Wondering how to make cannabutter for use as an MMJ patient? You've come to the right place!
Butter is one of the most common ingredients used in homemade foods throughout the US. But what if you could infuse the butter you use and use it as a non-traditional treatment?
Cannabis-infused butter, commonly referred to as cannabutter, is one of the easiest ways to make your own cannabis edibles. Not only does it add an extra level of potency to any dish, but it can also be used in a variety of recipes - from cookies and brownies to pasta and stir-fries.
Making cannabutter is also relatively simple and only requires a few ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. So, if you're ready to get started, let's go over how to make cannabutter for medical marijuana patients.
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How to Make Cannabutter Step-by-Step
As we said before, making cannabutter is easy. It requires some ingredients and a bit of time, but it's not the most challenging edible to make.
Here's how to make cannabutter step-by-step. The end result is perfectly infused, potent cannabutter ready to use!
Step 1: Prepare Everything You Need
Looking to make cannabutter at home? Here's everything you'll need.
To decarboxylate your flower:
- 7 grams (1/4 ounce) of high-quality medical marijuana flower
- Baking parchment paper
- A baking sheet
- Wooden spoon
- Grinder/Scissors/Blender (to break up the flower)
To create your cannabutter:
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup of water
- Crockpot/Slow cooker
- Candy thermometer
- Fine mesh strainer
- Food-safe storage container
Step 2: Choosing Cannabis for Cannabutter Creation
Anyone with culinary experience knows, ingredients are important. If you're using some bunk buds from your local "guy" or bought some high-quality medical-grade bud from a local dispensary, your end result will be more or less potent and flavorful depending on the flower you obtain.
If you're a medical marijuana patient, try to stick with flower from a dispensary. If it's possible, ask the dispensary for some buds that are high in CBD and low in THC - this will help with pain management and relaxation without making you too sleepy or sluggish. However, you also have the option to use trim or shake.
Trim and shake are the leaves that come off of the cannabis plants once they're harvested. Keep in mind, that there's more plant matter involved if you're using trim or shake for cannabutter creation. Thus, you'll likely have a more bitter end product if you use it.
The good thing about trim and shake? It's more affordable than flower. This will give you a bit more bang for your buck.
Also, keep THC and CBD ratios in mind. If you're looking for a more balanced effect, try finding cannabis that has a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD. This translates to every milligram of THC in your product having a milligram of CBD, as well.
Think about the terpenes involved, too. If you like a more citrusy scent or flavor, find a strain that's high in limonene. If you prefer a more herbal or peppery flavor profile, you can try using a myrcene-potent or caryophyllene-potent strain.
Feel free to experiment with the plethora of strain options available. Remember, you can always make another batch of cannabutter if you'd like!
Step 3: Decarboxylate Your Cannabis
Raw cannabis is non-psychoactive. You'll need to activate it to make a potent cannabutter.
Live or raw cannabis has cannabinoids THCA and CBDA. But heating the cannabinoids removes the A, leaving you with THC and CBD to infuse your butter.
All you need is a bit of heat and time to transform THCA to THC and CBDA to CBD. The process, decarboxylation, is comparable to when you smoke cannabis. But for making cannabutter for edibles, you'll want to keep your heat low to ensure you don't burn off any of those delectable cannabinoids.
Here's how you'll decarboxylate your cannabis:
- Heat your oven to 245 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Break apart your cannabis to get as much surface area exposed to the heat as possible.
- Create a pouch using the parchment paper and toss your cannabis into it. Wrap the parchment paper pouch in tin foil and place it in a baking dish. You'll then bake it for between 25 and 30 minutes.
- Take it out of the oven and allow the product to cool to room temperature.
- Further grind your decarbed flower before using it to create your cannabutter. You want the grind to be medium course, similar to coffee. You'll then use it immediately to make your cannabutter.
