How to Easily Make Canna butter at Home

If you're interested in cannabis and edibles, you've probably heard about cannabutter. It's a form of cannabis-infused butter that's utilized in a wide range of recipes to make delectable and potent delights. When butter and cannabis are heated together to create cannabutter, the cannabinoids and terpenes in the cannabis can combine with the fat in the butter.

As a result, a flexible component is produced that may be utilized to prepare both savory dishes and sweet delicacies like brownies and cookies. Cannabutter can offer a strong and enduring high, as well as pain relief and relaxation; thus, people may take it recreationally or medicinally. Here is my step-by-step tutorial on how to make cannabutter.

How to Make Cannabutter at Home: Weed Butter Recipe & Tips

Here is a quick recipe. I'll go into detail about why we use unsalted butter and use decarbed cannabis below.

This recipe will make approximately 200 doses. It all depends on the potency of the cannabis you use. Use this edible dosage calculator to calculate the potency of your butter.

If you are new to making weed butter, I would highly recommend starting out with small doses. This ensures you don't experience a too-intense high. Read more on dosing tips below.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of butter (unsalted butter)

• 1 cup ground cannabis flower (about 7-10 grams)

• 4 cups water

Equipment:

• Large saucepan

• Wooden spoon

• Cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer

• Container with a lid for storing the finished cannabutter

Instructions:

1. Grind the cannabis: Use a grinder or food processor to grind the cannabis into a fine powder. Be careful not to over-grind, as this can cause the cannabis to become too fine and difficult to strain.

2. Melt the butter: In a large saucepan, melt the butter on low heat. Once the butter has melted, add 4 cups of water to the pan and stir to combine.

3. Add the cannabis: Add the ground cannabis (decarboxylated) to the saucepan and stir to combine. Make sure the cannabis is fully submerged in the mixture.

4. Simmer the mixture: Maintain low heat and let the mixture simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Do NOT let the mixture boil. The cannabis will lose its potency if you do.

5. Strain the mixture: After 2-3 hours, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Line a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth over a container and strain the mixture through it. Use a spoon to press down on the cannabis to extract as much butter as possible.

6. Chill the cannabutter: Let the cannabutter cool to room temperature, then place it in the refrigerator to chill. As the butter cools, it will separate from the water, making it easier to remove.

7. Remove the butter: Once the cannabutter has chilled, remove it from the container and discard the water. Store the cannabutter in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

Tips:

• Use high-quality cannabis for the best results.

• Decarboxylate the cannabis beforehand to activate the THC and create a more potent cannabutter. READ MORE ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THIS BELOW!

• Experiment with different strains and ratios of cannabis to butter to find your preferred potency and flavor.

• Use unsalted butter

Why Should I Use Unsalted butter?

Using unsalted butter is generally recommended when making cannabutter because it allows you to control the flavor and sodium content of your final product.

When you use salted butter, you add extra sodium to your cannabutter, which can affect the flavor of your edibles. Additionally, since the amount of salt in salted butter can vary between brands, it can be difficult to accurately measure the amount of salt in your recipe.

Using unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt in your canna butter and also gives you more control over the flavor of your edibles. If you want to add a salty flavor to your cannabutter, you can add salt to taste after the butter has been infused with cannabis.

Best Type of Butter to Use for Cannabutter

Use High-Quality Weed

If you're planning on making cannabutter, the quality of the marijuana you use can greatly affect the potency, flavor, and overall quality of your end product. Using high-quality marijuana can result in a more enjoyable experience while using lower-quality cannabis can lead to a less potent and less flavorful cannabutter.

Here are some reasons why using high-quality marijuana is important when making cannabutter:

1. Potency: The quality of the marijuana you use will affect the potency of your cannabutter. High-quality marijuana will have higher levels of THC, which is the psychoactive compound that produces the "high" you feel when consuming cannabis. Using lower-quality marijuana will result in lower THC levels, which will affect the strength of your cannabutter.

2. Flavor: High-quality marijuana will have a more robust flavor profile compared to lower-quality cannabis. When making cannabutter, the flavor of the marijuana will be infused into the butter, so using a high-quality strain will enhance the overall taste of your end product.

