If you want a new way to try cannabis that lasts longer, gives you stronger effects, and makes for an enjoyable method, then you might want to try cooking with cannabis. If you have the time, it’s fairly easy to cook your own cannabis edibles using nothing but some basic kitchen equipment and whichever strain of weed you want.
Cooking with cannabis usually involves decarboxylating your weed, cooking it into cannabis butter or oil, then using the finished ingredient in all kinds of recipes, from cannabis brownies to cannabis gummies. As well as a wide range of tasty cannabis-infused foods, you can also make cannabis drinks such as smoothies, coffees, and cocktails for a beverage packed with powerful THC effects.
It’s important to know that weed edibles work differently than smoking, vaping or other methods of consumption. The effects of the THC become much stronger, and can also last for up to 12 hours. You should always be careful with how many edibles you consume and be cautious that you don’t go overboard. However, if you use edibles wisely, it’s a great way to experience the euphoric, psychoactive effects of THC. Here’s a guide on cooking with cannabis and how edibles work.
How to Cook With Cannabis
Cooking with cannabis is a rewarding activity for any cannabis lover. You can create all kinds of weed-infused goodies that produce extra-strong effects that can make you high for hours. There are a few different methods of cooking with cannabis, but they usually follow the same general steps.
First of all, you’ll need to decarboxylate your weed. Decarboxylation is the process of heating your weed on a low heat for a long time to activate the THC without burning it. If you don’t decarboxylate your weed before using it in edibles, the edibles won’t make you high. All you need to decarboxylate your weed is an oven and it usually takes around 45 minutes.
Once you have your decarboxylated weed, you can infuse it into cannabis butter or oil. THC binds to fats, so you need to cook these ingredients together to create cannabis-infused butter or oil. You can do this using a saucepan and it usually doesn’t take too long. Once done, you can keep your weed-infused oil or butter in a container and start using it in cannabis recipes.
With your cannabutter or canna-oil at the ready, you can start using it in all kinds of recipes. Many of the same recipes you’d use for regular brownies, cookies, cakes, and other baked goods can also be infused with cannabis- simply replace some of the butter with cannabis butter. You can also make all kinds of cannabis-infused meals or even cannabis drinks.
How to Decarboxylate Your Weed
Before you start cooking with weed, you’ll need to decarboxylate your cannabis. Before weed is heated to a certain temperature, it contains only THCA. Heat converts the THCA into THC, the psychoactive chemical which makes users high. Without decarboxylation, the THC won’t be active and your edibles will not make you high.
Decarboxylation is a fairly quick and easy process. Start by heating your own to around 220°F (105°C). Keeping it at a moderate heat is required for heating the cannabis without burning it. Cover a baking tray with parchment paper and spread your weed evenly across it. You can now put the baking tray in the oven.
Allow your weed around 30-45 minutes to decarboxylate. You may also want to shake the tray periodically. After this time, you can take your baking tray out and you’ll have your decarboxylated weed, ready to infuse into cannabis edibles. You may want to store it in a Mason jar or other airtight container.
How to Cook Cannabis Butter
Making cannabis butter, also known as cannabutter, is the most popular way to cook with cannabis. You can use cannabis butter in all kinds of meals and recipes for potent cannabis edibles. All you’ll need is some regular butter, your decarboxylated cannabis, and some basic kitchen equipment.
For every 7-10 grams of weed you plan to use, apply a cup of butter and a cup of water to a saucepan. Before you add the weed, heat the butter and water at a moderate heat until the butter has fully melted. Now, apply a low heat (around 160ºF – 180ºF) and add your decarboxylated weed. You may want to grind it before adding it to the mixture.
Allow your cannabis butter to simmer for around 2-3 hours at the same low heat. That way, your butter will become infused with THC without burning. After this time, you can strain your cannabutter mixture into a jar or container through a cheesecloth, separating the liquid from the leftover plant product. Once all your butter has been strained through, cover your container and refrigerate it for at least an hour for it to harden into cannabutter.
How to Cook Cannabis Oil
As an alternative to cannabis butter, you can also cook cannabis oil or canna-oil. The cooking process for making cannabis oil is similar to making cannabis butter, and you can also use cannabis oil in all kinds of edible recipes.
To make cannabis oil, start by heating cooking oil in a saucepan on low heat. You can use various kinds of oil, but coconut oil is generally the best for creating cannabis oil. You’ll want to use about a cup of oil for each cup (7-10 grams) of cannabis you plan to use.
Heat your oil until it begins to smell. You can then add your decarboxylated weed. It’s best to grind your weed before doing this. Allow the mixture to simmer for around 45 minutes then strain it into a container through a cheesecloth. Place your container in the fridge and allow it to cool. You’ll then be left with a container of cannabis oil to infuse into all kinds of tasty edibles.
If you don’t want to go through the process of making cannabis oil, you can also buy cannabis oil or tincture online. Readymade cannabis oils can also be infused into foods and drinks.
