Cannabutter Guide: Recipe, Effects, Dosage

Tia Moskalenko
Tia Moskalenko

Tia Moskalenko, author of the AskGrowers blog, brings a unique blend of content to her readers. She is known for conducting insightful interviews with key figures in the cannabis industry, including brand representatives, manufacturers, and experts. In addition to her interview skills, Tia has a keen focus on CBD. She expertly curates product selections and reviews, offering her readers detailed insights into the various effects and benefits of CBD. Tia's ability to combine in-depth interviews with comprehensive CBD analysis makes her a valuable asset to the cannabis community, offering a well-rounded perspective on the industry.

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Cannabutter Guide: Recipe, Effects, Dosage

Most people find it difficult to smoke or vape cannabis because of side effects such as coarseness on the throat. Thus, cannabutter and edibles that contain it have grown in popularity. Simply put, cannabutter is a regular butter that contains cannabis. It is also an ingredient of various edibles that can be homemade or bought at dispensaries.

Main Uses Of Cannabutter

Cannabutter Guide_ Recipe, Effects, Dosage 2 (1)Cannabutter can be used both for recreational and medical purposes. Cannabis foods cooked with cannabutter provide a more lung-friendly effects for cannabis consumers in comparison to  smoking marijuana. Smoking endangers your lungs with carbon monoxide and similar byproducts and toxins. Recently it has become more accepted as a treatment for diseases:

  • Helps to alleviate cancer-related symptoms
  • It is a natural therapy for various ailments
  • It is used to alleviate disease-related pain
  • Helps to boost the quality of sleep

Ingestion Methods

The best method to ingest cannabutter is oral. You can either eat cannabutter or use it as an ingredient. Is you have troubles with finding interesting ideas for you and your guests, here are several yammy ideas of how to incorporate it into many recipes to replace regular butter with cannabutter:

Cannabutter Guide_ Recipe, Effects, Dosage 2 (2)

What strains you need to use?

We recommend to choose a moderate THC strain for your cannabutter, for example to share cookies with someone who is not as accustomed to cannabis as you are. You can buy a device that will help you to easily and simply make butter, tinctures, RSO. The strength largely depends on the strain for making edibles. The right question to ask is, “Daytime cookie or nighttime cookie?”. Although marijuana has a different effect on people, Sativas give consumers energy and Indicas are better for relaxation.  You can make cannabutter with your favorite strain. It’s all depends on  terpenes, flavors and type of high you like.

Here is our top-5 strains :

  • Bubba Kush
  • Trainwreck
  • Skywalker
  • OG Kush
  • White Widow

How To Make Cannabutter At Home

Cannabutter is quite easy to prepare at home. Take two important steps to make it on your own:

Step 1: Decarboxylation

Decarboxylation image

It is essential to bake cannabis before making cannabutter. In its natural form it contains tetrahydrocannabinol acid (THCA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), which are the inactive versions of THC and CBD. By heating these compounds, they undergo decarboxylation, also known as decarbing, and become the active compounds.

To activate THC and CBD: 

  1. Preheat your oven to 240°F (115°C) and place 1/2-ounce (14 grams) of cannabis onto a baking sheet.
  2. Allow it to cook for approximately 30-40 minutes.
  3. If you are using fresh cannabis, you may need to let it cook for up to 1 hour. Contrarily, if you are using older, drier cannabis, reduce the cooking time to approximately 20 minutes.
  4. Be sure to stir and rotate the cannabis every 10 minutes to avoid burning.
  5. You will know it is decarboxylated when its color transforms from a bright green to a dark brown-green.
  6. Finally, make sure your oven does not surpass 240°F (115°C), as this can weaken vital oil compounds called terpenes. These compounds are responsible for the smell, flavor, and medicinal effects of the plant.

decoraxylation

Step 2: Stovetop cooking

stovtop cookingIngredients :

  • 1/2 ounce (14 grams) decarboxylated cannabis
  • 2 cups (500 ml) of water
  • 2 sticks of butter (approximately 8 ounces or 225 grams)

Once the cannabis has been activated, you need the following:

  • On very low heat, bring the water to a boil and then add the butter.
  • Once the butter has totally melted, stir it well and add the cannabis to the mixture. Put the lid on and let it simmer for 3-4 hours.
  • Be sure to stir the recipe every 20-30 minutes to prevent burning.
  • The mixture is done when it is thick and glossy on the top.
  • Once it is finished cooking, place two layers of cheesecloth over a glass bowl or container, pour the mixture onto the cheesecloth, and allow the liquid to drain through.

cannabutter cheesecloth

  • Let the remaining liquid cool at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, then place the bowl in the refrigerator until the butter has completely separated from the water and appears as a thick top layer.
  • Carefully scrape the batter from the bowl and place it in a different container.
  • Store it in the refrigerator for immediate or short-term use. Also, it can be kept in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.

When making edible cannabis products at home, it is best to use half cannabutter and half regular butter in most recipes. However, you may want to test smaller doses of cannabutter to avoid overconsumption.

Safe Dosage

Unlike smoking, the appropriate dosage for edible cannabis is hard to find because of the varying concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). These variations depend on the quality of the cannabis used, preparation techniques, or where the product was bought.

Using cannabutter does not come without risks. It is difficult to know the precise concentration of THC in your product, making it easier to overconsume. It is necessary to play safe.

To get the right dosage for you can use these tips:

Cannabutter Guide_ Recipe, Effects, Dosage 4

Also, if you do not wish to experience psychoactive effects, it is better to use THC-free cannabis for the cannabutter you are making.

Side Effects Of Cannabutter

Since cannabutter is added to many baked goods and candy. It is easy to unintentionally overconsume it due to the desired flavor and unknown THC concentration.

Edible cannabis products like cannabutter have longer latency periods, as they are metabolized differently than inhalable cannabis products. With edibles, it can take 30-90 minutes to note effects, with reactions peaking around 2-4 hours.

However, this depends on how much was consumed, as well as your sex, body weight, and metabolism. In contrast, smoking or vaping cannabis takes effect within 20-30 minutes and usually wears off in 2-3 hours.

The most common side effects of cannabutter include:

Side Effects Of Cannabutter

Conclusion

Cannabutter is made from butter and cannabis. You can use it to make edible cannabis products like baked foods and candies. It could also be added to your drinks.

These may help relieve cancer-related symptoms and improve sleep. However, cannabutter may contain unstable concentrations of THC, making it easy to overconsume. It is also advised that you get your cannabis from cannabis-legal countries or states.

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