How To Make Weed Edibles And How They Work

Edibles are becoming increasingly popular as a method of consuming cannabis, both medically and recreationally. The range of edibles available in dispensaries can make your head spin with everything from chocolate bars, baked goods, hard candies to gummies, sodas, and everything in between. Due to the variety and possibilities that one can find within edibles, we will break down how to make weed edibles and how they work!

What Are Weed Edibles?

A weed edible is a food, candy, or beverage infused with cannabis. Many factors and reasons go into the "why" of edibles, with the most important being that they are entirely smokeless. For some, the thought of lighting and inhaling marijuana in the standard smoking fashion doesn't quite sit right, which is understandable considering the health issues associated with smoking. 

Edibles are the easiest way to consume cannabis without having to spark up; they provide the same if not more intense effects. Once you know the proper amounts of cannabis per serving, you can quickly learn how it will affect you and adjust accordingly for the perfect high.

How Are They Made?

In the same way, you can use cannaoil in place of olive oil in wonderful dinner recipes. Spicing up spaghetti, drizzling over steaks, using it as a part of a dressing, the length of possibilities are truly endless with cannaoil! Continue reading to find out how to start the process of making edibles at home… 

Strain

It may seem trivial, but the very first step is deciding which strain - Sativa or Indica - to use as your cannabis ingredient in the recipe. External factors to consider before making the weed edibles include the type of occasion, time of day, set and setting, and the company. Although weed impacts everyone differently, Sativa gives users energy, and Indica is better for relaxation and sleep.

Decarboxylating the Cannabis

The second step is to decarboxylate the cannabis. Refer to Cooking With Cannabis: How To Make Cannabutter to learn how to properly undergo the decarboxylation process. 

Decarboxylation is a necessary step in the process before making the weed edibles because it is what makes the weed, weed. Without igniting the cannabis with heat, raw weed is non-psychoactive, full of THCA, and considered a superfood by some. Moreover, decarboxylating - or heating - the cannabis above 100ºF will transform the THCA chemical compounds into THC, the plant's component that makes you high.

Infusion 

The final step is the infusion. With the most important task out of the way, it's now time to mix your THC-active cannabutter or cannaoil into the recipe you are following.

Are There Alternatives to Cannabutter?

Say you forget you just ran out of butter and oil at home. Are they alternatives to cannabutter? In short, yes. Butter is chiefly the main ingredient in cannabutter due to its high-fat composition. After being heated, a high-fat material more easily extracts cannabinoids from decarboxylated cannabis plants. Two popular at-home alternatives to cannabutter are kief and coconut oil. 

How to Dose Cannabis at Home

Suppose you start with 10 grams of flower containing 20% THC. That would leave you with 2,000 milligrams of THC total. After decarbing the flower (2,000 x 0.9), you will have 1,800 mg of THC. Following the extraction in oil or butter (1,800 x 0.6), you will have 1,080 mg of THC in that oil, which is sufficient for 216 standard portions containing 5 mg each.

How Do They Work

When you ingest weed edibles, your body takes a bit of time to process them. Sometimes, it can take up to 2 hours for the full effects to kick in as the edibles first have to be broken down in your body and metabolized.

One of the most significant differences you'll notice between smoking cannabis and ingesting edibles is the intensity of the high. Generally, when you smoke marijuana, you can feel the initial effects nearly immediately. However, with edibles, the onset is much slower but longer-lasting. Sometimes the high from ingesting cannabis can last 4-6 hours, which is quite a bit more intense than the average smoking session.

The cause of this is because our livers metabolize THC, in turn converting the THC into a metabolite called 11-hydroxy-THC. This metabolite can cross the blood-brain barrier much more effectively and, in turn, causes a more intense cerebral and full-body effect.

Things You Should Know

Now that we've given you the resources to make weed edibles, there is one thing to keep in mind; creating and consuming edibles is a science. There is a fine line between measuring the ideal dose and taking it a bit overboard and finding yourself in a panic.

A good rule to abide by is to start low and go slow. You can always eat more, but if you've overeaten, you may have to ride it out or seek medical help if it gets too bad. Once you have learned your base threshold, you can adjust easily from there to find your sweet spot.

Always make sure you give weed edibles a proper amount of time to work their way through your system before consuming more. If you are on an empty stomach and consume edibles, the effects may come on a bit faster than on a full stomach, and they will be a bit more intense. It's always good to give yourself a good 45 minutes up to 2 hours before making the call to consume more.

Now that you know more about making weed edibles and how they work, take a look at these fantastic recipes you can use at home. Crafting your very own cannabis edible or dish is an excellent starting point for your edible culinary adventures!

If you have a sweet tooth, you may want to check out these incredible vegan weed brownies.

Maybe you want to fire up the grill on a lovely fall evening? Try out these mouth-watering weed burgers!

Need a fantastic side dish for a dinner party with friends? This cannabis mac and cheese will be an absolute hit!

Ready To Get Cooking?

So, you know how to make your very own cannabutter at home. Now all you need is some high-grade weed to make the magic happen… 

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