Cooking with cannabis is becoming more popular as more states loosen restrictions on medical marijuana. Though it’s possible to put cannabis directly into your cooking, it won’t mix properly, especially if there isn’t much fat in the recipe.

Leafwell has two tried and tested recipes for you to make your own cannabis oil and cannabis butter at home. They’re quick, easy and produce great products. Once you’ve made your canna oil , store it in the fridge to extend the shelf life. We’ve also included recipe downloads so you can come back time and again to create more canna oil .

Remember, the best way to legally purchase high quality marijuana to make your canna oil is with a medical card.

Proponents of cannabis often state that it is non-addictive. However, these claims are inaccurate, and cannabis use disorder (a.k.a. marijuana use disorder) is a genuine issue. In fact, this addiction affects as many as 9% of all cannabis users at some point.

There’s a wealth of information out there, and many an argument has been had over the best way to do it. The method we’re sharing is one of our favorites; we think the difficulty-to-quality ratio is just right! All you need is ten minutes to prepare the ingredients, and about two hours of time to hang out at home while your oven does all of the magic for you.

The steps to infusing oil are the same regardless of the type of oil used. You can even make a blend of oils if you like. My favorite is coconut oil: it infuses beautifully and can even be used as a topical remedy.

How to Make Cannabis-Infused Oil (Canna Oil)

Follow these six steps to get cooking. Actually there’s a step before this – get certified with Leafwell so you can legally buy high quality marijuana product to cook with!

Prep

Ingredients:

• 3.5 grams of flower
• Half a cup of coconut oil*

*For oil, the standard starting amount is 3.5 grams of flower to half a cup (8 tablespoons/4 ounces/just under 120ml) of coconut oil, depending on the THC content of the flower. You can adjust dosages to your liking.

How to Edibles also has a helpful dosage calculator you can use to factor in the amount of cannabis at your disposal, the strength of your cannabis, and how many portions you want to make. Also keep in mind that coconut oil, olive oil, and butter all carry cannabinoids differently as well, which will affect your end result.

Coconut oil is most renowned for carrying the most cannabinoids, although olive oil and butter can be useful for different types of recipes. Different oils also have different smoking points, although this should not be too much of a concern in this case as you want to keep the temperature of the oil consistent.

You can add lecithin to the oil as well to improve the effectiveness of the canna oil, known as bioavailability. Most people recommend 1 cup of cannabis to 1 cup of oil, but we recommend starting with about 5-7 grams of 16%+ THC cannabis to 1 cup oil, especially for beginners with low tolerance. However, a concentrated product can be more efficient, and you can use less! Overall, the amount to use is up to you and what you feel most comfortable with.

Equipment:

• Rimmed baking tray
• Baking paper
• Crockpot, double boiler or saucepan
• Cheesecloth or strainer
• Cooking twine to tie the cheesecloth

Step 1

Break up any cannabis flower or “buds” you have into smaller pieces. Not too small, though – you do not want to break up the trichomes (the tiny plant hair) too much.

Step 2

Layer the pieces onto a rimmed baking tray lined with baking paper/parchment.

Place the baking tray into the center of a preheated oven set to 240°F-248°F (115°C-120°C) for 30-40 minutes.

Stir every 10 minutes.

Step 3

Allow the cannabis to cool to room temperature. It should appear darker in color – usually, a light brown/yellow color, and not as green as fresh cannabis.

Step 4

Once cooled, coarsely grind the cannabis and store it in an airtight container to be used at your convenience.

Step 5

Combine the cannabis and coconut oil using one of the following methods:

• In a crockpot on low for about 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally.
• In a double boiler on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally – a simple heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water will suffice.
• In a saucepan on low heat for 3 hours, stirring regularly. This method is the fastest, but most susceptible to scorching. You can add a small amount of water to the oil to prevent scorching.

The temperature of the oil should never exceed 245°F (118°C).

Step 6

Strain your canna oil through a cheesecloth or strainer to get rid of the plant material. You can use the leftover plant material in another recipe, including our “Already Been Vaped” recipe below.

You’ve just created a batch of activated cannabis-infused coconut oil, and now you’re all set to make your own edibles! Celebrate by making a delectably potent batch of cookies, spice up your favorite stir-fry with a drizzle before serving, or create a delicious homemade vinaigrette – you can use this anywhere you would use “regular” coconut oil, making it perfect for any sweet or savory recipe. You could also let that mixture cool down, and then enjoy your brand-new homemade topical. The possibilities with this infusion are endless!

A friendly reminder:

Always be cautious when consuming cannabis-infused edibles! Onset time can vary vastly from one person to the next, taking anywhere from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours for folks to feel effects. It is always better to start conservatively, testing to see how strong your batch turned out, than to accidentally overdo it and get a bit too high. If we were to estimate, we’d say this about a ½ teaspoon portion of this oil would equate to approximately a 10mg serving size. The Washington State LCB considers 10mg to be a “standard dose” of cannabis when consumed in edible form.