How to make cannabis (OIL, BUTTER, VANILLA): Recipes, Tips and tricks

CANNAOIL

MAKES 2 CUPS (1 SERVING = ½ TEASPOON = 5 MG THC)

CANNABUTTER OR CANNAOIL can both be madeon the stovetop or in a slow cooker—the stovetop will yield a faster infusion but both CannaOil and CannaButter need to be watched closely to ensure that the temperature does not go over 250°F, as that can diminish the potency of THC. If making CannaButter, know that you need to chill the butter overnight before using, so make sure to work that timing into your cooking plan; if you’re using the slow cooker method, it may take as long as 2 days before your CannaButter is ready to use, since it takes a minimum of 8 hours to infuse the butter and then an overnight chill in the fridge to separate the medicinal solids from the water by-product.

• 2 cups coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil, or grapeseed oil
• ¼ ounce (7 g) cannabis flower (dose based on 15% THC herb)
• Grind the herb using a hand grinder (you don’t want it to be powder fine—think dried oregano).
• Combine the oil and herb in a medium saucepan and bring to a low simmer over medium heat (the oil should be hot but not boiling).
• Reduce the heat to low and cook the infusion very slowly, stirring occasionally and maintaining a temperature of between 200° and 250°F, until the top layer in the saucepan changes from watery to glossy and thick, about 2 hours.
• Set a sieve over a medium bowl and line the sieve with cheesecloth. Pour the infusion into the sieve and let it sit until all of the oil is filtered, about 5 minutes. Fold the ends of the cheesecloth over the herb and use a rubber spatula to press on the solids, extracting as much oil as possible (discard the solids). Transfer to a jar, seal, and store at room temperature for up to 3 months. Note that CannaOil made with coconut oil will solidify; reheat gently to liquefy if necessary.

CANNABUTTER

MAKES 1½ CUPS (1 SERVING = ½ TEASPOON = 5 MG THC)

• ¼ ounce (7 g) cannabis flowers (dose based on 15% THC herb)
• 4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter
• Grind the herb using a hand grinder (you don’t want it to be powder fine—think dried oregano).
• Combine the butter and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat. Once the butter begins to melt, add the ground cannabis.
• Reduce the heat to low and cook the butter very gently, stirring occasionally and maintaining a temperature of between 200° and 250°F, until the top layer in the saucepan changes from watery to glossy and thick, 2 to 3 hours—you may need to add water if the temperature gets close to the 250°F mark (so the butter doesn’t scorch).
• Set a sieve over a medium bowl (preferably glass) and line the sieve with cheesecloth. Pour the infusion into the sieve and let it sit until all of the butter has been filtered, about 5 minutes. Wrap the edges of the cheesecloth over the herb and use a rubber spatula to press on the solids to extract all of the butter (discard the solids). Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate the strained butter for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• The next day, lift out the solid block of butter and discard any liquid remaining in the bowl. Use a paper towel to pat the surface of the butter on all sides to absorb any droplets of moisture. Wrap the butter in two layers of plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

SLOW COOKER METHOD FOR CANNABUTTER OR CANNAOIL

Grind the herb using a hand grinder (you don’t want it to be powder fine—think dried oregano).


Add the melted butter or oil to a slow cooker. If using butter, add 2 cups of hot water (some people choose not to add the water if using the slow cooker method since the chance of scalding is very small; however, as a precaution, use water the first time and as you get to be a butter-making expert, adjust your method to suit your needs). Turn the heat to the low setting and add the ground Herb. Cover the cooker. The infusion is finished when the top layer changes from watery to glossy and thick, 8 to 24 hours (the length of cooking time depends partially on the Herb that you’re using; know that cooking for a longer time won’t hurt the butter, just in case you need to leave the slow cooker on overnight or while you’re at work).


Set a sieve over a medium bowl and line the sieve with cheesecloth. Pour the infusion into the sieve and let it sit until all of the butter or oil is filtered, about 5 minutes. Wrap the ends of the cheesecloth over the Herb and use a rubber spatula to press on the solids to extract all of the liquid (discard the solids). CannaOil can now be transferred to a jar and stored at room temperature for up to 3 months. For CannaButter, cover the bowl tightly, and refrigerate the strained butter for at least 3 hours or overnight.


The next day, lift out the solid block of butter and discard any liquid remaining in the bowl. Pat the solid butter block with a paper towel, then wrap the butter in two layers of plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

CANNAVANILLA EXTRACT

MAKES 1 CUP (1 SERVING = ⅛ TEASPOON = 5 MG THC)

• ½ ounce (14 g) ground cannabis flower (dose based on 15% THC herb)
• 6 vanilla beans
• 1 cup 70- to 80-proof flavorless alcohol (such as vodka)

Decarboxylate the herb and cool completely. Add it to a 1-pint glass jar. Use a paring knife to split the vanilla beans lengthwise, then use the edge of the knife to scrape out the seeds. Add both the seeds and the pods to the jar. Cover with the alcohol and set aside for 4 weeks. Strain out the herb (you can remove the vanilla pods or leave them in). Transfer to a clean bottle, label, and store in a cool, dark, dry spot for up to 1 year.

