April 07, 2024

Contrary to what some say, the 1 gram cannabutter recipe is real and it works!

A few weeks back I got my hands on some pretty potent Lemon OG Kush - 2 grams of flower to be exact. Rolling one gram up into a nice joint, I sat leisurely and well-medicated in my kitchen thinking; 'Maybe I can make cannabutter with this other gram.'

There is a common belief that preparing cannabutter with only 1 gram of cannabis is not practical. However, the truth is that it can be done effortlessly, and the outcomes are genuinely impressive!

3 tips to guarantee potent cannabutter

1. Decarboxylate first
2. Use high quality bud, preferably from a legal dispensary, if possible.
3. Consider mixing in some CBD: High-THC brownies can be fun, however adding in a little CBD could make the experience more subtle and enjoyable. 

How to Dose Homemade Cannabis Edibles

To begin, check the THC percentage listed on the package. When obtaining bud from a dealer, however, it can be challenging to determine this information as the "packaging" typically consists of a simple bag of weed. To provide some context, low-quality bud or trim may contain as little as 3% THC. In contrast, top-shelf marijuana strains can have an average THC content of 28%.

Total THC refers to the maximum decarboxylated THC that is presented in a product; it's why it's very important to decarb your bud before cooking it to get the best results out the process. Read our blog post "How To Decarb Weed in 3 Simple Step? And Why You Should?"

Total THC can be calculated using the following formula: 

Total THC = THC + (THCa x 0.877)

Let's do a quick calculation, for 1 gram that contains 20% THC and 15% THCa.

• 1g = 1000mg

• 20% THC of 1000mg of bud, that means you will have 200mg THC for every 1g of flower.

• 15% THCa of 1000mg, that means you will have 150mg THCa for every 1g of flower.

• Using the formula above: Total THC = 200mg + (150mg x 0.877) = 331.55mg

• Under ideal conditions, you get a 60% efficiency of extraction in dairy butter, so 331.5mg x 0.6 = 198.93mg maximum THC likely to be extracted.

Eventually, if you made a small batch of brownies using this one gram marijuana cannabutteer, the whole batch will have around 198.93mg THC.

To put this number in prospective, please check out our blog piece Marijuana Edibles for the First Time, Dosage and What to Expect.

Ingredients

Before I get started, keep in mind that any good recipe requires diligence, patience, and awareness of ingredient ratios.

These three principles are not to be taken lightly! Nobody wants to waist their weed and end up with burned flowers and a stinky kitchen, not to mention the frustration of not being medicated.

Here’s what you’re going to need:

• 1-2 grams grounded of mid to top shelf flower.

• FIRST and foremost, make sure to decarboxylation your Marijuana. Again, ALWAYS DECARB. Read our blog post "How To Decarb Weed in 3 Simple Step? And Why You Should?"

• 3-6 ounces of butter - Butter has a high concentration of lipids which allows THC compounds to bind easily to the fats. Make sure to use real butter and not a low fat version, in this case fats are your friends (I would suggest Land O'Lakes butter). If you'd rather use oil, your best bet is either Grapeseed or coconut oil; they have a higher cooking temperature than most oil. 1 cup of either grapeseed or coconut oil is enough for the recipe.

• A saucepan

• A spoon for stirring

• 1 cheese cloth or a relatively dense paper towel, although the cheese cloth is the ideal choice. You can also use a tight wire pasta strainer but you may get plant particles in your oil. If you use a strainer, be sure that it’s metal and not plastic; learned that one the hard way.

• A bowl for pouring your strained THC infused butter

• 1/4 cup of water

Cooking

• Place your butter in the saucepan at medium-low heat. As the butter begins to melt, mix in your ground decarbed marijuana flowers. Keep stirring.

• Now that you have your butter coming to a boil, lower the heat to allow for a gentle simmer. Do not let the butter continue to boil, remove from heat and let cool for a few seconds if necessary.

• Keep in mind that our proportions are small, so to have the best marijuana butter results, timing is everything. If you are using one gram of flower, let the mixture simmer for 30 minutes with frequent stirring. If you are using 2 grams of flower, let your mixture simmer for an 1 hour.

