You can use cannabutter in any recipe that calls for butter, so you can have your cake and weed it too. However, once you start asking questions like how to make cannabutter, how to regulate the potency of your cannabis butter, and what the heck is decarboxylation, things quickly get very complicated.

This is not the how-to for you if you’re looking for a simple cannabis butter recipe. You’ve come to the right location if you’re looking for a detailed guide to safely making and eating cannabutter.

Tips on how to get the correct potency

Make preparations ahead of time. Plan ahead and consider your goals before you start making your first batch of cannabutter. Are you looking for a head-to-body high that rivals the potency of the most powerful store-bought products? Or are you looking for a gentle, soothing vibe to replace your nightly glass of wine? The possibilities for homemade edibles are virtually limitless, but tailoring the potency to your tolerance and needs requires some effort.

Look for THC levels of 20% or higher if you have a high tolerance. High-tolerance cannabis users have an easy task when shopping for marijuana for cannabutter: purchase the most potent cannabis available. This flower doesn’t have to be top-shelf, because once it’s in a vat of butter, all of the attributes that characterise top-shelf — glistening trichomes, vibrant hues, and flawless bud structure — will be meaningless. However, the strain’s tastes and results will come through, so don’t buy an energising strain if you don’t want to be energised, or a lemon-scented strain if you don’t like citrus.

If you have a low tolerance, try high-CBD or hemp strains. THC-dominant cannabis should be avoided by low-tolerance or new cannabis users. Instead, look for strains that have a good balance of THC and CBD. Hemp flower, which contains low levels of THC and high levels of CBD for a non-intoxicating, relaxing experience, is another choice for new users.

You should learn stoner math. For approximating the maximum amount of THC in a batch of cannabutter, there’s a basic but powerful formula:

Complete milligrammes = (grammes of flower) x 1000 x (percentage of THC)

For instance, if you have 3.5 g of flower with 20% THC, you will have a maximum of 700 mg of THC (3.5 x 1000 x 0.2 = 700).

The controversy over decarboxylation

Any internet cannabutter or edible how-to can tell you to decarboxylate your cannabis or not bother at all. However, it’s a bit more complex than that. Heating cannabis flower to turn non-intoxicating cannabinoid acids into the cannabinoids most of us are familiar with is known as decarboxylation or decarbing. As a result, the THCA in raw flower transforms into THC, CBDA transforms into CBD, and so on with a little heat and time. Because of your lighter flame or vape heating element, this happens automatically if you smoke or vape cannabis.

Although toasting your flower in the oven before simmering it in butter guarantees a high-THC infusion, this isn’t exactly what every cannabis user wants. Decarbing is mandatory for high-tolerance users who want to extract the last drop of THC from their crop. This is a move that potential cannabis users can stop.

Potent Cannabutter Recipe

You should expect to get a maximum of 700 mg THC per cup of butter or oil if you use an eighth of 20% THC herb and this strong cannabutter recipe. This cannabutter recipe isn’t overly complicated, even with the decarboxylation stage. You’ll need about three hours, but the bulk of that time will be spent doing nothing.

What you’ll need

1 cup (2 sticks) coconut oil or butter

3.5 grams (or more) cannabis that has been ground

Scale

Small saucepan or double boiler

Baking sheet

Parchment paper

A strainer made of metal mesh

Spatula/other utensils

Cheesecloth

Clean Mason Jar and Lid

Steps

Step 1: First, we’re going to decarboxylate the weed. Use a hand grinder to break apart the flower. Put parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread the herb evenly across the surface.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Fahrenheit (105 degrees Celsius), place the sheet in the oven, and leave it for 30 minutes.

Step 3: While the weed is decarboxylating, set up the double boiler or saucepan on your stove and melt the butter.

Step 4: Once the weed comes out of the oven, lift the parchment by the long edges, pour the weed into the melted butter, and stir well.

Step 5: Keep the butter at a very low simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.

Step 6: Remove the butter from the stove. Filter it through a metal mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth and into your Mason jar.

Mild cannabutter recipe