Cannabutter: What’s it Used for and How to Make It

Are you looking for a new, healthier way to consume your cannabis? Trying to enter the world of edible making? Maybe you’ve heard a new term around town and are now left asking yourself what cannabutter actually is?

You might’ve heard of cannabutter but are unsure of what it is exactly. Maybe you’re looking for more cannabutter information, or maybe you’re super familiar with the term but are looking to make your very own cannabutter.

No matter what you want to know, we’ve got you covered. This guide will cover all the FAQs on cannabutter, including an easy recipe to make your own. With this guide, you’ll be infusing all your favorite treats with cannabis in no time.

What is Cannabutter? 

Cannabutter is essentially cannabis-infused butter. Cannabis, also known as marijuana, is becoming increasingly popular for both medical and recreational uses. Traditionally marijuana is smoked, however, there is a growing inclination to eating it.

Consuming edibles can be a great alternative to smoking marijuana. It can help save your lungs in the long run. Cannabutter can also be infused in almost any treat, sweet or not.

You can purchase cannabutter at your local dispensary, but you can also make it for yourself. It can be used in brownies, muffins, bread, or pretty much anything you can think of.

Benefits of Cannabutter

There are many benefits to consuming cannabutter. More research is being done every day about the healing effects of cannabutter consumption. From health to beauty, there are countless benefits to consuming cannabutter.

In some cases, eating cannabis might even be more effective than inhaling it. Some cannabutter facts can be important to note. Here are the many benefits of consuming cannabutter.

Health Benefits

One of the major benefits of consuming cannabutter is its potential ability to relieve troublesome symptoms. Studies have shown that cannabutter, or cannabis in general, can help alleviate chronic pain. This includes pain associated with arthritis, stress or anxiety, and other various types of pain.

Additionally, some studies have shown that cannabis consumption can be helpful for those with cancer, seizures, or other long-term illnesses. Cannabutter also contains anti-nausea properties. It can provide near-instant relief for those suffering from nausea and vomiting.

A key health benefit to cannabutter is its potential to regulate your bodily functions. This includes your sleep cycle and metabolism. If you suffer from sleepless nights, consuming cannabutter may help you find relief.

Cannabutter includes all of the health benefits of traditional cannabis, but it is even better for you than smoking. This is because cannabis eliminates the strain on your lungs that can come from regular smoking.
 

 

Beauty Benefits

The consumption of cannabutter can help promote strong, healthy hair. It can help to alleviate hair fall or breakage as well. This is because cannabutter contains many vitamins, including vitamins A, C, and E, as well as Omega vitamins.

Cannabutter can even help clean and open the hair follicles. This promotes hair strength and growth. The high level of micronutrients also helps to keep the scalp and skin nourished and hydrated.

The presence of these vitamins, especially the Omega 3,6, and 9 vitamins found in cannabutter, also helps to promote healthy skin. Some studies even believe cannabutter contains anti-aging properties.

The consumption of cannabutter can also reduce the effect of free radicals that are found in everyday pollution. This can be good for your skin, hair, and bodily function. Plus, you could translate that extra sleep into much-needed beauty rest.

More Effective Than Smoking

Eating cannabutter is a different chemical reaction in your body than smoking, inhaling, or vaping cannabis. When cannabis is eaten, it can have a more intense effect on the body than other forms of consumption. This is because eaten cannabis is absorbed by different parts of the body.

This means that orally-consumed cannabis will take longer to take effect. However, the effects can last longer and hit harder. The cannabis will be broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream at multiple stages on its way to the intestines.

This is different than smoked cannabis, which is absorbed directly by the lungs. Eating cannabis is also safer, as no harmful toxins such as carbon monoxide will be sent through the lungs. There are many health and beauty reasons to add edible cannabis to your regular diet.

How to Make Cannabutter

Cannabutter is the traditional way to orally consume cannabis. It is incredibly versatile and has been around for a long time. You can use it in any baked goods, or in any recipe as a replacement for regular butter.

Easy Cannabutter Recipe 

This is a traditional recipe. It’s virtually foolproof. Follow these steps, and you’ll have the perfect cannabutter in no time.

Ingredients

1 lb salted butter

1/4 oz cannabis flowers (15% THC)

Recipe

1. Grind cannabis with a hand grinder. Don’t grind it too finely. You want slightly leafy cannabis, not a fine powder.
2. Decarboxylate the ground flower, by placing cannabis on a baking sheet. Bake at 230 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour.
3. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter. Add 2 cups of water and mix with the butter. Let the mixture simmer over medium heat.
4. As soon as the butter starts to melt, add the decarboxylated cannabis. Reduce to low heat. Mix the ingredients well.
5. Allow the ingredients to cook for 2 to 3 hours. Stir occasionally. Maintain a temperature of 200 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. If butter approaches the maximum temperature, add a little water to keep the butter from burning. You can stop cooking when the butter is thick and glossy.
7. Over a large glass bowl, place a sieve-lined cheesecloth. Pour the butter over the sieve and allow it to filter into the bowl. This will take roughly 5 to 10 minutes.
8. Cover the bowl of filtered cannabutter. Refrigerate overnight.
9. The next morning, drain any remaining liquid surrounding the butter. Pat the hardened butter with a paper towel to absorb any remaining moisture.
10. Store your cannabutter in an air-tight container. Keep refrigerated.

