Medical cannabis patients and consumers love cannabis-infused butter, also known as cannabutter, but what’s all the hype?
For starters, cannabutter can be used in almost any recipe. It can also be made at home utilizing some tried and true methods as well as through the use of new-age countertop technology! This cannabis-infused product, when made at home, can also be made as weak or as potent as one desires. There are also some benefits to consuming cannabutter or recipes made utilizing it in comparison to other consumption methods such as smoking. Benefits that are being widely embraced by medical cannabis patients. Let’s explore the topic of cannabutter and what it stands to offer retail consumers and medical cannabis patients.
What Are the Benefits Of Consuming Cannabutter?
Cannabutter is being embraced by individuals for a number of reasons. As you learned above, cannabutter can be as strong or as weak as one prefers when they make it at home. That means that for medical cannabis patients and/or consumers that prefer high-strength edibles but prefer not to also have the often associated high sugar and calorie content that comes with them, cannabutter is a great alternative. Cannabutter is a cannabis-infused edible therefore when consumed, the effects are much stronger and last longer than with other consumption methods.
What are the Downfalls of Cannabutter?
The biggest downfall to consuming cannabutter is the fact that it takes anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to feel the effects that it produces. Depending on your tolerance to THC and just how strong the cannabutter is, there is also the downfall that you may find yourself having consumed too much cannabutter if you are not careful!
What Can You Use Cannabutter For?
Cannabutter can be used interchangeably within any recipe that calls for the use of butter. You can also use cannabutter on any food or add it to any beverage that you prefer. This means that the world of possibilities is nearly endless.
How Do You Make Cannabutter?
Making cannabutter is a pretty basic process. You start by decarboxylating your dried cannabis flower before adding it to butter and allowing it to infuse before straining and separating the plant material before refrigerating and allowing it to cool. However, there are a few different ways to complete that process. Let’s start by looking at two of the most common ways to make cannabutter, the double boiler method, and the slow cooker method. Before we get started, though, let’s discuss some of the basics.
One of the first questions you likely have is how much cannabis do I need to make cannabutter and how much cannabutter will it make? In general, the recommended ratio is to use no more than ¼ ounce of ground dried cannabis flower or 1/8 of an ounce of kief, shake, or ground trimmings per 1 stick of butter. This is because you need to be able to saturate the plant material entirely in butter for the best infusion.
In order to reap the benefits of cannabinoids such as THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, CBC, and others, it is vital that you remember to decarboxylate your dried cannabis flower, shake, kief, or trimmings in order to activate the cannabinoids it contains. If you overlook this vital step, it is very likely that your cannabutter will be nothing like you expected.
How Do You Decarb Cannabis?
While there are handy gadgets such as the Ardent FX that can help you to precisely decarb cannabis at the push of a button, there are also tried and true methods such as utilizing the oven. Check out the instructions below on how you can decarb cannabis easily at home.
What You Need
- Aluminum Foil or Parchment Paper
- Cannabis
- Cooking Sheet
- Grinder (optional)
- Oven
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220ºF and place the oven rack on the middle level to ensure proper decarboxylation.
- Cover the cooking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place the lightly ground cannabis across the surface. Be vigilant so as to not grind your plant material too fine, as it could cause the material to burn.
- Place the cooking sheet in the heated oven for 30-40 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes. The decarboxylated plant material should be a golden brown color.
Tried and True Methods
The Double Boiler Method
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks of butter (8 tablespoons)
- 3 cups water
- ¼ Ounce of Decarbed Cannabis Plant Material (Reference the Butter to Cannabis Ratios Above and Alter as Desired for Potency)
Directions:
Slowly heat the butter and water in a deep pot, occasionally stirring on low heat. Completely melt the butter in the water before increasing the heat and slowly simmering the mixture for 3-4 hours. Be sure to stir occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, strain the mixture through a coffee filter or cheesecloth and allow the butter to flow into your preferred storage container or butter mold. Allow to harden into butter and use as desired!
The Slow Cooker Method
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks of butter (8 tablespoons)
- 3 cups water
- ¼ Ounce of Decarbed Cannabis Plant Material (Reference the Butter to Cannabis Ratios Above and Alter as Desired for Potency)
Directions:
Combine water and butter in a slow cooker. Add your ground plant material and allow the mixture to simmer for 5 to 8 hours on low heat. Do not remove the lid from the slow cooker or disturb the mixture in any way during this time, as it could compromise the infusion process. Once this cycle is complete, strain the mixture through cheesecloth into a bowl or onto a cooking sheet. Squeezing your cheesecloth with the plant material after straining can help you to obtain all of the infused liquid butter. Discard the plant material and store the butter in an airtight container for up to 6 months in the refrigerator.
New Age Countertop Infusion Technology Options
Today there are also numerous countertop devices that allow you to make cannabutter with ease while taking out all of the guesswork. Machines such as the Magical Butter Machine and the Butter Brewer. These devices precisely heat your butter and decarb cannabis for the perfect infusion at the push of a button.
Now that you know all about cannabutter and how to make it at home, the only question left to ask yourself is, what are you going to cook with it? Ready to become a medical cannabis patient so that you too can make your own cannabutter and reef its medical benefits? If so, schedule your appointment today with a licensed medical marijuana doctor to receive your medical cannabis recommendation.
Disclaimer: The information, including but not limited to text, graphics, images, and other material contained in this article, is for informational purposes only. No material from this article is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment before undertaking a new healthcare regimen. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
