HOW TO MAKE CANNABUTTER (CANNABIS-INFUSED BUTTER)

Cannabutter, aka cannabis-infused butter, is one of the most popular methods of infusing everyday recipes. Once made, cannabutter can easily be added to your most favorite foods, but making it can be a little tricky. Olive and coconut oil are two other common carriers used, but we’ll stick with butter for this article.

DECARBOXYLATING THE CANNABIS

Before making your cannabutter, you must “decarb” the cannabis. What does that mean? Cannabis doesn’t actually produce THC; it produces an acidic cannabinoid known as THCA which needs to be activated through heat before producing THC. So, the first step is activating the cannabis through heat, like you would if you were smoking or vaping. Failing to do so will leave you with an inactive product that won’t give you the desired effects.

BASIC CANNABUTTER RECIPE

The following cannabutter recipe is courtesy of Leafly.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of butter
• 1 cup (7-10 grams) of ground cannabis, decarboxylated

Directions:

1. Decarb the cannabis. Preheat your oven to 245ºF. Place cannabis buds on a non-stick, oven-safe tray. Cover the tray with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Insert the tray into the oven and set a timer for 30-40 minutes. Older, drier cannabis may require less time. (Tip: you can also set your oven to 300ºF and heat for 10 to 18 minutes, although low-and-slow is the recommended approach when decarbing to better preserve the cannabinoids.) Every 10 minutes, gently mix the buds with a light shake of the tray to expose the surface area of the buds equally.
2. Grind. Grind the decarboxylated cannabis coarsely with a hand grinder.
3. Melt the butter. Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of butter into a stock pot or saucepan. Simmer on low and let the butter melt. Adding water helps to regulate the temperature and prevents the butter from scorching.
4. Add the cannabis. As the butter begins to melt, add in your coarsely ground cannabis product.
5. Simmer. Maintain low heat (ideally above 160ºF but never exceeding 200ºF) and let the mixture simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. The mixture should never come to a full boil.
6. Strain the cannabutter. Set a funnel on top of a jar and line it with cheesecloth. Once the butter has cooled off, pour it over the cheesecloth funnel and allow it to strain freely. (Tip: Squeezing the cheesecloth may push more bad-tasting plant material through).
7. Refrigerate the jar of butter. If excess water forms at the bottom of the jar, you can remove the solid butter with a knife and drain the water out. (The butter will need to refrigerate for about an hour before removing the water.)
8. Dose carefully. Refer to dosing information below before adding your butter to any snacks, dishes, or desserts.