Learn How to Make Cannabis Butter at Home

Some people say everything’s better with butter. It’s hard to argue with that, and why would you? Life’s too short to bicker over butter. But did you ever wonder if you could make butter better? Well, you can when you infuse it with something else you love: cannabis! What? You can do that? You sure can, and it’s easy breezy to make it happen. Just follow this guide on how to make cannabis butter at home, and let’s get cooking!

Why Make Cannabutter?

Raw cannabis won’t get the job done, and cooked cannabis tastes like unsavory grass clippings. Yuck! Fortunately, there are other ways to enjoy marijuana without enduring its taste.

The problem with raw cannabis is that it’s not psychoactive. To become psychoactive, it must be heated in a process called decarboxylation. That’s why smoking cannabis works. Heating it “decarbs” the cannabinoids so that you feel the effects. You can also simply heat cannabis to 245 degrees to decarb the cannabinoids. 

Decarboxylated cannabis can be eaten raw, but nobody wants to chow down on something that tastes terrible. The good news is that you don’t have to – just infuse it into butter and get the same effects with a much more palatable substance! Cannabutter adds a creamy texture and delectable flavor to any dish without compromising its taste profile or potency.

What Butter Should I Use For Cannabutter?

Yes, what butter you use matters. If you want high-quality cannabutter, you have to use high-quality ingredients. And if you’re health conscious, what kind of butter you use really matters. Butter comes from milk, milk comes from cows, and what cows eat has a big impact on the nutritional value of butter.

Most cows are fed corn and grain. However, butter made from grass-fed cows has many potential health benefits over your standard grain-fed butter. If you can find it, use it. It’s just better. We’ll elaborate!

Grass-fed butter is more nutritious than regular butter.

Compared to regular butter, grass-fed butter is higher in vitamin K2 and healthy fats, such as omega-3s and CLA. It is also a good source of vitamin A and antioxidants, which may help reduce inflammation.

It’s also worth noting that grass-fed butter has a more subtle flavor than grain-fed butter, making it an excellent option for infusing into cannabutter.

Grass-fed butter may have more beta-carotene.

Grass-fed butter is higher in beta-carotene than regular butter. Beta carotene is an antioxidant linked to a reduced risk of several chronic diseases.

Grass-fed butter is higher in unsaturated fatty acids

Compared to regular butter, grass-fed butter has more unsaturated fatty acids, which benefit heart health.

Pro Tip: Fear not for people out there who don’t do dairy. We got you, friend! Organic coconut oil is an excellent butter substitute and can be used in many of the same sweet and savory recipes. Substitute the butter in this guide 1:1 with coconut oil, and you are good!

What Cannabis Should I Use To Make Cannabutter?

Just like butter, the cannabis you use will make a difference. From the cultivar type you choose to the plant material used (flower, leaf, trim, etc.), how you infuse it will determine the flavor and effects of your cannabutter.

Making cannabutter with trim.

Traditionally, cannabutter was made with sugar leaf trimmed from the cannabis flowers after harvest. Trim works great, especially if you’re the farmer and it’s free. However, some say there’s more chlorophyll in trim than flower, which may make your cannabutter bitter. We say pfffft.

There is not a noticeable difference. The biggest downside with trim is that most people don’t have access to it. But if you have access to trim, go for it!

Making cannabutter with indoor flower.

While quality is key, dropping $60 on an eighth of top-shelf cannabis to make cannabutter is crazy. With flower like that, you’re paying for qualities that won’t help your cannabutter, such as flower size and structure, appearance, flavor, and nose. These qualities would be great if you were going to smoke it, but they aren’t necessary for making cannabis-infused butter.

Making cannabutter with sun-grown flower.

If you can’t find trim, quality sun-grown cannabis is ideal for cannabutter. It’s less expensive than indoor and more environmentally conscious.

How to choose the right strain for cannabutter

There are a few ways to think about this:

Choose a strain you already love.