3. Health benefits: Cannabis can have a range of health benefits, such as reducing pain, anxiety, and inflammation. However, these benefits are dependent on the quality of the marijuana used. Using high-quality marijuana will ensure that you are getting the most out of the medicinal properties of cannabis.

4. Safety: Using high-quality marijuana is also important for safety reasons. Lower-quality cannabis may contain harmful chemicals, pesticides, or other contaminants that could be harmful when ingested.

In conclusion, using high-quality marijuana is crucial when making cannabutter. It will not only result in a more potent and flavorful end product but also provide more health benefits and ensure your safety. So, it's worth investing in high-quality marijuana for your next batch of cannabutter.

Can I Save Money Using High-Quality Marijuana?

Using high-quality marijuana to make cannabutter may seem more expensive than using lower-quality cannabis at first glance, but it can actually save you money in the long run. Here's how:

1. Potency: High-quality marijuana contains more THC than lower-quality cannabis, which means you can use less of it to achieve the same potency in your cannabutter. This can save you money in the long run since you'll need to purchase less marijuana overall.

2. Efficiency: High-quality marijuana is also more efficient when it comes to making cannabutter. Since it contains more THC, more of the active ingredient will be extracted during the infusion process, which means you'll get more out of each gram of marijuana you use. This can also save you money in the long run since you'll need to use less cannabis to make the same amount of cannabutter.

3. Quality: Using high-quality marijuana can result in a more potent and flavorful end product, which means you may need to use less of it to achieve the desired effects. This can also save you money since you won't need to consume as much to achieve the same level of potency or flavor.

Overall, using high-quality marijuana to make cannabutter can save you money in the long run by allowing you to use less of it and get more out of each gram. Additionally, the higher potency and flavor can make it a more enjoyable experience, which may lead to consuming less overall. So, investing in high-quality marijuana may actually be a cost-effective choice.

Best Cannabis Options for Cannabutter

When it comes to making cannabutter, the strains you choose can impact the flavor and effects of your edibles. Here are a few strains that are commonly recommended for making cannabutter:

1. Indica strains - Indica strains are known for their relaxing and sedative effects, which can be great for making edibles that promote relaxation and sleep. Some popular indica strains for making cannabutter include Granddaddy Purple, Bubba Kush, and Northern Lights.

2. Hybrid strains - Hybrid strains are a combination of indica and sativa genetics and can offer a balanced blend of both effects. Some popular hybrid strains for making cannabutter include Blue Dream, Girl Scout Cookies, and Wedding Cake.

3. High-CBD strains - High-CBD strains are great for making edibles that offer the therapeutic benefits of CBD without the psychoactive effects of THC. Some popular high-CBD strains for making cannabutter include Harlequin, Charlotte's Web, and AC/DC.

It's worth noting that the potency of your cannabutter will depend on the potency of the cannabis you use and the amount of THC that is extracted into the butter. When selecting a strain for making cannabutter, it's important to consider the potency and effects of the strain, as well as your own personal preferences and tolerance to THC.

Decarboxylate Cannabis Before Cooking

Why should I Use Decarboxylated Cannabis?

The reason you should use decarboxylated cannabis when making edibles, such as cannabutter, is that raw cannabis contains mostly non-psychoactive THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) and CBDA (cannabidiolic acid), which must be converted into their active forms, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), to produce the desired effects.

When you heat cannabis, either by smoking it or by decarboxylating it, the heat breaks down the chemical structure of THCA and CBDA, releasing a carbon atom in a process called decarboxylation.

This converts THCA into THC, which is the compound responsible for the psychoactive effects associated with cannabis, and CBDA into CBD, which has a range of therapeutic benefits.

If you were to use raw, unheated cannabis in your edibles, the THC and CBD in the plant material would remain in their inactive forms, and you would not experience the desired effects of the cannabinoids.

Decarboxylation is necessary to ensure that the THC and CBD are activated and available to be extracted into the butter or oil you're using to make your edibles.

How to Make Decarboxylated Cannabis

To decarboxylate cannabis for making cannabutter, follow these steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 240°F (115°C).

2. Break up your cannabis buds into small pieces or grind them coarsely.

3. Spread the cannabis evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

4. Bake the cannabis in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until it turns light brown and slightly toasted.

5. Remove the cannabis from the oven and let it cool to room temperature before using it to make cannabutter.

This is a very important step to follow to ensure you get potent cannabis butter and potent cannabis edibles.

