving of your medicated meal. Try to do this on a day when you’re able to chill out, in case you find that you’ve gotten too stoned.
Below is a handy chart to use when deciding on the potency of your weed butter. In this book, all recipes use the lowest dose, meaning that for every cup of weed butter or weed oil, there will be 700 mg of THC. Remember that 1 cup = 8 ounces = 48 teaspoons. If you’ve had a serving and don’t feel anything after two hours, it’s okay to try some more.
Weed Butter Potency
Dose
Low dose
Quantity of weed, before infusion
¼ ounce (7g)
%THC/strain
10 percent
Infused butter, oil, or fat
1 cup/2 sticks
THC or CBD/cup
700 mg
THC or CBD (mg)/teaspoon
14.58
Dose
Moderate dose
Quantity of weed, before infusion
½ ounce (14g)
%THC/strain
10 percent
Infused butter, oil, or fat
1 cup/2 sticks
THC or CBD/cup
1400 mg
THC or CBD (mg)/teaspoon
29.17
Dose
Potent dose
Quantity of weed, before infusion
1 ounce (28g)
%THC/strain
10 percent
Infused butter, oil, or fat
1 cup/2 sticks
THC or CBD/cup
2800 mg
THC or CBD (mg)/teaspoon
53.33
The average strain of marijuana will contain approximately 10 percent of THC. However, different strains may have different percentages of THC and/or CBD. Take note of the labels on weed purchased from a dispensary or retailer, which should list the percentage. If they do not, find out the name or strain—it’s always a good idea to know which strain you are using. If you know the name of your weed, you can easily look it up online. I know, the internet, right? On a secure device, simply search for the strain followed by “percentage of THC.” Leafly.com is a great resource for this. If a strain is over 10 percent THC, add 70 extra milligrams for each additional percentage point. For example, if a strain is 11% THC and you infuse 1 cup of butter with 7 grams of cannabis, it will be 770 milligrams of THC total in the entire batch. Similarly, you would wind up with 840 milligrams for a 12% strain, 1050 milligrams for a 15% strain, and so on. If your preferred cannabis strain is CBD dominant, use the same calculations above to reflect amounts of CBD in your infusion.
If you find that after testing, the batch of weed butter or oil you made was too weak for your preference, feel free to increase the grams of weed by increments of 7 to more easily calculate potency. For example, if the standard dose of 14 grams (½ ounce) is too low for you, but you don’t want to add an entire ounce, just increase the amount of weed you’re using by 7 grams for a total of 21 grams of cannabis—that’s ¾ ounce.
If you find that the batch is too strong, dilute your batch by adding one additional cup of butter, oil, or fat to your infusion, and mix evenly by shaking and stirring. Once it is cooled, try one teaspoon of the new mix and see how your body feels.
Storage
You know this one: Store in a cool, dry, and dark place. Pretty standard, right? Be sure to contain your weed butter and cannabis-infused oils and fats in a tightly sealed container or jar. I suggest glass jars with metal or plastic lids. Because your butter, oil, or fat is infused with cannabis, there is a chance that the potency of the infusion might degrade after two to three months, degrading more each time the container is exposed to air, sun, or light. And, as always, please keep your infusions out of the reach of children or pets. Here are some more specific storage tips:
Cannabutter: Well-sealed mason jar or container. Lasts up to six months refrigerated or frozen.
Cannabis Oil: Well-sealed mason jar or container. Lasts up to one year.
Cannabis Fats: Keep in a well-sealed mason jar. Can last from one to three months.
17 Bailey Rahn, “Ingest or Inhale? 5 Differences Between Cannabis Edibles and Flowers.” Leafly, July 17, 2014, https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/differences-between-marijuana-edibles-and-flower.
18 Simone Fischer, “Too Stoned? How to Manage Being Uncomfortably High.” Ladybud, February 8, 2016, http://www.ladybud.com/2016/02/08/too-stoned-how-to-manage-being-uncomfortably-high.
19 “What Are Terpenes?” Prohbtd, Accessed September 11, 2018, https:
//prohbtd.com/index.php/what-are-terpenes.
