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As the legal status of cannabis growing, production, and consumption continues to change across the country, more and more people are discovering its medicinal benefits. For those not keen on smoking or vaping, cooking with medical cannabis to create delicious edible creations has become a popular and accessible alternative. However, there are some basic rules and things to keep in mind when cooking with medical cannabis and, in this article, we’ll deliver the basics to get you started.

THC Versus CBD in Your Cooking

There are a couple big differences between using THC-infused oil and butter in your cooking versus CBD drops or something similar. Both are cannabinoids, special molecules extracted from different lines of the Cannabis sativa L. plant. And both have potential medicinal benefits and effects on our body, but they vary. That’s because THC and CBD can interact with your system differently.

If your aim in cooking with cannabis is health-related, you should do some research and discuss the benefits of both THC and CBD with a healthcare professional to choose the right one for your personal situation. Probably the biggest consideration for most of us is that THC will produce psychoactive effects while CBD will not.

In fact, according to researchers, CBD can negate some of the psychoactive effects of THC. So, if you’re using a pre-made product that has considerable amounts of both, don’t be surprised if you don’t get the buzz or high you might have been after.

Other than that, folks tend to favor THC if they’re looking to alleviate symptoms of pain, glaucoma, insomnia, low appetite, or nausea, whereas folks focusing on CBD are usually interested in relief from anxiety, controlling inflammation, and even for epileptic seizure control.

Quality Ingredients for Top-Notch Results

When cooking with medical cannabis, it’s really important to make sure you’re working with top-quality ingredients. Just like any other recipe, when you use something subpar to cook with, that’s generally reflected in your final product. The same goes for your cannabis creations!

The first thing you need to decide is if you are going to go with raw ingredients or leapfrog forward and get a pre-made oil or butter. Both have their benefits and drawbacks, so let’s take a quick look at those. One big benefit of starting with raw flowers is that you’re free to choose the strain you want and also opt for something you know the effects of if you tried it via other methods before.

For example, if you’ve opted for cannabis flowers rich in THC, and you want a really heady high or something low and mellow, you have that freedom. You can really be sure you’re getting exactly what you want.

However, one drawback is that you have to go through the process of making your own cannabis oil or butter, which takes up more time. As well, this method is more popular for people looking to include THC, as there’s simply more variety available on the market in terms of raw ingredients.

That leads us to your other option, which is going for pre-made cannabis oils and butters, commonly referred to as canna oil and canna-butter when they include THC. There are tons of them on the market, so do your research to make sure you’re getting a top-quality product from a reliable source.

This is the drawback because it can be difficult to wade through all the options and figuring out which companies can be trusted. Reading reviews, looking at third-party lab test results, and researching the company itself will help you come to a clear decision.

Why Oil and Butter?

Maybe you have a trusted source for your raw product and can’t be bothered to find another for oils and butters. Or maybe you just want the experience and knowledge of how to make your own because cooking is totally your jam. Regardless of your reason, we totally support it.

But you’re probably asking yourself “Why are we infusing oils and butters for cooking? Can’t we just throw some cannabis flowers into the mix and we’re off?” Well, no. Not if you want the proper and best effects. First, it’s been found that cannabinoids, like THC and CBD, bind well and have greater effect when taken orally with fats. They enter our system more easily, and we feel their effects and benefits better.

Also, butter and oil are two very commonly used ingredients in a variety of cooking. This allows us to add our special butter or oil into most things that we want to make, from pasta to pie. And, last, by infusing oils and butters, we can avoid the strong, herby flavor that cannabis would impart to things we were cooking or baking. It can be a nice accent in a salad dressing, but probably not the flavor note we want in our cookies.

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So Now What?

Before you break out your butter or oil, you’re going to want to put your raw product through a process called decarboxylation. “Decarboxy-WHAT!?” Don’t worry. We’ll explain, and it’s not too complicated.

Basically, you’re adding heat to your raw cannabis flowers to cause a change to certain acids in the plant, which changes them into the cannabinoids you want. And that’s decarboxylation, or decarbing for short. How do you do this? Easy. Just follow these simple steps:

1) Grind your raw flowers into small pieces, but never into a fine powder. Avoid using coffee grinders or food processors here. You don’t want to create dust that might find its way into your end product or give your oils and butters an overly earthy flavor.

2) Preheat your oven to 240°F (115°C) for THC strains and 290°F (143°C) for CBD strains. Low and slow is best when dealing with cannabinoids because too high a temperature, and you’ll obliterate them. Don’t go above 300°F (148°C).

3) Spread your ground-up flowers evenly onto a non-stick baking sheet, ensuring they’re not bunched up. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, checking regularly. You want them to be a light brown, but not burnt. If your flowers are very moist, they may need a little longer.

4) Now that your flowers are decarbed, they’re ready for use in oil- or butter-making!

Infuse Your Oil or Butter

Again, low and slow is the name of the game here. And you’ll want about two cups of oil or butter per one ounce of cannabis flower for lower potency. And one cup of oil or butter to one ounce of cannabis flower for higher potency. There are a few ways to get the job done, but the following is our favorite:

1) Place your decarbed cannabis flowers into a clean, sterile mason jar designed for cooking, along with your oil or butter of choice. A new mason jar with a brand new lid is best.

2) Place 3 metal mason jar rings on the bottom of a pot, tall enough to submerge most but not all of the mason jar. Form them into a triangle, for your mason jar to sit on, because it shouldn’t rest directly on the bottom of the pot.

3) Add water into the pot and carefully place your mason jar into the water.

4) Bring your water to a simmer of 200°F (95°C), checking with a thermometer to be sure. Let it go for about 2½ to 3 hours, replacing water as necessary. Definitely keep an eye on it!

5) Strain your oil or butter with cheesecloth to remove the remnants of the cannabis flower.

6) Let it cool, and then store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

If you used butter, be mindful of its best-before date. Oils, on the other hand, will stay good for much longer; usually months.

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How Can I Use My Medical Cannabis Infusions?

You can add your canna-oil or canna-butter to literally any recipe you want; just be mindful of potency, especially when dealing with THC. Many folks tend to think that baked goods are the only place that cannabis can be used in cooking, but that’s simply not true. Sauces, dressings, appetizers, and entrées are all worthy of a little kick.

You can even infuse drinks if that’s your jam. And if you’re looking for some better flavor, consider watermelon mint or orange CBD drops, especially great in mocktails when you’re looking to avoid alcohol or THC. Bottom line is, be creative and have fun with it. Like many other ingredients, cannabis is one with loads of benefits, and they’re waiting for you to discover them.

Have you cooked with medical cannabis?

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