Cannabutter Dosing Tips

For this example, I've used 8 grams of marijuana flower (25% THC) with 1 cup of butter, just like the cannabutter recipe above.

Assuming that your cannabis has a potency of 25% THC and that you're using 8 grams of cannabis to make 1 cup (8 ounces) of butter, you can estimate the total amount of THC in your cannabutter as follows:

Total THC in cannabis = 8 grams x 0.25 = 2 grams (or 2000 milligrams)

You'll need to determine the desired dose size to estimate the number of doses in your cannabutter. A typical dose for edibles is around 10 milligrams of THC, although this can vary depending on your tolerance and the effects you're looking for.

Assuming you want a dose of 10 milligrams of THC, you can estimate the number of doses in your cannabutter as follows:

Number of doses = Total THC in cannabis / Dose size

Number of doses = 2000 milligrams / 10 milligrams per dose

Number of doses = 200

So, with 8 grams of 25% THC cannabis and 1 cup of butter, you can estimate that you'll get around 200 doses of 10 milligrams of THC each.

However, it's essential to remember that the potency of your cannabutter may vary depending on factors such as the efficiency of your extraction method, so it's always a good idea to start with a small dose and wait at least an hour or two before consuming more.

If you are making a brownie recipe, simply decide on how many pieces you want to end up with and use 1.125 grams x that many pieces.

For example 1.125 grams x 24 pieces = 27 grams cannabis butter

Where to Store Homemade Cannabutter

Here are some tips for storing your homemade cannabutter in a way that will keep it fresh and potent:

Refrigerate or Freeze: Once you've made your cannabutter, it's important to store it in an airtight container in either the refrigerator or the freezer. This will help to maintain its potency and freshness. If you store it in the refrigerator, it can last for up to two weeks. However, if you freeze it, it can last for up to six months.

Label Your Container: Always remember to label your cannabutter container with its date and potency level. This will help you keep track of how long it has been stored and how strong it is.

Keep it Away from Heat and Light: Cannabutter should be stored in a cool, dark place away from heat and light. This is because heat and light can degrade the potency of the butter.

Use Proper Containers: It's important to use glass or plastic containers with a tight-fitting lid to prevent air and moisture from entering the container.

Keep it Out of Reach of Children and Pets: Finally, be sure to store your cannabutter in a secure location that is out of reach of children and pets. This will ensure that they don't accidentally ingest it.

By following these storage tips, you can keep your homemade cannabutter fresh and potent for as long as possible.

Can I Use Vegetable Oil Instead of Regular Butter?

Yes, you can use oil instead of butter to make cannabis-infused oil. In fact, many people prefer to use vegetable oil because it has a longer shelf life than butter and is vegan-friendly.

Check out Leafly's recipe for cannabis cooking oil.

Inspiration for Homemade Cannabis Edibles

Marijuana brownies

Looking for a brownie recipe? I got just the one.

How to Make Weed Brownies - HighAndShit

Cannabis cookies

SIMPLE, DELICIOUS CANNABIS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Simple, delicious cannabis chocolate chip cookies - EmilyKyle

Cannabis-infused popcorn

Want to make movie night spicy with a product of your own marijuana butter?

Check out how to make weed-infused popcorn - Cannigma

Marijuana chocolate truffles

Want that melted butter chocolate feeling in your mouth?

Cannabis butter chocolate truffles - CannaButterDigest

Cannabis tea or coffee

Weed butter can be used for a lot of things, including coffee!

How to make cannabis coffee at home - Cannigma

Cannabis-infused granola bars

Homemade edibles are great! Even better if they can be slightly healthy!

How to make weed granola bars - TheCannaSchool

Cannabis mac and cheese

The cannabis plant can indeed be used in our favorite Mac 'n' Cheese!

How to make cannabis-infused Mac 'n' Cheese -Zamnesia

Cannabis-infused salad dressing

Yes, you can use weed-infused butter to make salad dressing.

Cannabis-infused salad dressing - ArdentCannabis

Good Luck!

I hope I have answered all your questions about a true cannabutter recipe. Remember to always start low on dosages and go higher as you are comfortable. How much cannabis is a hard question to answer, so experience goes a long way here.

- Freddie