Step 1: Decarboxylation
The first thing you’ll have to do is decarboxylate your cannabis. Also known as “decarbing,” this requires you to bake your weed, allowing the THC, CBD and other cannabinoids to activate. Also, it allows for lipids in butter and oil to easily bind to your weed for the ultimate cannabis infusion.
What you’ll need:
½ ounce of weed
Hand grinder or scissors
Glass baking dish or sheet pan
Oven
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 220° F.
Gently break apart the desired amount of weed using a hand-grinder, scissors, or with hands until it’s the perfect consistency for rolling a joint— fine, but not too fine. Anything too fine will slip through cheesecloth (or a joint, for that matter). You want your cannabutter and oil to be clean and as clear as possible.
Evenly spread your plant material onto the glass baking dish or sheet pan. Pop in the oven on the center rack for 20 minutes if using old or lower quality weed; 45 minutes for cured, high-grade weed; or 1 hour or more for anything that has been recently harvested and is still wet.
Check on the weed frequently while it’s in the oven, gently mixing it every 10 minutes so as to not burn it. You will notice that the color of your herb will change from bright green to a deep brownish green. That’s when you know it has decarboxylated.
Step 2: Cannabutter Stovetop Infusion
If you have weed, fat, time, and a kitchen, you can make weed butter with this method.
What You’ll Need:
1½ cup water
8 ounces clarified butter, melted butter, or oil
½ ounce decarboxylated cannabis
Medium saucepan
Wooden spoon
Thermometer
Cheesecloth and/or metal strainer
What to do:
In a medium saucepan on very low heat, add water and butter.
When the butter is melted, add the decarboxylated cannabis. Mix well with a wooden spoon and cover with lid.
Let mixture gently simmer for 4 hours. Stir every half hour to make sure your butter isn’t burning. If you have a thermometer, check to make sure the temperature doesn’t reach above 180°.
After 4 hours, strain with cheesecloth or metal strainer into a container. Let the butter cool to room temperature. Use immediately or keep in refrigerator or freezer in a well-sealed mason jar for up to six months.