Edibles are one of the most popular ways of ingesting marijuana, and it’s easy to see why. Cannabis edibles run the gamut from gummies, brownies, drinks, savory food items and offer a convenient, discrete way to get your daily THC or CBD fix.
One great thing about edibles is that you can make your own at home. Delicious homemade edibles are as simple as finding a recipe online, purchasing the ingredients, and baking. However, baking is finicky. A slight deviation from a recipe could make your edibles may turn out poorly.
1. Learn About Decarboxylation
This complicated word represents arguably the most critical factor in understanding how to make edibles.
The psychoactive ‘high’ associated with marijuana is caused by a compound named delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Contrary to popular belief, THC is not actually found on cannabis plants in significant quantities. Instead, trichome-coated flowers of the cannabis plant are rich in THCA—the acid form of THC.
In order to unlock the high-producing effect of cannabis, flowers are heated to convert the abundant THCA into THC. This process of converting THC-A into THC is called decarboxylation. If you are looking to get the most from your edible, decarbing your herb before cooking is an essential, non-negotiable step.
2. Get Your Potency and Ratios Right
Often people believe that adding more THC or simply substituting regular butter with cannabutter means delicious edibles and a better experience. Adding too much THC, however, can lead to an undesirable experience.
When it comes to making edibles that taste good and aren’t overly strong, you need to get the potency and ratios right. You should know precisely how much THC or CBD is present in the marijuana you are adding, or you will end up with a product that is either too strong or too weak. If you are looking for an enjoyable experience, aim for an ideal dose of 10 milligrams of THC in your edible.
3. Clean Your Weed
Often, a lot of people will throw weed into a pot and simmer it with butter. In doing so, they are also adding in any impurities present in the bud, which may make the edible taste like insecticides or chlorophyll.
Just as you wouldn’t add a dirty tomato into your marinara sauce, you shouldn’t throw dirty cannabis into your edibles. To clean your buds, soak them in distilled water for a couple of days and blanch them. This process gives yields a much purer base flower to infuse into your butter and other recipes.
4. Get the Right Grind
You may have the habit of grinding your weed finely in an effort to infuse your edibles more thoroughly. Unfortunately, this is a common mistake you should avoid unless the recipe explicitly calls for it. Grinding your weed ultra-fine will leave you with tiny, gritty weed flakes spread throughout your edible—this is not what you want when making cannabutter or oil.
When infusing marijuana into butter or oil, you need to break up the weed into even pieces that are large enough to get trapped by cheesecloth or a strainer. The best way to get the right consistency for your weed is to simply break it apart with your hands after it’s cleaned and blanched, or use a high-quality grinder that doesn’t overproduce fine particles.
5. Don’t Go Too High
No, not weed high, rather, temperature. Sometimes, you might come across marijuana edible recipes on the internet that ask you to bake or cook above 170 degrees Celsius. However, THC begins to degrade at this temperature. Meaning, if you cook or decarboxylate your weed above that temperature, the THC will begin to evaporate, and the edible will, in turn, lose potency.
Monitor your temperatures consistently and if you are using cannabutter or oil to sauté something, remember that there are special considerations for using it effectively. If you are using a recipe that involves cannabutter or oil, make sure to add it at the end of a recipe after shutting the heat off.
6. If All Else Fails
Making your own edibles at home may seem overwhelming for newcomers. Before you get into cooking your edibles, your best bet is to have some “backup” edibles, should your DIY edible project go south. If you need a reliable source, Get Kush sells edibles in Canada. You can order edibles online and have them delivered straight to your doorstep.
Start Small
It takes time to master any skill and navigating your way through the at-home edible making world also takes time. Don’t be overly tough on yourself if your first edible project fails, as there is always room for improvement. Start small, and learn the basics. You will soon be on your way toward amazing homemade edibles.
