How to Make Edible Weed Gummies with Cannabutter

Gummies are enjoyable, fun, and delicious. I literally don’t know a single soul that hates gummies, it’s actually the complete opposite; I know one person who, as a kid, spent all of his money change on gummies at the airport once. He was returning home from a study trip with his school, and for the last leg of the trip he didn’t eat anything but gummies. Up to this day, his parents always nag him about it, but he remembers it as the day he ate all types of gummies all day long, and it's pure bliss to him.

But anyway, this article isn’t just about gummies, it’s about edible weed gummies and how to make them. Did you know that they’re one of the best-selling products in cannabis dispensaries? They’re tasteful and healthy, especially when you know how to make them and choose what to put in them. Additionally, it’s a nice alternative to smoking from a pipe or sharing a joint, and it’s also an easy and Covid-friendly way to share cannabis with your friends.

Last but not least, the world of gummies is vast: sweet, sour, bear, worm, dinosaur or ear-shaped gummies, you name it! You can have as many trays as you like with different forms, imagine how much you can make and how much fun you will have.

• ½ cup of cannabutter
• ½ cup of cold water
• 2 tablespoons soy or sunflower lecithin
• 3 ounces of flavored gelatin (85 grams)
• 2 tablespoons of unflavored gelatin
• Silicone or gummy mold (or any mold you’d like your gummies to look like)
• A dropper or funnel

Before we get hands on the gummy recipe, let’s make a stop on cannabutter.

Cannabis butter, also known as cannabutter, is the key ingredient for making edibles. 

There’s actually so much you can do with cannabutter, almost every edible you want to cook! Knowing the tricks to make cannabis butter will make you perfect it, and in consequence, perfect your favorite edibles. 

People who consume cannabis have been making their own cannabutter and storing it in their homes since forever. Of course you can buy it if your dealer has it available, even legal dispensaries will sell it to you, but for those who don’t live near one or just want to experiment in their kitchen, let’s check out a recipe for beginners.

To make cannabutter from scratch you will have to decarboxylate cannabis first! 

As you probably know, cannabis must be heated in order to activate its psychoactive effect. This process happens naturally when smoking or vaping weed, so in order to activate the THC in food, cannabis will require cooking it in the oven, thus going through the decarboxylation process.

1. Grind the cannabis flower bud with a hand grinder  (take a look at this unique grinder).

*KLIP grinder is also used for grinding any herb or spice at the kitchen!

2. Decarbing your cannabis flower will happen when heated at the right temperature, so start by preheating your oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit (118 to 121 degrees Celsius). 

3. Place the ground cannabis on a non-stick, oven-safe tray; if you want your creation to be safer, add parchment paper to the tray to prevent sticking.

4. Place the tray in the oven and let it bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

An important note: Overcooking cannabutter is more common than you think, so don’t heat your cannabis at a temperature higher than 300 F (148 C) or else you’ll risk vaporizing the cannabinoids. If you’re concerned about this topic because you have a tendency to burn things in the kitchen (like myself), here’s a guide on how to avoid overcooking cannabutter.

When paired with a fat source, the absorption of cannabinoids is enhanced about 2.5 to 3 times. To make your cannabutter work, it has to be paired with fat ingredients. Some fat sources are coconut oil, unsalted butter, full-fat milk, cream, or coconut milk, so choose your favorite! For a gummy recipe specifically, experts recommend using coconut oil.

1. Start by melting 1 cup of the fat of your choice and 1 cup of water together in a pot.

   
   

2. Keep your burner in the lowest heat so it doesn’t overcook.

   
   

3. Add your decarbed cannabis to the pot and mix, then cover with a lid.

   
   

4. Let simmer for at least 3 hours, keeping the stove at the lowest heat so the mixture doesn’t overheat or evaporate. Do not forget to stir occasionally!

   
   

5. In a bowl, secure a couple of layers of cheesecloth (wire sieve or coffee filters can also work) with a rubber band and pour the melted cannabutter carefully. 

   
   
6. Place the solid cannabutter in another bowl until its room-temperature, then let it chill in the fridge until it’s fully solid and cold.
    

Now that you have your cannabutter you can finally start cooking those gummies!

   1. Place a pot over a low flame and use a whisk to mix the cold water, soy or sunflower lecithin and your cannabutter. You’ll have to keep on mixing it until the texture is absolutely even and liquified.

   2. Add the flavor (or unflavored) gelatin of your choice. If you want to mask the taste of weed, it’s recommended to add a lime flavor gelatin; it will have a taste of citrus and a hint of coconut oil – great combo.

   3. Keep stirring for 15 minutes.

   4. Fill the gummy molds, preferably with a dropper or funnel so you don’t spill liquid everywhere.

   5. Put your filled trays in the freezer and let them sit for 30 minutes.

   6. Enjoy!

• THC dosage: According to Stoners Rotation, half of a cup of cannabis oil (made with an 18-20% THC strain) produces about 300 mg THC. Since you’re making homemade gummies, there’s no exact way of knowing how much THC each candy has. 
• If you want to be extra cautious, try eating half a gummy the first time to figure out how strong your batch is.
• It will take about 1:30 - 2 hours to kick in, so be patient! As mentioned, since you don’t have the exact mg each gummy contains, start with one and wait at least two hours until trying more.
• Remember psychoactive effects in edibles last much longer than smoking. The gummy high could last anywhere from 3 to 6 hours. Plus, the effects usually differ from person to person, so remember to start slow.
• Make sure to keep your weed gummies safely sealed and stashed away… you definitely don’t want your little sibling finding them, or your kids, or any other tiny person. If people find your gummies, they will eat them.
   

As you probably noticed, exploring the kitchen with THC is an adventure that could have you getting very high. As a recommendation, give yourself enough time to cook your edibles so you make things right. And as always, use them in a safe space, preferably not alone, and try to schedule the experience whenever you don’t have to do anything productive, like going to work the next day. 

Play it safe and have fun!

Author: Mary Jane