How to Make Cannabutter
How to make cannabutter using the top cannabis strains in the world. Also known as making ghee, or marijuana ghee. Cannabutter is butter that has been infused with cannabis. It is a crucial component in many marijuana cookie and pot brownie recipes. While it is possible to make marijuana cookies without cannabutter, just by adding dry herb to the cookie dough, using cannabutter gives a subtler taste and keeps you from biting into dry stems or leaves.
Benefits of Cannabutter
The benefits of cannabutter are far more than just giving a better texture to your cookies. Since THC is fat soluble, making cannabutter is a much more effective way to extract the THC from your herbs than cooking with dry herb, or even than smoking. If you really want to make the most of your herb, cannabutter is the way to do it.
You could also use the same procedure outlined below to make cannabis-infused olive oil for a happy garlic bread dip or for savory dishes.
Only Bake With The Highest Quality Strains For Pleasant Effects
Use top grade weed like Green Crack or Girl Scout Cookies
You are going to get really great, strong effects from cannabutter, but using quality ingredients will make the buzz a thousand times more enjoyable. The extraction process takes away a lot of the strong flavor, but high quality strains have better tasting trichomes. Using high quality cannabis is going to make a huge difference in your cannabutter to justify the extra cost. Save your expensive stuff for smoking and cannabutter, and never get a hold of the cheap stuff for making cannabutter.
Check With Your Roommates First
Making cannabutter is an odorous affair. Your entire house is going to stink like pot. The smell lingers and sticks to fabrics, and the effect is increased if you don’t have good ventilation. You’ll need to check with your housemates and make sure they are on board with your cooking plans before you start getting out your pots and pans. Also, open up your windows and plug in some box fans; you’re going to want the fresh air.
Supplies
You’ll need:
A double boiler (or a bowl that fits into a pan without touching the bottom)
1 lb of butter
The appropriate amount of marijuana for the dosage you want (see our article about determining the right proportion of cannabis to butter for cannabutter)
Candy thermometer
Step 1
Fill pot with water, then put the bowl or top pot of the double boiler on top. Melt butter in the double boiler. The double boiler or bowl setup keeps the butter from scorching on the bottom, which would spoil the cannabis and cause you to actually get less THC in your cannabutter.
Step 2
Bring the butter to 170 degrees F. It will be melted and have be bubbling slowly. Any hotter and the marijuana can scorch. 170 degrees is the perfect temperature to extract the maximum amount of THC from your herb.
Step 3
Add herb. Most people use crushed, dried herb. However, fresh herb will also work because the heat will activate the THC in the marijuana.
Step 4
Boil for 2-3 hours at 170 degrees, stirring frequently. The longer it boils, the more THC is extracted.
Step 5
Let cool for 10 minutes and strain through a cheesecloth to remove herb solids.
Step 6
Pour melted, strained cannabutter into a mold or a heatproof dish and put it in the refrigerator.
Step 7
Use your new cannabutter in your favorite pot brownie or pot cookie recipes. You can also use it as you would use any other butter. You can even spread it on your toast!
Additional considerations
Ingesting cannabis will get you high, but it takes longer to feel the effects than when you smoke it. Don’t give in to the temptation to light up while you’re waiting to feel the high. Trust us, you’ll feel it, and when you do you don’t want to have double or triple the usual amount of high.
If you’re going to be bringing anything made with cannabutter to a party or event, or if you will be offering it to anyone else, please be considerate and let them know that the treat they’re about to chow down on is made with marijuana. Consent is sexy, and that goes for getting people high too.