How to Make the Perfect Weed Edibles

weed edibles

Just a decade ago, people were decidedly against marijuana. These days, however, pot is, without doubt, the biggest trend of all time, particularly weed edibles. Thanks to campaigns across the United States to legalize the plant, both medically and recreationally, we now have more information than ever before about how to consume it. Marijuana edible recipes are changing the way people get high.

From crème brulee to beef jerky and any dish you can think of, there is no shortage of potent meals you can make at home. Back in the day, chocolate brownies and cookies were all people knew, and they remain all-time favorites. However, following marijuana edible recipes requires some knowledge of both weed and cooking. Fortunately, with a bit of practice, anyone can make the perfect batch.

You want a potent delight that looks and tastes good. You want your dinner guests to come again sometime soon. Sadly, you will not achieve this by just slapping some readymade dough you bought at a store into an oven dish and throwing some weed over it. No. That will not work at all. It will not even make you stoned. If you want weed edibles that are the real deal, then read on.

What You Will Need

You will need quality marijuana, and lots of it. If you do not yet have any, you can order weed delivery in California and in other legal states. Most people know what to do with weed, but when it comes to cooking with it, few have any clue. The potency of your weed is an important consideration, but you also want to invest in the quality of your other ingredients too.

It is also wise to stock up on essential ingredients that you will need for most dishes, such as several large eggs, a couple of sticks of unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and even vanilla extract. Utility-wise, you will probably need an oven sheet, some parchment paper, a food processor, cheesecloth, some big pots, a wooden spoon, and most important, a weed grinder.

Choosing the Right Strain

The strain you choose should depend on the mood you are in and your social plans. Weed edibles are potent, but they can both wake you up some and get you dancing or busy with important tasks, or they can glue you to your couch and put you to sleep. Generally, Sativa strains are more suitable for use during the day and in social gatherings. Indicas are better for chilled evenings at home or before bed.

Although marijuana affects everyone differently, it is important to remember that Sativas are typically energizing, while Indicas more tranquilizing. Strains such as White Widow, Sour Diesel, Lemon Skunk, and Golden Goat are wonderful Sativas for conquering the world, as happily as can be, but strains like White Fire, Bubba Kush, Alien OG, and Granddaddy Purple are best for you, your couch, and Netflix.

Understanding Decarboxylation

There is good reason why people commonly smoke weed as opposed to eating it. To feel stoned, you actually need to use heat to change the chemical makeup of your stash. Raw cannabis contains THCA, which is non-psychoactive. To convert THCA into the famously psychoactive THC, you first have to expose it to heat. This process is decarboxylation.

Marijuana edible recipes call for preparing your stash first so that it has the right chemicals to make you stoned. If you do not do this, there will be no buzz with your meal. You first need to cook it, and you need to cook it right or you risk wasting it. The standard temperature for converting THCA to THC is 314degrees Fahrenheit. If you use too high a heat for too long, your weed edibles will lose potency.

Fortunately, the decarboxylation process is easy enough:

1. Preheat your oven to 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer to determine the true temperature of your oven, if you have one.
2. Break your weed down into small pieces and scatter it evenly on an oven tray, as you would if toasting spices. Do not put so much pot in it so that it lies on top of each other.
3. Place the tray into your oven and watch it for between 30 minutes and 40 minutes, depending on the strength of your oven and the strain of pot you are using. You want to toast it until it is golden brown in color, not dark brown, black or burnt.
4. Remove from the oven and allow cooling.
5. Toss your toasty stash into a food processor and pulse for a second or two, until coarsely ground.

Getting Infusion Right

Once decarboxylation is complete, you then need to infuse your weed into a fat that you use to cook with, such as oil or butter. Cannabutter is the most popular infusion in marijuana edible recipes, and it works exceptionally well. There are many ways to infuse weed into butter, some more complicated than others, and some notably more time-consuming and labor-intensive than others too.

This is a very simple infusion recipe, lauded by The Cannabist as America’s best cannabutter:

1. Bring a quart of water to the boil in a medium saucepan.
2. When boiling, add a couple sticks of unsalted butter and let it melt completely.
3. Once melted, throw in your toasted stash and lower the heat down to a simmer. You do not want your weed to sink to the bottom. Ideally, it should float easily about two inches from the bottom of the pot.
4. Simmer on low heat for three hours, or until the mixture starts thickening at the top.
5. Remove from stove and filter through cheesecloth into your chosen container. Squeeze the remaining mixture from the cheesecloth until there is no liquid left, only what remains of your weed. Throw it away.
6. Allow the liquid to cool for at least an hour, then leave it to refrigerate until it has the texture and consistency of a spread.

Dosing Properly

Although different cannabis strains contain different concentrations of THC, and therefore differ in potency, the consensus when cooking is that the “average” strain contains approximately 10 percent THC. If, for example, you have seven grams of pot, which is a quarter-ounce, then The Cannabist explains very well how to work out your dosage:

“Every one gram of cannabis bud has 1,000 milligrams of dry weight. If a strain has about 10 percent THC, then 10 percent of 1,000 milligrams would be 100 milligrams. So for cooking or baking at home, it is safe to assume that a gram of cannabis contains at least 100 milligrams THC.”

In many states with legalized marijuana laws, the mandated portion size for potency of weed edibles is 10 milligrams of THC. To add context to this, imagine yourself with 700 milligrams. If a typical cookie recipe makes 60 cookies, then each would work out to a little more than 11 grams. If you are a newbie to marijuana edible recipes, divide your edibles into quarters and wait an hour before having more.

Troubleshooting an Overdose

It is common for people to overdose on weed edibles. Although not life threatening in any way, the effects of too much THC can be unpleasant at best. If you miscalculate your dose or eat too much too quickly, then it is important to relax and not panic. Everyone experiences an overdose at some time or another, and nobody has ever died from it. However, there are some things you should have just in case.

There are a few ways to counteract the effects of too much THC, which will help to end the buzz quicker. The British Journal of Pharmacology recommends consuming pinene, a terpene commonly found in pine nuts and pistachios that boost mental clarity. Citric acid also works, so eat a grapefruit, an orange or a lemon. Cannabidiol works best, though. Truly. Buy some CBD oils to use in such a situation.