How to Make Cannabutter
Who doesn't want to learn how to make their very own edibles? Here's how to make cannabutter in under an hour!
What is Cannabutter?
Cannabutter is the name given to a lipid (or a fat such as butter) that has been infused with cannabinoids such as the psychoactive THC. Cannabutter is often used to infuse meals and desserts with the desired cannabinoid. This will often yield a psychoactive experience that is significantly more intense than the traditional methods of ingesting cannabis. Cannabutter can appeal in a variety of colors. It can appear to be a shiny brown or an appealing amber-like gold. Cannabutter that is a hearty green in color is often a sign of improperly prepared cannabutter. This is likely due to a misstep in the decarboxylation process (which we will cover later.)
Things You'll Need to Prepare Cannabutter
3.5g freshly ground cannabis
8oz (1 stick) room temperature butter
1 cheesecloth
1 baking sheet
1 medium-sized saucepan
Aluminum foil
Understanding Decarboxylation
Before one can make cannabutter, the cannabis must be decarboxylated. This is the process of converting THC into THCA. This must be done because THC in its common form does not absorb well into lipids. To begin the decarboxylation process, preheat the oven to 220°F. A common rule of thumb when decarbing your cannabis is a simple ratio: 15 to 20 minutes per 3.5 (1/8th) grams of dried, ground cannabis. Once you have chosen the amount of cannabis to infuse, place the ground cannabis spaciously on a safe baking dish on top of a sheet of aluminum foil. The oven will provide the appropriate amount of heat to begin the conversion of THC into THCA. Moreover, THCA is extremely more potent than THC. Once your amount of cannabis has been heated for the appropriate amount of time, it is ready to be infused into fats or oils. From here, chefs typically infused the decarbed buds into butter or oil. This is how cannabutter and cannabis cooking oil is created thanks to decarboxylation.
Next Steps
Once the weed has been decarbed, it is time to infuse. On the lowest possible setting, place the butter into a saucepan until it has melted. Once melted, place the decarbed cannabis into the saucepan. From here, let the low heat do its job. Stir the cannabis every 5 to 7 minutes to avoid any scorching of the decarbed cannabis. Be sure to cover the cannabis to lock in the terpenes and preferred cannabinoids. The cannabutter will increase in potency the longer the infusion process lasts. 45 minutes should be the maximum amount for the amount of cannabutter in this recipe.
Once the cannabutter has been infused, it is time to separate the plant matter from the butter. Place the cheesecloth over a Tupperware or freezer-safe bowl and slowly pour the butter from the saucepan into the bowl. Let gravity do most of the work. For the remaining cannabutter, feel free to wring out the cheesecloth to make sure you are getting the most bang for your buds. Ta-da! Now you have cannabutter that can be infused into just about anything. It can also be stored in the freezer and used at a later date without the degradation of potency.
Benefits of Using Cannabutter
There are a multitude of benefits for patients who chose to make their own cannabutter. Consumers can enjoy the psychoactive properties of cannabinoids such as THC without having to deal with the carcinogens associated with smoking cannabis. Moreover, edibles get patients significantly higher versus the traditional smoking method. Who wouldn't want to get high thanks to buttered pancakes?