So, you’re wondering how to make edibles. Whether you want to make THC edibles or CBD edibles, you’ve come to the right place. The easiest way to make CBD edibles is to simply buy CBD oil and add a few drops to whatever you’re cooking, but you can also follow the steps below using hemp flower.
THC edibles are any food items that are infused with cannabis. There are two main steps that must be taken when making edibles: decarboxylation and infusion with fat.
In their raw state, cannabis plants contain a cannabinoid called THCA, which has no psychoactive effects. The cannabis needs to be manipulated first in order to get the desired THC. This is why you can’t simply eat cannabis or crumble it directly into your food. The process of manipulating the cannabis and turning the THCA into THC is called decarboxylation. To decarboxylate your cannabis, you apply a specific temperature of heat to the cannabis for a certain amount of time. Once this process is complete, you will have cannabis with THC, the component that gets you high.
After you decarboxylate the cannabis, the other important step is to infuse it into a fat, like butter or oil. Cannabis is a fat-soluble material, so it won’t activate in water, only fats. There are a variety of fats you can use, and once infused, you’ll have a potent oil or butter that you can use to cook your edibles.
What type of cannabis to use for edibles
If you want to make CBD edibles, you’ll need some hemp flower. By law, hemp only contains 0.03% of THC or less, so it won’t make you feel high. CBD edibles are used for a variety of reasons, most often for pain or anxiety relief. If you want edibles that will get you high, you’ll need to use cannabis containing THC (not hemp). Your local dispensary should carry both types.
Step 1: Grind
Once you obtain your cannabis flower, it’s time to grind. Some people prefer to break the flower into large chunks using their hands and others prefer to use a grinder to break it up a little smaller. Both will work, but make sure you don’t grind it too finely. Grind enough so that you’ll be able to pick up a rogue nug and not let a gentle breeze carry away your fine cannabis powder.
Step 2: Decarboxylate
As mentioned, decarboxylation is a major part of the edible making process that you can’t skip. Spread your cannabis out on a baking sheet in an even layer to ensure equal heating. Then bake it in the oven at 225 to 245 degrees Fahrenheit, for around 40 minutes. Different recipes disagree slightly on the exact temperature and time, but the heat must stay below 300 degrees to maintain the integrity of the THC. Make sure to shake the pan or stir the cannabis every so often so it decarboxylates evenly.
Another method to decarboxylate your cannabis is to combine this step with the next, and decarboxylate your cannabis as you infuse it with your fat. To do this, place the ground cannabis and your chosen fat into a slow cooker or crockpot. You’ll want to use a 1:1 ratio, for example 1 cup of ground cannabis and 1 cup of butter. Set the slow cooker to the same temperature as decarboxylation, 225-245 degrees, and cook it for 3-6 hours. This will obviously take longer than the 45 minute decarboxylation process, but it’s an easy way to combine 2 steps and leave the mixture alone for a long period of time.
Step 3: Infuse with Fat
If you chose the first decarboxylation method, you’ll now need to infuse the baked cannabis with a fat. As mentioned, it can be an oil or butter. Butter is always a good choice, but some users prefer to use an oil such as olive oil, hemp seed oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil. Once you choose your fat, put it into a saucepan and let it heat up a little, then add your decarboxylated cannabis. You’ll need to add some water as well, to make sure your butter doesn’t burn. Water is important because it helps regulate the heat, and if your mixture gets too hot the THC will lose its potency. Let it simmer at a low heat, around 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir every so often and make sure the mixture does not boil. After 2 to 3 hours, it’s done.
Next, it’s time to strain. Your butter will probably still contain some plant material, and you’ll want to strain that out so that you’re left with a smooth infused butter. Line a funnel with cheesecloth, place it over a jar, and pour your mixture in. Don’t just pour your mixture into a cheesecloth and squeeze, because some of the plant materials will get through.
Step 4: Cook your edibles
Now that you have your cannabis infused fat, you can cook anything you want! If you don’t use all of your cannabutter right away, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use it within 2 weeks. You can also store it in the freezer for up to 6 months. Cannabis infused oil tends to last even longer than cannabis infused butter.
Many users like to bake with their fat, such as brownies and cookies, but it can be used for any food that you would put butter or oil in. Users have made everything from cannabis infused salad dressing to cannabis infused pasta.
Storing your edibles
It is important to label your edibles, so that you or someone else in your household doesn’t accidentally consume them without knowing. If you made a baked treat, they will only last as long as a regular baked treat would, so freezing is ideal. Edibles will last for up to 6 months in the freezer.
Hopefully you learned the basics of how to make edibles. Whether you’re baking up some THC edibles or CBD edibles, enjoy yourself, be safe, and happy eating!