If you are looking for a way to experience the benefits of THC without smoking weed, infusing recipes at home with infused THC oil is a wonderfully delicious, discreet option. Making THC-infused oil at home is easier than you might think too!
A note about dosing:
Be mindful of your dosage when using THC or CBD.
A standard dose of THC in an edible is 5-10 mg, so calculate accordingly. Click here for information about dosing and potency.
Start with a low dose and wait at least an hour before slowly consuming more, as the effects of ingested cannabis can take longer to kick in and can affect people differently.
Understanding Potency and Dosing
- Baseline Measurements: We'll start with standard measurements and adjust them to our liking. At JAM, we assume our buds have a THC content of 10%. While this is considered low for modern cannabis, the precise THC measurement will be provided on the packaging if you purchase from a dispensary.
- Calculating THC Content: To determine the amount of THC in your weed, we need to do some math. One ounce of cannabis flower weighs about 28.35 grams or 28,350 milligrams. We multiply this weight by the THC percentage to estimate the THC content. For example:
- 10% THC content would yield approximately 2,835 milligrams of THC per ounce.
- 17% THC content would yield approximately 4,820 milligrams of THC per ounce.
- 25% THC content would yield approximately 7,088 milligrams of THC per ounce.
- Adjusting for Recipe Size: In this recipe for infused THC oil, we're using only ¼ ounce of cannabis flower. To find the THC content for this amount, we can divide the numbers above by 4.
- Average Edible Dose: The typical dose for edibles is 5-10 milligrams of THC. Considering this range, you can see how a batch of infused THC oil made with the calculated THC content can last you a while.
By understanding these calculations and starting with a low dose, you can gradually adjust the amount of infused THC oil that you use in your recipes to suit your individual preferences.
Take it from the JAM team; it's always important to start with a smaller amount and see how it affects you before increasing the dosage.
Decarboxylation – How to unlock the full potential of your weed.
Decarboxylation, often called "decarbing," is an essential step in maximizing the potency of your THC oil. During this process, the cannabis flower is gently heated, activating the THC compounds within. This transformative step not only unlocks the psychoactive effects of the plant but also imparts a delightful toasty and nutty flavor to your final product.
It's important to note that THC and CBD are lipophilic, meaning they require fat to dissolve and be efficiently absorbed by the body. This connection between cannabinoids and fats is crucial for successful infusion.
Two Ways to Infuse Oil with THC for Elevated Cooking.
The next step after decarboxylation is to infuse the oil of your choosing with THC. You can use any oil of your choice, such as olive oil, coconut oil, or vegetable oil. You can even infuse butter with this method.
Weed has evolved a lot over the last couple of decades, but so have the kitchen tools we can use to cook with it. We’re fans of the tried and true method for making THC oil and canna butter, but if you’ve got an InstantPot sitting around, you can streamline your infusions–and leave the pressure cooker to do all the work!
Why infuse in an InstantPot? Here’s what we like:
- As with most things InstantPot, it’s quicker.
- There’s a smaller margin of error–you’re far less likely to burn your weed during the decarb and infusion processes.
- You can make multiple batches–instead of a skillet, each batch only needs a pint-sized mason jar, and most InstantPots can hold four of those.
- As a bonus, using an InstantPot cuts down on the aroma–the kitchen will still smell like toasty weed, but only faintly compared to an oven decarb.
To infuse your oil with THC in the InstantPot, you must gather the proper ingredients and equipment. You will need:
- ¼ oz of high-quality marijuana flower
- ½ cup of high-quality fat (unsalted butter, coconut oil, lard, etc.)
- A Mason Jar with a lid and ring.
- Cheesecloth
- Twine
- water
Step-by-step instructions for infusing oil with THC:
How to decarboxylate cannabis in the InstantPot:
- Line the inside of a mason jar with cheesecloth, leaving enough of the fabric to drape over the edges of the jar. Grind your weed, and place it inside the cheesecloth. Place a lid and ring over the jar and seal around the draped cheesecloth till finger-tight–no need to crank on it.
- Lock in the lid and set the InstantPot to “slow cook” for 35 minutes. Release the pressure and allow the jars to cool enough to handle them. Like decarbing in the oven, the weed will smell toasty and nutty once it’s decarbed.
How to infuse cannabis in the InstantPot:
- Remove the lid and ring from the jar, and pour in your fat–be careful not to fill your jars above ¾ of their capacity. Set the lid and ring back on the top, locking in the cheesecloth again. Gently place in the Instant Pot, and add water–enough to reach about halfway up the jar.