Step 4: Infuse Your Butter to Make Budder
Similar to choosing which strain you'll use in your cannabutter, you'll want to choose good butter for your infusions. The best option is a good quality butter that's unsalted. You don't need any of the more expensive butter options. However, we recommend using a high-fat, European-style unsalted butter.
Most cannabutter recipes complicate things a bit too much. We'd rather keep it simple.
Take your decarbed cannabis and toss it into your crockpot or slow cooker with your butter and water. Then, you can leave it on low for some time. We've done infusions in as few as two to four hours. However, we prefer to let it simmer for up to 16 hours. This will allow the fat to infuse with cannabinoids.
Make sure to stir the pot every so often to ensure the butter doesn't burn. Also, if you see it starting to burn, add a bit more water.
Keep in mind, that the longer it's in the slow cooker, the more chlorophyll will come out. This could make the taste a bit more bitter.
Equally important to remember is that between 80 and 90 percent of your cannabinoids will infuse your butter within an hour. If you choose to use brown butter, you can extract it within around six minutes with higher heat. However, this might burn off some cannabinoids.
If you're using brown butter to make cannabutter, you can make your cannabutter within 30ish minutes. Then you'll have to set it in the fridge or freezer.
Once your butter is properly infused, you'll want to set it. We recommend pouring the liquid into a freezer-safe container and putting it in the freezer for a while, checking on it periodically to ensure it doesn't freeze. Once all of the butter hardens on top of the water, you'll puncture a hole in your budder and carefully pour the water in the sink.
Make sure to dry any extra water off from the cannabutter, too. This is especially the case if you plan to store it as the additional moisture can accelerate mold growth!
Step 5: Using & Dosing Your Cannabutter
Now that you have activated cannabutter, you can store it in the freezer for a few weeks. But you also have the option to bake or cook using it immediately, of course.
We recommend using it ASAP to avoid potential mold growth. However, you can freeze it for up to six months or longer.
Consider the dosing when you're using your cannabutter. One stick of infused butter has cannabinoids from seven grams of plant matter. We usually recommend finding recipes that call for a stick of butter to make around 30+ strong doses.
If you're baking or cooking with cannabutter, it's always best to cook low and slow rather than using high heat. The heat can burn off some of the cannabinoids, resulting in a less potent edible.
If you're worried about dosing, eat half of an edible. It's always best to eat less than you think you need, especially if this is your first time making edibles.
How to Make Cannabutter FAQ
What do I need to make my own cannabutter?
While there are other ways to make cannabutter, you'll need a few ingredients and tools. Minimally speaking, you'll need a crockpot or slow cooker, decarbed cannabis flower or other marijuana product of your choice, unsalted butter that's high in fat, a large spoon for stirring, and a freezer-safe glass container.
How do you make very potent cannabutter?
If you want to make potent cannabutter, you'll need to use a high-quality cannabis product. Make sure it's properly decarbed so that the THC is activated. If you're using flower, we recommend using at least a quarter ounce for each stick of cannabutter. To make it even more potent, try some concentrate.
How much cannabutter does an 8th make?
We recommend using an eighth to make half a stick of cannabutter. This will give you a pretty potent cannabutter that can be used to make around 15 potent edibles. If you have a high tolerance, you might need to eat two edibles.
Is cannabutter or oil better?
This all depends on your personal preferences. If you're dairy-free, oil infusions are better. However, if you like the butter flavor, your cannabutter infusion will likely taste more appealing than if you were using coconut oil. Coconut oil infusions are great for vegans, though.
Closing on How to Make Cannabutter
So, you've successfully learned to make your own cannabutter! Congratulations!
Now what? Well, you'll want to store it in a cool, dry place. You can keep it in the fridge or freezer. If you're using it immediately, make sure to heat it up slowly so that you don't burn off any of the cannabinoids.
Looking for access to medical-grade cannabis in Virginia? CannabisRxHealth is here to help!
Contact us now to take the first step towards obtaining your MMJ card in Virginia. Our licensed physicians are registered with the Board and ready to recommend medical marijuana for what ails you.
