Edibles have become a popular way to get high for many marijuana users. While strains and concentrates usually do the job well enough, marijuana edibles provide much more intense effects that can last for many hours. You can now buy all kinds of edibles online from THC-infused gummies to cannabis chocolate bars. But how are edibles made?
How edibles are made can vary depending on the type of edible it is, but they usually boil down to the same few methods. Marijuana is infused into fat products such as butter or oil then used for all kinds of edible recipes. Most commonly, cannabis butter or cannabis oil are used. If you want a fun project to try out, you can even make your own edibles. Here’s a guide on how edibles are made.
How are Edibles Made?
Marijuana edibles can be made via multiple different methods. However, most commonly, they’re made with either cannabis butter or cannabis oil. Edible manufacturers usually use professional equipment to create the most potent cannabis-infused edibles. However, with a few pieces of kitchen equipment and some know-how, you can even make them at home.
Before edibles can be made, weed must first go through a process called decarboxylation. It involves heating marijuana at a moderate heat for a long period of time to convert THCA into THC and activate the psychoactive effects. Without this process, weed edibles would not make you high.
Once marijuana is decarboxylated, it can be infused into any kind of fat. While things like lard and margarine can work, usually cannabis is infused into regular butter or cooking oil such as coconut oil. In doing so, you can create a cannabis-infused ingredient that’s suitable for use in all kinds of meals, baked goods, and even drinks.
How to Decarboxylate Weed
The first step to making edibles is decarboxylation. Before weed is heated, it contains no active THC, only a non-psychoactive cannabinoid called THCA. THCA is converted into THC when the product is exposed to heat. Usually, people do this by either smoking or vaping weed. However, for edibles to give you the psychoactive effects of cannabis, the weed must be decarboxylated first.
Decarboxylation is a fairly easy process and you can even do it at home with an oven. The oven is first preheated to around 220°F (105°C). This is hot enough to convert the THCA without burning the product. Buds of weed are then spread evenly across a baking tray over parchment paper and put in the oven. Heating the weed for around 30-45 minutes will decarboxylate it, converting the THCA into active THC.
After decarboxylation, weed can be infused into all kinds of marijuana recipes. It’s a fairly easy process and it can be done with any strain of weed to infuse edibles with the same effects.
How is Cannabis Butter Made?
Cannabis butter can be made by infusing regular butter with decarboxylated weed. Although edible manufacturers use high-scale kitchen equipment to make mass quantities of edibles, it’s another relatively simple process which can be carried out at home using a saucepan and a strainer.
First, butter is boiled in a saucepan until it is fully melted. Usually, one cup of butter and one cup of water is used for every 7-10 grams of decarbed marijuana used. Grind up your weed and add it into the mixture. Keep the pan on low heat (around 160ºF – 180ºF) and allow the mixture to simmer for around 2-3 hours. Stir occasionally and keep it from boiling.
After this time, you can filter your mixture through a strainer or cheesecloth into a container to separate the liquid from the plant material. Put your container in the fridge, allow it to harden for at least two hours, and you’ll be left with a container of solid cannabutter. You can cut the mixture to remove the liquid and use your cannabutter in all kinds of edible recipes.
How is Cannabis Oil Made?
Another common way to make edibles is with cannabis oil. These are made in a similar way to cannabutter by mixing decarboxylated weed with cooking oil such as coconut oil. Oils or tinctures are easy to absorb and also easy to infuse into recipes and drinks.
Cannabis oil is made by adding cooking oil (coconut oil is usually used) to a saucepan on a low heat until it begins to smell. Decarboxylated weed is then added at a quantity of about 1 cup of weed (7-10 grams) for each cup of oil. You then simmer the mixture for around 45 minutes, stirring it occasionally.
After this, your cannabis oil should be strained into a container through a cheesecloth and placed into an airtight container. Keep the container in the fridge and allow it to cool. Your cannabis oil is then ready to infuse into foods and drinks. While making cannabis oil is relatively easy, you can also buy cannabis tinctures online and apply them to recipes and drinks.
What Kind of Edibles Can You Make?
There’s really no limit to the kind of edibles you can make with cannabutter or cannaoil. The most popular kinds of edibles are usually gummies, chocolate bars, and baked goods. They’re usually made by taking regular recipes and substituting butter for cannabis butter or oil for cannabis oil.
Bear in mind that if you make your own edibles, cannabis butter and oil can be extremely potent. It’s best to mix with regular butter or cooking oil when you use them in a recipe with a lot of butter/oil.
There are many cannabis recipes online you can try out for yourself if you want a fun project. You can also find cannabis cocktail recipes if you want a tasty drink infused with the effects of cannabis.
Conclusion
Edibles are usually made by infusing either cannabis butter or cannabis oil into recipes. Of course, cannabis must first be decarboxylated and infused into fat for it to give you the potent effects of THC. While you can make your own edibles if you’re feeling adventurous, it’s even easier to buy edibles online in many delicious forms.
