Cook Up Your Own Cannabutter

Rolling up a joint may be the most iconic, but there are plenty of methods for consuming cannabis. Maybe you’d rather use a water pipe or bong to smoke; maybe you’re into vaping or taking dabs.

Or perhaps, like me, you’d rather ingest your marijuana. While smoking brings on a more immediate and headier high, edibles often induce a more relaxing “full-body” high. On top of that, you get to enjoy a tasty treat!

A great edible experience starts with a solid cannabutter, and all you need to make your own is some of your favorite flower and access to a few household kitchen appliances like an oven, a crock pot or double boiler, and a fine mesh strainer.

The process is incredibly easy – all you need is time and patience! Here’s a guide for making a simple cannabutter:


Simple Cannabinthusiast Cannabutter

Ingredients & Supplies:
Coconut Oil (½ cup per eight, or 3.6 grams, of Cannabis Flower)
Cannabis Flower
Baking Sheet
Mesh Strainer

Step 1: Decarboxylate the Cannabis
Preheat your oven to 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Grind or break up the cannabis flower and spread it evenly on your baking sheet. Place your baking sheet and flower into the oven for roughly 45 minutes.

What is decarboxylation, anyway? If you just ate cannabis, it wouldn’t have much effect. Put simply, decarboxylation is a chemical process by which heat activates the psychoactive compounds in the cannabis plant.

Step 2: Combine the Coconut Oil and Cannabis
Combine your oil and decarboxylated cannabis in a crockpot or double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, it’s easy to craft a makeshift double boiler using items already in your kitchen.

Step 3: Simmer Your Mixture
Let your mixture simmer in the crockpot or double boiler for at least two hours (but no more than eight), stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on the temperature, as it’s important to keep the mixture between 120-180 degrees Fahrenheit. Use your “low” temperature setting, or use a kitchen thermometer if you have one handy.

Step 4: Strain Out the Plant Matter
Allow the oil mixture to cool down, then use your mesh strainer to remove the plant matter. You can press a spoon into the flower to squeeze out as much oil as possible. Another option is to use a cheesecloth to more fully strain the mixture (if you have a cheesecloth lying around; if not, no big deal).

Step 5: Store and Enjoy!
Pour your oil in a sealable container, such as a mason jar, and store it in the fridge (or freezer). The coconut oil will solidify at around 74 degrees Fahrenheit, at which point it will take on a more “buttery” consistency.

Now you’re ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor! Bake some brownies, add some cannabutter to your morning fruit smoothie, or to any of your favorite recipes! Be sure to start with small amounts until you’ve dialed in the proper dosage for your batch, as results may vary due to factors such as the strain of flower used, amounts of oil and flower used, and the length of time you simmered the oil.