There you have it. A simple, foolproof cannabutter recipe. However, there are several commonly made mistakes when it comes to cooking with cannabis.

Common Cannabutter Mistakes

If you’ve just started cooking with cannabis, there are a few mistakes that are most often committed. Avoid these if you want the perfect cannabutter every time. Plus, being aware of some of these may save you from a kitchen disaster.

Skipping the Decarboxylation Step

Cannabis must be decarboxylated before it can be consumed. Not only does raw cannabis taste extremely unpleasant, but it contains no active THC. This means consuming raw cannabis won’t get you high or activate the healing properties of THC.

Cooking your cannabis in the oven before infusing it into the butter is the easiest way to decarboxylate. This will heat and activate the THC within the cannabis. This ensures the maximum potency of your cannabutter.

Over-Grinding the Flower

In order to consume cannabis, you should always grind it up. A high-quality hand grinder can make this a breeze. However, be sure to watch the consistency when grinding your flower for cooking purposes.

When smoking, it is sometimes nice to have a finely-ground flower. This is not the case for cooking with cannabis. You want your cooking cannabis to have a slightly leafy texture.

Your cooking cannabis should be roughly the same texture as dried oregano. Extra hairs and stems on your flower contain an abundance of THC. Be sure to include these as much as possible in cooking.

Using Too Much Cannabis

Do not include too much cannabis in your recipes. This could create too strong of a high. The amount of cannabis you use in smoking may not be appropriate for eating.

Edibles take longer to be absorbed. This means the high comes on slower, but more powerfully. It also lasts longer than a smoking high.

For these reasons, be sure to watch how much cannabis you are using in your infusions. It may take a few tries to get just the right amount for your tolerance, but eventually, you’ll find the sweet spot. Start with a less-is-more approach.

Infusing Without Water

Some people may attempt to infuse cannabis and butter without the use of water. Though it’s possible to get a decent infusion this way, water can help create a smoother taste with a stronger potency.

This is because water helps lower the temperature of your butter. This prevents the butter from burning. It also creates a stronger potency, as THC begins to degrade around 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

It’s a good idea to continually add small amounts of water during the cooking process. This keeps the temperature of the butter down throughout infusion. It can also create a cleaner, less herbal, flavor.

Only Using Cannabutter in Baked Goods

Cannabutter does not only need to be limited to baked good recipes. While marijuana brownies can be a wonderful treat, they’re not the only kind of edibles you can make. In fact, cannabis is especially delicious in many savory dishes thanks to its herbal flavor.

There are many different kinds of cannabis recipes to explore. From the perfect pot brownie to chicken wraps and salads, cannabis is a remarkably versatile ingredient.

If you are looking to incorporate cannabis into your daily diet, opt for healthier edible options. These could include salad dressings or roasted vegetables. Cannabutter can be a great substitute for traditional butter or any type of fatty oils.

Remember to watch how much cannabutter you are using in your dishes. Edibles can be highly potent. Much more potent than smoking cannabis.

You’ll want to avoid too much of a high to ensure you don’t have a bad experience. While you can’t medically overdose on marijuana, too much could lead to paranoia or other negative side effects. Again, it may take a while to find your perfect balance, so start small and work your way up.

Staying Safe with Edibles

Edibles can be an excellent and healthy way to consume cannabis. Infusing your recipes with cannabutter can lead to a fun, long-lasting high that comes with various benefits. However, it is important to utilize edibles safely to get the best possible results for your body.

Cannabutter is a healthy alternative to smoking or vaping. It can eliminate lung irritation and be a more convenient way to consume the medicine. Edibles can provide you with long-term relief to any number of ailments, especially when used correctly.

Know Your Limits

It can be difficult to dose edibles. Additionally, the effects of cannabis can take up to 2 hours or longer to fully kick in. This makes it pretty common to overeat cannabis edibles, leading to too intense of a high.

Starting small when consuming edibles can help. You should opt for half a brownie instead of an entire plate. Then, keep an eye on your dose size and how it makes you feel.

Pace yourself to create a more enjoyable edible experience. Over time, you’ll become more aware of which dose is the right one for you. Soon, you’ll be able to fully enjoy the experience of ingested cannabis.

Make Healthy Edibles

Only using cannabis in baked goods can lead to lots of added calories and sugars. even though they’re a great treat on occasion, there are plenty of other options for how to use your cannabutter.

You can use cannabutter in the place of traditional butter or fatty oil in virtually any recipe. Use cannabutter in the preparation of vegetables, dressings, or even meats. If it’s got butter or oil, you can infuse it with cannabis.

Cannabutter and You: Together Forever

Cannabutter can be a great alternative to smoking or vaping, which could ultimately save your lungs, not to mention all of the amazing treats you can make with it. It is truly a versatile substance!

Cannabutter comes with plenty of health benefits, for inside and outside of your body. Now that you know the common mistakes and have a simple recipe, making your own cannabutter can be easier than ever.

Contact us to learn more about medical marijuana. We can help you incorporate cannabis into your daily life to provide you with a natural healing alternative.