• After the first 15 minutes, you should begin to see the hue of the butter turn from gold to a murky brown. Avoid a black or very dark brown color, this may mean that you are burning your flower and the butter itself. If this starts to happen, either reduce the heat or add no more than 2 tablespoons of water.

Post-cooking Preparation

Now that your cannabutter mixture is ready for straining, put your cheese cloth (recommended) or dense paper towel over a bowl.

Here I would suggest either having someone hold the cloth or rubber banding the cloth to the bowl with relatively tightness so that the weight of the butter doesn't force the cloth to cave in on the bowl.

Slowly pour your cannabutter mixture into the bowl covered by the cloth. It warrants repeating, slowly pour your weed butter mixture into the bowl covered by the cloth! If you simply dump your mixture into the covered bowl, you may run the risk of collapsing the cloth into the bowl.

If some of the reduced flower gets onto the cloth that's fine, just be super delicate when wringing the cloth out so that the you don't tear it and your flowers end up in your marijuana butter. Using a spoon or other utensil, press any leftover butter out of the plant remains to ensure that all butter gets into the bowl.

Results

Here’s what you should have at this point:

• An empty saucepan
• A cheese cloth or paper towel that is drenched in butter, unless you chose to ring it out into the bowl
• A bowl with the flowerless liquid butter mixture. Keep in mind if you used 3 ounces of butter, your reduction should measure out to 1-2 ounces of cannabutter. If you have 3-6 ounces of butter than your reduction should measure out to 2-4 ounces of cannabutter.

Related article: Smoking Marijuana & Being Productive - 5 Top Tips

The Final Touches

Place your liquid butter in the fridge (or freezer) and let it solidify; anywhere from 4 hours to overnight (for optimal results).

Now you should have what looks, tastes, and smells like an almost greenish-brown marijuana butter that can be used on just about anything! I prefer a nice tablespoon in my eggs and toast or even spread some on a piece of toast with cinnamon to make cinnamon toast. Whatever you decide though, the butter is yours for the cookin' and can go into any recipe! More importantly, this isn't a big batch recipe, leaving large bowls of cannabutter in the fridge for others to find. In fact, I would say it's being able to make cannabutter a condiment rather than the main ingredient!

How to Determine THC Content in Homemade Edibles

Ensuring your homemade cannabis edibles have the right THC potency is crucial for a safe and enjoyable experience. Here's a straightforward guide to help you calculate and control the THC content:

• Know Your Cannabis: Start by identifying the THC percentage in your cannabis. Dispensary purchases often provide this information. For example, cannabis with a 20% THC content means there are 200mg of THC in 1 gram.

• Account for Decarboxylation Efficiency: Decarboxylation is necessary to activate THC, but it's not 100% efficient. Assume you'll retain 80-90% of the THC post-decarboxylation, so from 200mg of THC, you'll have about 160-180mg of active THC.

• Consider Extraction Efficiency: Not all THC will infuse into your butter or oil. Expect around a 60% extraction efficiency, which would give you about 96-108mg of THC from the decarboxylated cannabis.

• Calculate Dose Per Serving: Divide the total THC in your cannabutter by the number of servings. For instance, if your cannabutter contains 100mg THC and you're making 10 edibles, each would have a 10mg dose.

Practical Tips:

• Start with Known Potency: If your cannabis potency is unknown, be extra cautious. Start with small amounts and adjust based on the effects.

• Precision Matters: Use a kitchen scale for accurate measurements of cannabis and butter, and calculate your dosages carefully.

• Err on the Side of Caution: Especially if you're new to edibles or are unsure about your calculations, start with lower doses and go slow. Edibles take time to kick in.

• Label Your Edibles: Always mark your homemade edibles with their estimated THC content per serving to avoid accidental overconsumption.

• Stay Patient and Experiment: Finding the perfect dose requires patience and a bit of trial and error. Start low, go slow, and adjust based on your experiences.

By following these steps, you can achieve a more accurate estimation of THC content in your homemade edibles, ensuring each experience is both safe and enjoyable. Remember, the key to a good edible experience is not just the right dose but also the right environment and mindset. Enjoy responsibly!

Related article: Magical Butter Machine Review - It Actually Makes The Best Cannabutter

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