You really can’t go wrong this way. Yes, eating cannabis is different from smoking. While your liver metabolizes THC into 11-hydroxy-THC, which hits harder and lasts longer, it’s still your best bet. If you’re unsure or new to cannabis, everyone loves a good Gelato. Give it a shot!

Choose a strain based on its effects.

Is there a reason you’re making cannabutter? Often, people use edibles to treat conditions like nausea or pain. Do your research, talk to your budtender, and find the strain that’s right for you. Blue Dream is splendid if you want a functional high that eases anxiety and stress.

Choose a strain based on its terpene profile.

What are you planning to make with your butter mixture? Pick a strain with a terpene profile that will pair well with your recipes, like limonene (citrus), myrcene (herbal), or caryophyllene (peppery). If dessert is on the menu, pick up some Banana Sundae from Dimebag. 

Choose a strain based on its cannabinoid profile.

Do you want your cannabutter recipe to be high in THC, CBD, or would you like it to be balanced? Pick a strain with the cannabinoid profile you’re looking for. 1:1 Tangelo Flow from Glasshouse is a fantastic choice if you want balance. It will put your body and mind on cruise control with a calming high without the overwhelming effects of THC.

How Do I Decarboxylate Cannabis?

Time to get cooking. Finally. Yay!  First, let’s go over how to decarboxylate cannabis.

Decarboxylation, in a nutshell, is how we activate the cannabinoids in cannabis flower so they can infuse into our butter. This process requires heat and time (around an hour). When it’s complete, you’ll be ready to make your cannabutter.

What do I need to decarboxylate marijuana?

This is a very short list. We told you this was easy! 

• 1/8th of fire flower.
• Parchment paper.
• Baking sheet.
• Grinder.
• Wooden spatula/spoon.

What are the steps to decarboxylate cannabis?

There are only a few. You got this!

1. Preheat the oven to 225°F.
2. Lay the parchment on your baking sheet.
3. Grind your marijuana. A rough grind is adequate.
4. Sprinkle the ground cannabis on the parchment.
5. Cover it with another piece of parchment.
6. Bake for 40 minutes.
7. Remove the baking sheet and let the ground flower cool.

Pro Tip: Slow cookers or the crockpot method cook at the perfect temperature to decarb marijuana. If you have one, you can skip this decarb process and simply decarb your cannabis in the slow cooker with your butter and water. Decarboxylating cannabis is not an exact science. You can decarb in a 225°F preheated oven for about 30-60 minutes or in a crockpot on low heat for several hours. This process will also release some terpenes, so you’ll get a bit of that dank smell.

What do I need to make cannabutter with decarboxylated cannabis?

You’ll want to use that decarbed flower right away, so let’s keep it moving with another concise list of ingredients.

• 1/8th ounce decarbed cannabis flower.
• Four sticks/8 ounces butter (more on that later).
• 8 ounces water.
• Small saucepan.
• Candy thermometer.
• Cheesecloth.
• Food-safe (use glass) storage container.

What are the steps to make cannabutter with decarboxylated cannabis?

1. Add your butter, decarbed cannabis, and water to your saucepan.
2. Heat on low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
3. Use your candy thermometer to ensure you don’t exceed 190°F.
4. Stretch cheesecloth and secure it over the mouth of your storage container.
5. Strain the mixture by pouring it into the container through the cheesecloth.
6. Refrigerate until the butter separates from the water and hardens.
7. Remove the Cannabutter “puck” and re-melt on very low heat.
8. Dump the remaining water from the storage container and clean it.
9. Pour the melted cannabutter back into the clean container.
10. Refrigerate until used.

How to Dose My Cannabutter

Edible dosing is difficult when edibles are commercially made with the THC content listed on the package. When you make them yourself, it’s far more unpredictable. There are just so many variables to consider.

• The potency of the cannabis used for the cannabutter.
• How much cannabis was used.
• How much butter was used.
• The temperature used to make the cannabutter.

That being said, some basic cannabutter math should help you get close to the serving size that’s right for you. 

How do I calculate milligrams of THC per serving?

There are a few steps to this and endless variations depending on the strength of your cannabis, how much cannabis and butter you use, and how many servings you make.

