How to Make Cannabutter

Cannabis butter, better known as “cannabutter,” is the essential ingredient in cannabis-infused edibles. Cannabis is fat-soluble, which means it must bind to fat molecules to be digested. Kitchen-curious cannabis connoisseurs and beginners have the perfect opportunity to incorporate the plant into butter, which is approximately 80% fat. 

Cannabutter is a popular product.  Some licensed medical and recreational cannabis dispensaries even sell high-quality cannabutter, some of which are infused with flavors to enhance palatability. However, learning how to make cannabutter is a simple process that may offer long-term cost savings for consumers who regularly indulge in edibles. 

Consuming cannabinoids and other active plant compounds, such as terpenes, is easy when you cook with cannabutter. With a cannabutter dosage calculator, you can accurately determine a suitable butter-to-cannabis ratio, allowing you to create controlled-dose edibles.

What is Cannabutter?

Understanding how to make edibles with cannabutter requires some knowledge of what elements this top-shelf ingredient contains. The name of cannabutter is pretty self-explanatory - it's a blend of cannabis and butter. It is a staple ingredient for cannabis-infused edibles. Some of the most popular edibles, such as THC brownies, are enriched with cannabutter to induce psychoactive effects. 

Cannabutter can be added to baked goods, candies like toffee, and recipes that can be steamed or fried. It is also a spreadable substance that can be added directly to bread and biscuits or stirred into pasta and rice dishes. For non-smokers, cannabutter is among the most versatile, clean, convenient, and efficient ways of dosing up on the plant's active cannabinoids.

Cannabutter is produced using two main ingredients: cannabis and butter. Any type of butter and weed strain is suitable when making cannabutter from home, providing consumers with ample versatility in terms of their desired effects, potency, flavors, and more. You can decide whether to buy or make the butter from scratch. Cannabis flower can be purchased or grown at home when learning how to make cannabutter. 

While most cannabutter consumers prefer adding full-fat butter to their DIY cannabis-infused recipes, it is possible to choose an alternative. Aside from low-fat butter, you can make cannabutter using other fat-based ingredients, including coconut oil, olive oil, and avocado oil. 

Weed butter is yellowish or greenish. The green hues are mainly due to a pigment called chlorophyll that's present in cannabis. The color intensity may depend on the strain type. Cannabutter smells like potent cannabis with a buttery hint. The texture is reminiscent of, well, butter.

Why Make Cannabutter?

A tub of cannabutter can make life so much easier for consumers who require convenient, discreet dosing and long-lasting effects. Having this staple cannabis-infused ingredient in your pantry is a gentle reminder to learn how to make edibles. You can slather weed butter onto any ready-to-eat or stir it into any baking recipe for a swift dose of cannabinoids. Plus, making cannabis edibles with cannabutter takes less time and effort than cooking with raw flowers. 

Since the cannabinoids are already in their active state after decarbing, consumers can experience cannabis’ effects without smoking or vaping. Decarbing is a process that transforms THCA and CBDA into their counterparts, THC and CBD. 

Numerous factors set cannabutter apart from other options, such as:

• Easy and affordable - Homemade cannabutter can be produced using cheap and easily sourced ingredients/supplies. If you already have the essential ingredients on supplies in your home, you won't need to invest in anything except cannabis. 
• Smoke-free option - Cannabutter is a smoke-free alternative to joints, bongs, and vaporizers. The effects might kick in a bit slower but also last longer. 
• Long-lasting - Edibles created using cannabutter will usually linger in the system for two to eight hours, depending on the dosage and potency. 
• THC-absorbable - Cannabutter is fat-soluble, allowing you to experience optimum medicinal effects. One thing to consider when choosing your oil or butter is fat content—the higher the fat content, the more THC it can absorb.
• Vegan-friendly - If you enjoy vegan cannabis edible products, consider making cannabutter with vegan-friendly ingredients, such as unsalted plant-based butter or coconut oil.

Reasons Not to Make Cannabutter

Just as there are many perks associated with learning how to make edibles with weed butter, it's important to be cautious with new methods of consumption. Some of the main reasons to avoid making cannabutter include:

• Time-consuming - Creating homemade cannabutter requires you to decarb weed. Although the process shouldn't take longer than one hour, some consumers may lack the patience or access to a kitchen. 
• Dosage confusion - Dosing with cannabutter can be tricky if you don’t know the THC percentage of the flower you use. 
• High calories - Butter is a guilty pleasure for many, and overindulging may inflate your waistline. Switch to healthier substitutes like canola oil-based butter to indulge guilt-free.
• “Greening out” - People with a low THC tolerance should start low and slow when consuming cannabutter. Make yourself aware of the delayed onset effects to prevent the risk of a bad trip. Refrain from having another mouthful for 30 minutes to two hours after swallowing the initial mouthful of cannabutter.

What You Need to Make Cannabutter

Anyone can learn how to make cannabutter. The process doesn't have to be difficult or confusing. You can prepare the cannabinoid-infused butter from anywhere with a kitchen worktop and the desired utensils. Also, if your cannabis is already decarboxylated, you won't need additional equipment to decarb weed! 