- Lock the lid, and set the InstantPot to “pressure cook” for 30 minutes. Once cooked, release the pressure and allow to cool in the pot until safe to handle.
- Once cooled, unseal each lid and bring the ends of the cheesecloth together, creating a pouch. Squeeze the excess oil from the pouch as you remove it from the jar, applying enough pressure to reclaim the butter or oil but not so much that weed residue starts to seep out.
That’s it! Your infused fat is ready to cook with. Keep it in the fridge if you’ll be using it over the next few days, or in the freezer if you need to store it longer.
Now you have THC-infused oil that you can use in your recipes. Remember to start with a small amount and increase the dosage gradually until you reach your desired potency. It's also important to keep your THC oil in a safe and secure location, away from children and pets.
BE SURE TO SHARE YOUR THC-INFUSED OIL WITH US BY SNAPPING A PIC AND TAGGING US ON SOCIAL USING #COOKINGWITHJANEANDMARY
Craving more Jane & Mary? Follow us on Instagram for your daily dose of inspiration!
How to Make Infused THC Oil Two Ways
Ingredients
To make THC oil on the stovetop:
- ¼ oz high-quality marijuana flower
- ½ cup of high-quality fat Unsalted butter, olive oil, coconut oil, lard, etc.
- 1 cup water
To make THC oil in the InstantPot
- ¼ oz high-quality marijuana flower
- ½ cup of high-quality fat Unsalted butter, olive oil, coconut oil, lard, etc.
Instructions
To decarboxylate cannabis in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 220°F (105°C)
- On a sheet of parchment paper, break apart or grind the weed buds into small, even-sized pieces. Move the parchment to a baking sheet, and spread the weed into a single layer. Roast for 40 minutes, until brown throughout and toasty in aroma, but not burned.
To make THC Oil on the stovetop:
- Warm the oil, or melt the butter, in a skillet or wide saucepan oven over medium-low heat. Stir in the decarbed weed and the water, and steep for at least 2 hours, up to 4. You don’t need to babysit it, but you’ll want to stir and keep an eye on the temperature every 20-30 minutes–the oil or butter should reach a temperature of at least 160℉ (72°C), but shouldn’t be heated above 200℉ (94°C).You can cut down the risk of burning it by using a double boiler and/or a probe thermometer with an alarm that can be set to monitor the pan.
- Once infused, line a strainer with cheesecloth and strain the oil/butter into a glass bowl or large measuring cup. Cover with plastic wrap, transfer to the fridge, and let cool completely, ideally overnight–the oil/butter will separate from the water and any remaining solids, solidifying on top.
- Use a paring knife to separate the THC oil/butter from the edge of the container, remove it, and wrap it in plastic or freezer paper. Store unused THC oil/butter in the fridge if you’ll be cooking with it in the next few days, or the freezer if you want to keep it for longer.
To decarboxylate cannabis in the InstantPot
- Line the inside of a mason jar with cheesecloth, leaving enough of the fabric to drape over the edges of the jar. Grind your weed, and place it inside the cheesecloth. Place a lid and ring over the jar and seal around the draped cheesecloth till finger-tight–no need to crank on it.
- Lock in the lid and set the InstantPot to “slow cook” for 35 minutes. Release the pressure and allow the jars to cool enough to handle them. Similar to decarbing in the oven, the weed will smell toasty and nutty once it’s decarbed.
To make THC oil in the InstantPot
- Remove the lid and ring from the jar, and pour in your fat–be careful not to fill your jars above ¾ of their capacity. Set the lid and ring back on the top, locking in the cheesecloth again. Gently place in the Instant Pot, and add water–enough to reach about halfway up the jar.
- Lock the lid, and set the InstantPot to “pressure cook” for 30 minutes. Once cooked, release the pressure and allow to cool in the pot until safe to handle.
- Once cooled, unseal each lid and bring the ends of the cheesecloth together, creating a pouch. Squeeze the excess oil/butter from the pouch as you remove it from the jar, applying enough pressure to reclaim the oil/butter but not so much that weed residue starts to seep out.
Notes
Click here to view the Google Web Story for this post!
Frequently Asked Questions About THC oil.
Bioavailability is the ability of a drug or other substance to be absorbed and used by the body.
Research indicates that saturated fats, which are a type of fatty acid, serve as intracellular transporters for THC and CBD, the primary active compounds in cannabis. In essence, cannabinoids utilize these fats as a vehicle to reach their target destinations within the body. This explains the prevalence of recipes that incorporate coconut oil alongside cannabis, as the saturated fats present in coconut oil facilitate the efficient delivery of cannabinoids.
Leave a Comment