Homemade Edibles? How to Make Edibles from Marijuana Flower

With an Arkansas medical marijuana card, you have access to a variety of edibles at your local medical marijuana dispensary, convenient, precisely dosed, and ready to enjoy. However, for those who like to get creative in the kitchen, making your own edibles at home can be a fun and rewarding experience. There's something satisfying about blending your favorite recipes with the therapeutic benefits of marijuana.

One of the biggest perks of homemade marijuana-infused foods is the freedom to customize. From decadent baked goods to savory comfort meals, using your own batch of cannabutter lets you infuse marijuana into just about anything your taste buds crave.

That said, crafting homemade edibles does come with a learning curve. Simply sprinkling dried marijuana flower into cookie dough or pasta won’t get you the results you’re looking for. The key psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, THC, must first undergo a process called decarboxylation to become active.

In its raw form, THC exists as THCA, which doesn’t produce the same effects. To unlock its potential, marijuana needs to be gently heated over time. While baking might cause some decarboxylation, the results can be inconsistent, and the flavor might not be pleasant.

To properly activate THC, marijuana should be decarboxylated at a low temperature for a set period, then combined with a fat, like butter or oil, to extract its compounds. A popular and effective method is making cannabutter on the stovetop. Once prepared, it can be stored in the fridge and used in place of regular butter in countless dishes.

How to Make Cannabutter From Cannabis Flower

Step 1: Pick Your Strain

Before you begin your at-home chemistry experiment, choose your favorite strain of marijuana. Sativa provides you with just a bit of energy for use during the day, or Indica calms your mind and body, allowing you to get a good night’s rest.

A typical cannabutter recipe calls for an equal ratio of butter to bud. Try using 1 cup of your favorite butter or butter substitute with 1 cup of marijuana flower, roughly 7-10 grams. The more potent the cannabis your use, the less you need. So, if your favorite strain is high-THC, go with 7 grams. If it is lower in THC, try 10 grams.

Step 2: Decarb Your Flower

Next, you will need to oven-roast your marijuana flower. This is the step needed to activate a good percentage of the THC.

1. Preheat your oven to 240 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Lightly break apart your herb and spread it in an even layer on your parchment-lined baking sheet.

4. Heat for a total of 30-40 minutes, mixing every 10 minutes. 30 minutes is best for older, drier flower and 40 minutes for fresh, sticky flower.

5. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool until it is easy to handle.

6. Further break apart your cannabis until the flower is in a coarse grind, you do not want to grind it too fine or it will be hard to filter out of the butter later. We like to use a few pulses of a food processor.

Step 3: Make the Cannabutter

1. Add 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of water to a medium-sized saucepan.

2. Set the saucepan on the stovetop on low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

3. Once hot, add your cannabis flower from step 2. Stir together.

4. Keep mixture on low heat for three hours, stirring occasionally. Do not allow the mixture to reach a boil.

5. Strain the cannabis flower out of the butter using a cheesecloth. You can do this over a mason jar or other container that you can store the cannabutter in.

Once your cannabutter is complete, be sure to keep it refrigerated. Excess water may pool at the bottom which you can drain once the butter is completely cool.

Tips and Tricks

The biggest downfall of homemade edibles is that there is no way to confidently know how strong your edibles are. Every batch can differ based on slight variations in oven or stovetop temperature or by what strain of cannabis you use.

Our advice is to first experiment with the cannabutter to find the right dose for you. Start with ¼ teaspoon of cannabutter on something like a slice of bread. Wait a minimum of two hours before upping the dose. If you feel like you need more, add another ¼ teaspoon.

Keep a journal of how much you take and how you feel so you can find the best dose for you. It can take a few times of experimenting before you find the best dose.

Once you find the correct dosage for you, you can use this knowledge to help direct you in how much cannabutter to use in your recipe. We recommend using 1 dose of cannabutter per serving.

Final Thoughts

In Arkansas, recreational use is still illegal, but medical marijuana is legal for patients with qualifying conditions. That’s why having an Arkansas medical marijuana card is so important. It not only gives you access to licensed dispensaries and a wide variety of marijuana products, but it also provides legal protection for your use, even if you want to make edibles at home.

Dispensaries offer professionally crafted edibles that are lab-tested, consistently dosed, and come in a range of flavors and strengths to suit your preferences. For those just beginning their marijuana journey, we recommend starting with dispensary products. You’ll be able to learn what works best for your needs while getting expert guidance on dosing and product types.

Once you feel more confident, making your own edibles at home can be a fun and fulfilling way to personalize your marijuana experience. From sweet treats to savory dishes, homemade edibles give you the freedom to get creative while still reaping the therapeutic benefits of your medicine.

Get Your Medical Marijuana Card Today!

Medical marijuana is legal in Arkansas, and we can help you renew your medical card TODAY! If you qualify for your renewal, give us a call and we can help!

You need your medical card to access any of Arkansas’ medical dispensaries. Not to worry, because it is now easier than ever to renew your card with Arkansas Marijuana Card! Telemedicine makes it easy for you to renew your card from the comfort of your own home!

Schedule an appointment with one of our physicians to get started today!

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Doctors Who Care

Relief You Can Trust

Here at Arkansas Marijuana Card, we aim to help everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.

Call us at (844)-249-8714 today, or book an appointment here