Cannabis-infused butter, or cannabutter as it is often referred to, is a simple and common way to introduce a food with medicinal compounds into your diet. It can be a little tricky to make, since it involves separating the active ingredients (the cannabinoids) from cannabis and infusing it with a solvent such as butter.

In order for THC to properly decarboxylate, which means to change from its acid form to its psychoactive form, cannabis needs to be heated up at a low temperature over a long period of time.

Butter is recommended for this process because cannabinoids, such as THC, are fat-soluble and don’t mix well with water. Cannabinoids also require heat in order to be activated, which is why you can’t use raw cannabis to make edibles, although raw cannabis is excellent as a salad ingredient or for juicing purposes. Do not allow to boil or heat up too quickly as this will burn off the active cannabinoids.

Easy Cannabutter Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of unsalted butter
• ½ ounce raw cannabis
• 2 cups water
• Stainless steel strainer
• Medium sized stainless steel pot

Method:

• Put the water and butter into the pot and heat over a medium heat. Use enough water to prevent sticking, use extra if necessary
• Add cannabis to the pot and mix well
• Turn down the heat and simmer the mixture for 2 – 3 hours. Stir now and then to prevent burning. Do not allow to come to the boil
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool
• Place mixture into the fridge overnight, the butter will separate and rise to the top
• Remove the chunks of cannabutter with a stainless steel knife and place into a separate container

The cannabutter can be stored in the fridge for up to a month, or longer if it is stored in a freezer. It can also be made with olive oil or coconut oil instead of butter.

Be careful using too much, as the effects can last for quite a few hours! The strength of the cannabutter will differ depending on the potency of the strain of cannabis used. If you’ve never made or eaten cannabutter before, make your first batch using only a small quantity of cannabis, just to try it out first.

Delicious when spread on toast, used in soups or stews, used as an ingredient for brownies or pancakes, it also comes with the added benefit of boosting your health by introducing cannabinoids into the system.
Sources:

Thestonerscookbook.com

The Cannabist

Leafscience.com