Before you indulge in our cannabutter recipe, stock up on the following essential supplies:

Decarboxylation 

• ½ oz fresh cannabis flower or trim
• Baking paper
• Cannabis grinder or scissors
• High-quality glass baking dish (e.g., Pyrex baking tray) 

Cannabis infusion 

• 1½ cups water
• 8 oz. butter or oil of your choice
• ½ oz. decarboxylated cannabis
• Medium saucepan
• Mesh strainer or cheesecloth
• Thermometer
• Wooden spoon

Remember that every person's biochemistry, genetics, weight, and cannabis tolerance are unique. Therefore, dosage preferences vary.  Consider checking out an edible dosage calculator before preparing cannabutter. Use a THC dosing chart as a calculator to determine the right amount of edibles to take. 

Although overconsumption likely won't be fatal, you may be engulfed by a swathe of unpleasant side effects, such as paranoia, dizziness, anxiety, nausea, and vomiting. If you do consume too much THC, also known as  “greening out,” make sure to stay hydrated.

How to Make Cannabutter

Cannabis and butter are the main essential ingredients for our cannabutter recipe, but the process involves a little more than simply blending the two ingredients. The cannabutter-making technique has two stages: decarboxylation and stovetop infusion. 

Before you get started, make sure you choose the correct dosage. For example, a THC flower that contains 20% of the cannabinoid contains approximately 200mg of THC per gram of flower. This means that, for a 20mg dose, you will require just 1/10th of that gram (0.1 gram). 

Enjoy a hassle-free culinary experience with the following step-by-step guide to making weed butter:

1. Decarboxylation

The initial step involves decarboxylation, which transforms the inactive cannabinoids (THCA and CBDA) into their active counterparts (THC and CBD). Moreover, decarbing weed allows oil and butter lipids to better bind with cannabis for ample infusion. 

If you don't know how to decarb weed, consider using a decarbing machine from a trusted brand like Ardent FX. Alternatively, save money and go the DIY route by “decarbing” utilizing an oven. Simply preheat the oven to 230°F, grind the buds into smaller pieces, and scatter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread evenly and bake on the center shelf for 30 minutes. 

2. Cannabutter Infusion

Next, you'll need up to four hours to infuse cannabis into your chosen fat. The longer the simmering time, the higher the overall potency. Combine the water with melted butter or oil before adding the decarbed weed and stirring thoroughly to accomplish cannabutter infusion. Continue stirring every 30 minutes at 180°F.

3. Container Strain

Finally, strain the finished product using a mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Store the cannabutter in an airtight container away from direct sunlight. Refrigerate, and use as you wish! 

Once you've completed each step, you can add cannabutter to a mouth-watering assortment of sweet and savory dishes. Need help figuring out what to make? Consider adding a dollop of THC-infused butter to any recipe as a substitute for original butter, such as cakes, cookies, brownies, spaghetti, pasta, and fish dishes.

Other Options for Cannabutter

While some people may create plant-based cannabutter as a way of using leftover weed, to speed up the cooking process, or to avoid saturated fats, others prefer to dodge the DIY route. If this sounds like you, opt for one of the following cannabutter alternatives:

• Decarboxylated cannabis - The great thing about decarbing weed is that you can add it to various recipes in addition to cannabutter. Opt for recipes with a high-fat content if you're seeking more potent effects since THC is fat-soluble. Alternatively, add a dollop of olive oil or lecithin to enhance absorption. Aside from edible recipes, you can even use decarbed cannabis flowers to create medicated massage lotion, facial toner, pain salve, and hair care products. 
• Kief - Another cannabutter alternative is kief butter or kief oil. Kief is the most psychoactive element of the cannabis plant. If you regularly grind your cannabis, you'll notice it gradually accumulates in the bottom chamber. Observe a cannabis plant closely; you'll see these sticky resinous globs clinging to the nugs. The process of making kief butter or oil is simpler than THC butter because it doesn't require decarbing. 
• Cannabis-infused coconut oil - Plant-based, infused coconut oil is well-suited to people who follow paleo, keto, or vegan diets. Check out NuggMD’s article on how to make cannabis-infused coconut oil for a step-by-step guide. THC coconut oil is crammed with antioxidants, vitamin E, and antimicrobial properties. 
• Cannabis sugar - Cannabis sugar is a simple ingredient that you can whip up within mere minutes, so long as you already have some sugar and extracted cannabis oil handy. Cannabis sugar can be made with any strain of your choice. Sprinkle it over any edible to instantly transform a bland meal into a happy one. If you don't have a tincture, you can make cannabis oil yourself after decarbing weed. 
• Any type of cannabis-infused oil - Cannabis-infused oil is a fat-based alternative to cannabutter. There are various oil types to choose from, such as coconut, avocado, almond, canola, olive, or walnut. Make sure the oil contains a generous fat content since this ensures a potent high. Since THC is fat-soluble, high-fat oils bind more effectively with the plant's active compounds to produce satisfying effects. 
• Buy directly from the store - Save yourself some time and effort by purchasing weed butter directly from a dispensary. You also have the option of purchasing cannabis edibles from a licensed retailer, but DIY is certainly the more cost-effective option. 

If you do decide to purchase cannabis-infused edibles from a licensed dispensary, make sure to purchase from a state-licensed dispensary and only purchase products which have been independently lab tested for safety and purity.

The information in this article and any included images or charts are for educational purposes only. This information is neither a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional legal advice or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about laws, regulations, or your health, you should always consult with an attorney, physician or other licensed professional.