DADDY’S HERB

Think of a summer-sweet heirloom tomato varietal just picked in the garden at its peak ripeness. That tomato was grown in the open air and under the hot sun and not genetically tinkered with by scientists. It probably offers more flavor than, say, a grocery store tomato in the dead of winter, right? Herb is the same. Jamaican Lambsbread is the sativa strain my father smoked. In the world of Herb, Lambsbread is considered an heirloom strain referred to as a landrace (if you smoked Herb in the 1960s or 1970s, you were likely smoking a landrace such as Lambsbread or Hindu Kush from Afghanistan or Pakistan or Acapulco Gold from Mexico). These days, growers crossbreed or hybridize strains of Herb to make cannabis that produces a very specific outcome (say superhigh THC, a pronounced pineapple flavor, or high CBD/low THC Herb used for medicinal purposes), usually using landraces as the parent strains. Like most sativa strains, Lambsbread is known for offering an uplifting high that stimulates creativity. It’s difficult to find in the United States but I hope one day we find a great source for it so Marley Natural can offer the world the same kind of Herb my father liked.

DOSAGE NOTE

The recipes in this book were created to offer a very conservative/beginner concentration of 5 milligrams (mg) THC per serving based on flowers and buds from a strain with 15% THC (see the chart for how to adjust your concentrations based on how much THC your cannabis contains). A moderate concentration would be 10 mg THC per serving (so if a recipe calls for ½ teaspoon CannaButter or CannaOil at 5 mg THC per serving, you would increase it to 1 teaspoon for 10 mg THC per serving). A high concentration would be 15 mg THC per serving (1½ teaspoons CannaButter or CannaOil at 5 mg THC per ½ teaspoon). Again, I recommend you start conservatively—you can always increase the concentration in the next batch, but nothing can take away the memory of a too-intense high! If using sugar trim , you may consider increasing the amount of dry matter added to the butter or oil since trim may have fewer trichomes, the sticky substance where THC and other cannabinoids are concentrated.


There are many factors to take into consideration when making CannaButter and CannaOil. The rate of absorption of THC carried by the butter or oil (or spice blend) depends on your body mass, your metabolism, fitness level, what you ate earlier in the day, your tolerance to herb, your age and gender, not to mention the cannabis strain used and how that strain was grown. Because of all of these variables, it is nearly impossible to predict the strength of the CannaButter and CannaOil that you make. The recipes provide a very educated guess as to how much THC each serving will yield if you begin with a 15% THC strain. The amounts of cannabis suggested in the recipes are guidelines only and should be treated as such. Because edibles are absorbed differently in the body when ingested rather than inhaled, it may take thirty minutes to two hours for the results to be felt; once the THC is active in your body, the high can last for eight hours or even longer, which is why it’s best not to plan any significant activities within twelve hours of ingesting edibles, just to be safe. Begin with one serving of edibles before deciding if you want a more vivid experience.

CALCULATE YOUR DOSE

Refer to the chart below for guidelines on how much THC will be in 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, or ½ teaspoon of herb-infused oil or butter, based on how much THC is in the Herb. If you want a stronger infusion, double the amount added to the fat from 0.25 ounce to 0.5 ounce (or just double the amount of infused oil or butter called for in a recipe). However, if you are planning to make more than one dish infused with Herb, stick with the lower dosage.

KEY TO DOSAGES

• 5 MG/SERVING: a very conservative dose. Good for beginners, or if you would like to make multiple Herb-enhanced recipes to serve at a party
• 10MG/SERVING: the average dose that most commercially available edibles target
• 15 MG/SERVING: the higher-end average dose for commercially available edibles. This is a moderate to strong dose that can affect people differently depending on their body and tolerance levels.
• 20MG/SERVING: a strong dose of THC. This should only be offered to experienced users.

HERB
2 CUPS BUTTER/OIL
1 TBSP OIL/BUTTER
1 TBSP OIL/BUTTER
½ TBSP OIL/BUTTER

10% THC
.25 ounce (7g)
21.8 mg
7.3 mg
3.6 mg

15%THC
.25 ounce (7g)
32.8 mg
10.9 mg
5.4 mg

20%THC
.25 ounce (7g)
43.8 mg
14.5 mg
7.3 mg

25%THC
.25 ounce (7g)
54.7 mg
18.2 mg
9.1 mg

Based on 0.25 ounce (7 grams) of Herb infused in 2 cups melted butter or oil

DIY HERB DOSAGE CALCULATION

Starting with 7 grams (7,000 mg) of 15% THC Herb, multiply as follows:



Herb weight × % THC in Herb ÷ 32 (2 cups = 32 TBSP) ÷ 3 (1 TBSP = 3 tsp) ÷ 2 (1 tsp = two x ½ tsp) = mg THC per ½ teaspoon serving



example 7,000 mg × .15 ÷ 32 ÷ 3 ÷ 2 = 5.4 mg