Chapter Three
Infusing Cannabis
This is the part that you’ve been waiting for! I hope it was worth all that nerdy foreplay you had to read through in the previous sections.
As it turns out, there are a million ways to extract the healing properties of weed into oil, butter, or fat. But it’s important to find a method that works best for you. You don’t have to be a master chef or cannabis connoisseur to make great weed butter. You just need to be well-informed, patient, and organized. Most folks who are looking to make edibles are patients or people who want to medicate independently, discreetly, and inexpensively. We’re all just everyday folks looking for an efficient way to get high, so don’t feel daunted by this at all. In the following pages, I’ve broken down the most trusted methods based on various desired aspects, such as potency, odor, simplicity, and cost. Have fun, and remember to use a timer, even if you’re not stoned.
Decarboxylation
The first thing you’ll have to do, regardless of which method you’re using, is decarboxylate your cannabis material. Also known as “decarbing,” this requires you to bake your weed, allowing the THC or CBD to activate. Raw, unsmoked cannabis contains various cannabinoids, including THCA and CBDA. These cannabinoids need to be heated in order to turn into THC or CBD. This happens when you smoke a joint, for example. It’s an instant decarboxylation that helps you to achieve your high. THCA is great for you too, but it won’t give you the same effects as THC. Decarbing is a necessary step in order to enjoy the full spectrum of the cannabis you consume. Also, it allows for the lipids (such as fatty acids, waxes, and some vitamins) in the butter or oils to easily bind to your weed for the ultimate cannabis infusion.
Though you can use top-notch, beautiful cannabis flowers from your local dispensary, feel free to use trimmings, stems, and/or stalks. If you’re someone who cultivates weed, it’s a great way to cut back on waste while using the entire plant. Just be sure that the quality of the plant is clean (free of pesticides, mold, etc.) and that the material is frosty with some trichomes.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
desired amount of weed (¼ ounce, ½ ounce, or 1 ounce)
hand grinder or scissors
glass baking dish or sheet pan
oven
WHAT TO DO
1. Preheat the oven to 220°F.
2. Gently break apart the desired amount of weed using a hand-grinder, scissors, or with hands until it’s the perfect consistency for rolling a joint—fine, but not too fine. Anything too fine will slip through cheesecloth (or a joint, for that matter). You want your cannabutter and oil to be clean and as clear as possible.
3. Evenly spread your plant material onto the glass baking dish or sheet pan. Pop in the oven on the center rack for 20 minutes if using old or lower quality weed; 45 minutes for cured, high-grade weed; or 1 hour or more for anything that has been recently harvested and is still wet.
4. Check on the weed frequently while it’s in the oven, gently mixing it every 10 minutes so as to not burn it. You will notice that the color of your herb will change from bright green to a deep brownish green. That’s when you know it has decarboxylated.
Just so you know, while you’re decarbing, your kitchen will smell like one giant edible. I love the way it smells, personally. But if you’re worried about neighbors, close windows and burn incense, palo santo, sage, candles, or whatever you prefer. Another great idea is to cook or bake something while your weed is decarbing. The other aromas will fill your home as well.
Clarified Butter
Though not absolutely important, clarifying butter beforehand can result in a more even consistency of weed butter. Similar to ghee, clarified butter is butterfat that has been separated from milk solids and water.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
8–16 ounces butter
saucepan
mason jar or air-tight container
spoon
WHAT TO DO
1. In a medium saucepan, heat your butter over medium-low heat until it melts.
2. Once it’s fully melted into a liquid, gently skim the white milk solids and any water from the top of the butter with a spoon. Use in your infused cannabutter recipe, or transfer clarified butter into a mason jar or airtight container for later use.
Infusion with Alcohol
Tamar Wise, a biochemist and CEO of Wise Science Consulting, has called this method of extraction the “scientific method.” It includes using your preferred brand of unflavored grain alcohol, such as Everclear. Adding the alcohol is what makes it scientific. Alcohol helps to break down the cellulose, a major construction component of most green plants. With weed, this breakdown allows for the activated THC or CBD to bind better to your butter, oil, or fat. I used avocado oil for this recipe, but you can use any type of fat.