Also, 100 percent conversion to THC just doesn’t happen. There is always a loss in the decarboxylation, infusion, and cooking processes. That said, this example will give you a solid baseline method.

1. How many milligrams of THC are in one gram of your cannabis? To figure this out, divide 1,000 by 10 (one gram of cannabis is 1,000mg). One gram of cannabis with 10% THC equals 100 mg of THC per gram.
2. How many milligrams of THC are in your cannabutter? Cannabutter lasts a while. You’ll want to make a big batch. In this recipe, we used 3.5 grams of cannabis, which has 100 mg of cannabis per gram. So, there is 350 mg of THC in this batch of cannabutter.
3. How many milligrams of THC should be in a dose? This really depends on preference and tolerance, but a reasonably safe serving size is 5 mg of THC.
4. How many servings will this recipe make? 350 mg of THC divided by 5 mg per serving equals 70 servings. So, if you decided to bake cookies, you’d bake 70 of them. 

How Do I Consume My Homemade Edibles Safely?

Remember, when you eat homemade edibles, your body will metabolize the THC into the more potent 11-hydroxy-THC.

Your edibles will also have a much longer onset time than smoking. With this in mind, there are two rules you should always follow and never break.

1. Go Low: Always start with less edible than you think you need. 2.5 mg is a good place to start with an edible you haven’t tried yet. You can always take more later, but if you take too much, to begin with, there’s no going back. That can be a very unpleasant experience.
2. Go Slow: Edibles may take 90 minutes to kick in. So, if you don’t feel anything after an hour, slow your roll and wait another 30 minutes before you double down.

Benefits of Making Cannabutter

Making your own cannabutter means making your own edibles, and there are some great reasons to use edibles.

Edibles are healthier than smoking cannabis.

Inhaling hot smoke, resins, and toxins is not a good strategy for long-term respiratory health. While we don’t put cannabis in the same, “this stuff will kill you” box as tobacco, any airway inflammation is a risk.

Edibles are discreet, portable, and convenient.

You can’t light up a joint just anywhere. Edibles are like your little secret that can be consumed in any setting, which is great because they’re also portable and convenient. It’s almost like they were made that way…Hmmm.

Edibles have a longer-lasting high.

Edibles may take longer to kick in, but the high may last as long as 4-6 hours.

Edibles are super fun!

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but edibles are just plain fun. There’s nothing quite like indulging in your favorite food and getting high simultaneously. Especially when you made it yourself!

How Do I Store My Cannabutter?

Cannabutter is just like any other food item. Store it properly, and it’s all good.

What should I store my cannabutter in?

A clean, opaque glass container with an airtight seal is optimal.

Do I need to refrigerate cannabutter? 

Yes. You should not leave cannabutter at room temp for more than an hour. Properly refrigerated, cannabutter will stay fresh for a few weeks.

Can I freeze cannabutter?

You sure can, and freezing extends its shelf life to six months. So take your baked goods or other cannabis infusions and store them in airtight containers.

How do I avoid contaminating my cannabutter?

Try to avoid touching it with your hands. The oil and bacteria on them may transfer and cause your cannabutter to spoil.

How do I know if my cannabutter has spoiled?

The same way you know your milk is bad. It stinks! 

Cannabutter Recipes

Last but not least, we’ll leave you with a few delicious cannabutter recipes. Have fun and be safe!

Savory Recipes:

• Cannabutter Spreads and Sauces.
• Canna-Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
• Creamy Cannabis Pasta

Baked Goods:

• Cannabis Double Fudge Brownies.
• Vegan & Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies.
• Cannabis-Infused Pancakes.

Honestly, infused butter can go into just about any recipe you want! Overall, we hope this DIY cannabutter guide was helpful to you!

Make Your Own Cannabutter with Help from Body and Mind

No matter how much you love butter, cannabis makes butter better. At Body and Mind, we carry an impressive selection of cannabis flower that makes it a breeze to find the perfect strain for your particular recipe. Visit Body and Mind today, or shop online for convenient pickup or delivery!