Best Ways to Cook With Cannabis
Once you have your cannabis butter or cannabis oil ready, you can start cooking it into all kinds of delicious marijuana edibles. There are all kinds of ways to cook with cannabis. You may want to simply cook your meals in cannabis butter or oil to infuse it with THC. You can also use your butter or oil in all kinds of baked goods.
Many people bake with cannabis butter to create edible goodies such as brownies, cookies, and cakes. These are easy to make- you can either take a regular recipe and replace some of the butter with cannabutter or find recipes for marijuana edibles online. Be cautious about how much cannabis butter you use and split your edibles into servings accordingly- it doesn’t take a lot to give you strong effects, and usually, a dose of around 10mg of THC is recommended.
You can also make cannabis gummies by cooking cannabis oil with gelatin and fruit flavorings. Cannabis gummies are popular as they taste good and can provide you a small dose of THC in each serving. However, there are also all other kinds of cannabis edible recipes online and you can get as creative as you like.
How to Make Cannabis Drinks
Cannabis foods aren’t your only option, either. You can also make cannabis-infused drinks. In fact, making THC-infused beverages is even easier than making regular edibles. You just have to infuse some of your cannabis butter or cannabis oil into a drink mixture.
There are many options when it comes to making cannabis drinks. For instance, you might want to mix some cannabis oil or tincture into a smoothie, juice, coffee or even a cocktail. Mix it well and you’ll end up with a delicious, cannabis-infused beverage that’ll make you high for hours.
Cannabis oil is generally better to use than cannabis butter for drinks, although you can use cannabis butter for things like shakes and smoothies. You may even want to use cannabis tinctures as they’re easy to mix and quick to absorb. Just like with edibles, you can get as creative as you want with your cannabis drinks.
Can You Buy Readymade Cannabis Edibles?
If you want to try cannabis in edible form, you don’t have to go through the process of decarbing your weed and cooking cannabis edibles. It’s now easier than ever to buy edibles online and you can find all kinds of readymade edibles to suit your taste.
Various cannabis gummies are available, such as Aura Edibles Mango Bombs, MOTA Cola Gummies, MOTA Sour Peaches, and Twisted Extracts Apple Jelly Bombs. Gummies are ideal as they give you a small dose of THC in each serving, making it easy to control your dose and get an enjoyable high.
Cannabis chocolates are also available, such as MOTA Cookies and Cream Chocolate Bar, MOTA Dark Chocolate Bar, and MOTA CBD Milk Chocolate Bar. You can split these into squares to get the dose you need.
Various other edibles are also available to buy, such as dried fruit and caramels. You can even buy cannabis beverages such as tea and cocoa mixes. These readymade edibles and beverage mixes make it easy to consume cannabis in edible form without having to go through the hassle of cooking.
How Do Edibles Work?
Weed edibles don’t work the same way as other methods of consumption. They make the THC in cannabis even stronger and provide effects that last for many hours. When you consume cannabis in edible form, your body converts the THC into 11-hydroxy-THC, a stronger form of THC which produces intense psychoactive effects.
You’ll have to wait for the THC to digest before you start to feel the effects. You may have to wait for around 30 minutes to 90 minutes before you begin to feel high. It’s important to be patient when using cannabis edibles as taking too much before you start to feel the effects can result in an overwhelming and uncomfortable high.
It’s best to start with a low dose of edibles. A dose of around 10mg of THC is usually recommended for beginners. It’s still enough to give you powerful effects for a long time without being too overwhelming. You may even want to microdose your edibles by splitting them into servings of 5mg or less for milder effects. Users experienced with edibles may want to experiment with higher doses.
How Long Do Edibles Last?
Although edibles can take a couple of hours to kick in, the high you get from them lasts for a very long time. Many people prefer to use edibles over other marijuana products due to the intense, long-lasting high they provide, often producing enjoyable effects for hours on end.
According to research, edibles usually have an onset time of around 30-90 minutes, with peak effects taking place around 2-3 hours after consumption. However, the high can last anywhere from 4-12 hours based on the dose, your body weight, and your tolerance. As such, it’s best to avoid edibles if you plan to be productive.
Edibles give you the longest-lasting high of any marijuana product and it’s important to use them with caution. Effects can last up to 12 hours and you may still feel some residual effects for up to 24 hours. However, as long as you dose wisely and don’t go overboard, the experience can be highly enjoyable with sustained euphoric effects.
Cooking With Cannabis – Are Edibles Worth It?
If you want potent, long-lasting THC effects, then cannabis edibles are hard to beat. Cooking with cannabis is a fun and rewarding project for any cannabis lover. But even if you don’t feel like going through all the hassle, you can also buy edibles online for delivery all over the country.
Remember that edibles are much stronger than smoking or vaping cannabis. It’s best to start with a dose of 10mg of THC or lower. Also, keep in mind that effects can take up to a couple of hours to kick in and up to 12 hours to wear off. If you use edibles wisely, it’s a highly enjoyable experience for any cannabis user.