Time: 6½ hours Appeal: High THC extraction Yield: 12 tablespoons
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
1 ounce grain alcohol
½ ounce decarboxylated cannabis material (page 36)
spray bottle or shot glass and spoon
8 ounces clarified butter (page 38), melted butter, oil, or fat
slow cooker
spoon
cheesecloth
storage container of choice
WHAT TO DO
1. Pour 1 ounce of grain alcohol directly onto your decarboxylated marijuana. You can use a spray bottle to evenly distribute the alcohol among the decarbed cannabis, or you can use a 1-ounce shot glass and small spoon, which is what I did.
2. Once the weed is completely saturated with the alcohol, let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Add the butter, oil, or fat directly into the slow cooker. Then, add the cannabis into the slow cooker and stir with a spoon until completely incorporated.
4. Put the lid on the slow cooker and let it cook on low for 6 hours. After 6 hours, there will be a glossy, glass-like top coat.
5. Secure a cheesecloth your preferred storage container and strain the mixture through it.
6. Be sure that the infusion is completely cool before placing it into a refrigerator or freezer.
Infusion with Lecithin
As it turns out, lecithin protein does wonders during the extraction process of cannabutter or oil. Though optional, a batch made with either sunflower lecithin or soy lecithin is best when cooking something with a sweet profile. Why? Lecithin, sometimes used as a nutritional supplement, is a fat naturally found in many foods like soybeans, eggs, and avocado. This is an emulsifier that helps to bind all of the ingredients together, allowing for potential increase in the potency of your oil or butter. There are a lot of steps in this process, but it’s totally worth it if you have the ingredients on hand.
Time: 5½ hours Appeal: Low Potency Yield: 12 tablespoons
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
½ ounce decarboxylated cannabis material (page 36)
½ cup lecithin or soy lecithin
8 ounces clarified butter (page 38), melted butter, oil, or fat
oven
shallow glass baking dish
spatula
wooden spoon or masher
aluminum foil
freezer
cheesecloth
storage container of choice
WHAT TO DO
1. Preheat the oven to 215°F.
2. Evenly spread ½ ounce of ground cannabis flowers in a shallow glass baking dish.
3. Tightly cover the dish with aluminum foil to seal in all the vapors from your weed. Then, place in the oven for about 20 minutes.
4. Take the dish out of the oven, leaving on the foil. Let cool for about 20 more minutes.
5. Lightly and evenly, sprinkle the lecithin onto the cannabis followed by your clarified butter. Mix with a spatula until the consistency is even.
6. Tightly wrap the foil around the dish and put back into the oven for 45 minutes.
7. Remove the dish from the oven and gently take off the foil, being ca
reful not to burn yourself. Gently press the butter or oil mixture with a masher or wooden spoon.
8. Put the foil back on and place the dish back in the oven for 45 minutes.
9. After 45 minutes, remove the dish from the oven, let cool completely, and if needed, transfer into a freezer-safe glass dish. Put the foil onto the new dish and put in the freezer for 2½ hours.
10. Remove your dish and let it defrost to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 215°F.
11. Make sure the dish is completely cool to avoid breaking your dish and ruining all the oil. Once it has thawed to room temperature, place in the oven for just enough time for the mixture to melt, 2 to 5 minutes.
12. Strain mixture through cheesecloth into a container and enjoy.
Infusion with Slow Cooker
When we think of a slow cooker, we think of a delicious juicy chicken, pot roast, or chili. It’s also brilliant for making cannabutter or oil. It’s an all-in-one place to infuse weed butter or weed oils while allowing you to keep the smell of weed at a minimum during the infusion process.
Time: 8½ hours, plus overnight to cool Appeal: Mild taste Yield: 12 tablespoons
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
1 cup water
8 ounces clarified butter (page 38), melted butter, oil, or fat
½ ounce decarboxylated cannabis material (page 36)
slow cooker
spoon
cheesecloth
knife
saucepan
storage container of choice
WHAT TO DO
1. Add water to the slow cooker.
2. Add the butter, oil, or fat directly into the slow cooker. Then, add the cannabis into the slow cooker and stir with a spoon until completely incorporated.
The Art of Weed Butter Page 4