There is a lot of trial and error in creating edibles from cannabis. Recreational pot users arrive at a standard that works for them. But it may not work for you. There are simply too many variables, such as the potency of the strain; use of bud, kief, or dried leaves; cooking medium; cooking procedure; and also your own tolerance for the psychoactive compounds in weed. With a little experience and help from online resources, you can cook with recipes that will allow you to tailor the dishes for the desired experience.
Here are some pointers on how to really conjure exciting weed-infused dishes.
You do not add weed to the recipe.
Yes, you don’t. Because if you do then the THC-A in marijuana does not get sufficiently decarboxylated and you don’t get to experience the buzz that you would if you used an infusion.
A potent strain is not always the best thing.
It is all in the dosing. A 10 mg dose can give you a decent high, and leave you feeling pleasant. Some may have to nibble a cookie with more THC in it, while for some, any more THC will only leave them feeling unpleasant. A good experience has little to do with potency and a lot to do with the experience you seek. A communal session of enjoying edibles should include cookies, brownies, and breads with different strengths so that there is something for everybody. Also, you must make it a point to inform guests about what to expect from the strains used.
Know what you’re cooking with.
You will have little control over your experiences if you do not cook in a regulated manner. It’s not a big deal if this happens once, but in order to truly enjoy edibles and have a consistent experience every time, you must know what you’re doing. You must know the amount of THC in the bud, oil, butter, or tincture that you’re going to use. As a rule of thumb, it’s always a good thing to begin conservatively and go easy on the THC. You can eat a cookie or two more if the THC potency is low. But if you use too much THC and overeat, you’ll have a bad experience on that day and a bad hangover the next day. Thankfully, CBD does not contribute to a potentially harrowing experience with weed. CBD is not psychoactive.
Use clean cannabis.
If you don’t wash and clean the greens you’re using, you will be infusing impurities into your cannabutter and cannaoil. Even pesticides and insecticides might find their way into the stuff you’re preparing. At the very least, with unclean weed, you run the risk of introducing extraneous tastes and flavors into your cooking. Clean the bud and greens by washing them and then blanching them before use.
Cook at the right temperatures.
The right temperature here means one that is below 365 degree F. At this temperature, the THC begins to degrade. Even if a cookie recipe calls for heating the oven to 350 degree F, you run the risk of exposing the weed to higher temperatures because most ovens are not that precise.
Similarly when sautéing with cannabutter or cannaoil, you don’t use these mediums on direct flame. Doing so will affect the potency of these liquids. Instead, switch off the stove and then coat the heated pan, then sauté.
