Marijuana-infused candy comes in many forms, but gummy bears and lollipops are the most popular.
Safety First
A lot of inexperienced and even seasoned users had a negative experience with edibles at some point in their lives. The first time I tried (insert product) it was harsher than I had expected. After learning how to properly dose edibles (which I’ll teach you, of course), you’ll be able to enjoy cannabis in a very healthy and safe way. Edibles create a different, more intense high than smoking marijuana. The main difference between smoking and vaping as well as edibles is that THC has different effects according to the way it’s consumed.
When a person ingests edibles containing THC, the saliva first breaks down those drugs in the mouth. It takes 45-90 minutes for the effects of edible cannabis to take hold because there are some steps in the process from ingestion to digestion that have varying timelines. Once it is ingested, though, it enters the liver where 11-hydroxy-THC is synthesized and finally converted into THC. Users who become impatient with the edible are more likely to take a second dose, which can cause harm. Individuals who eat too quickly are left with a belly full of THC, and it hits them all at once. Edibles, which are ingested by simply eating the baked product, provide a high that lasts longer than if you consume them by other methods. It can take hours before the effects start to wear off, and during that time you’re probably going to think that you’re dying, because of the sheer intensity of the high. If your sense of taste is compromised in any way, don’t panic—it will be back to normal soon. On the other hand, when you smoke weed, THC enters your bloodstream through the alveoli in the lungs. The THC found in cannabis binds to cannabinoid receptors quickly, so it’s not metabolized.
That’s why we instantly feel the effects after smoking a joint, but the high lasts much shorter than with edibles.
Cannabis-infused products are not considered safe for kids, as they may have unpredictable results in doses that appear small.
As you will learn, THC is not the only substance that can be used when making edibles. Many medical marijuana patients are using the non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD as the main ingredient in their edibles.
Weed Candy Dosage Chart
Many people who have a bad experience with edibles do one thing wrong—they don’t get the dose right.
When taking a new medication, people are often prescribed a starting dose and encouraged to be patient. Perrywinkles Edibles created this chart to help determine the optimal THC dose for recipe purposes. These quantities are not meant to be the amount for an entire edible.
How to Make Weed Lollipops (and Hard Candies)
However, the recipes are what make this book so great. It can be difficult to determine when the hard crack stage has been reached during the lollipop-making process because it is often necessary to keep an eye on the temperature. It might seem tough, but this recipe is not as challenging to make. You can make this with just five simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (235 ml) of sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) of corn syrup
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) of filtered water
- 2-3 THC tincture tablespoons (Note that different tincture recipes contain different amounts of THC)
- 1 tablespoon of the flavor of your choice
Equipment
- Candy thermometer
- Lollipop/Candy mold
- Lollipop sticks
Weed Lollipops Recipe
- Over medium/high heat, mix sugar with water in a pot or a saucepan.
- Make sure to stir the sugar until it has completely dissolved. Once the ingredients have combined and started boiling, put the thermometer in the pot/pan and wait for the temperature to reach 300°F (150°C).
- Once the mixture reaches that point, remove it from heat and let it cool down to lukewarm.
- Heat the oven to 250°F and then add cannabis tincture/oil. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 8 minutes.
- To make your lollipops, pour the mixture into ice cube trays. Add sticks to each one and freeze for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!
For hard candies, the process is the same (plus you can use any kind of candy molds), so lollipop sticks are no longer necessary.