Oh, how things have changed since I first wrote about this 4 years ago. We have witnessed several states legalize Marijuana for recreational use and by the time I get around to publishing this, there might be a few more. The one and only problem is that there are a lot of people trying it for the first time, especially edibles. For those of you who are new, have fun but watch it, things can turn weird real fast if you don’t know what you’re doing but I’m here to help you enjoy yourself safely.
First off
DO NOT EVER FEED MARIJUANA TO SOMEONE WITHOUT CONSENT :
I have a sense of humor about some pretty sick shit but I’m being serious right now. Edibles can be extremely potent and there are several variables in regards to how they affect a person. For someone who doesn’t know what’s happening and didn’t ask to come along for the ride, it can be an extremely terrifying experience. It’s also a major charge and can land you in jail for a long time. It’s pointless, it’s stupid and if you do it you’re a fucking little bitch. If I’ve been able to resist the urge to dose my family over many holiday dinner (god knows they need it) you can resist the urge to prank your friends
THC Tetrahydrocannabinol is one of but not the only active chemical compounds that get you “High” when you consume it via smoking or, in the case of this article, eating it. It’s an evolutionary practical joke since it’s believed that plants developed this as a deterrent to herbivores (vegans of the animal kingdom). The funny thing is that humans actually have cannabinoid receptors in our brains thus proving that human history is very much connected with Marijuana.
Now please keep in mind that science is really starting to gain traction with research and we are constantly finding other beneficial compounds that don’t get you high but are able to treat a host of symptoms from nausea to muscle pain without the side effects that come with most prescriptions. For the sake of keeping this thing short and concise I won’t go into this right now but trust me, the back cream I use works better than Tiger Balm and doesn’t smell like ass.
THC Loves FAT:
This is a big reason why pot butter is so popular, it’s easy to make and it does the job. THC is fat soluble which means it binds and mixes with butter, oil, etc but it doesn’t get along well with water. This small fact comes in handy as you will see later on.
THC hates high temps:
Here’s a fun fact, when you take a bong rip or a toke off a joint, you’re really getting at most 30% of the real potency because of the fact that you’re burning it all away. When you cook with THC, you’re not burning anything (unless you fuck it up) and you’re getting between 85-95% of the potency. That same little nug that you just packed in your bong could get you a whole lot higher if you cooked with it.
How is it different?:
When you smoke, it hits you quick and dies off after a rather short time but when you eat it, your body takes it’s time and really gets the full effect. Not only are you getting the full potential but it’s a whole body buzz, not just a head rush. I’ll put it to you like this, I smoke weed all day every day and can function better than most people but I’m real careful about doing edibles if I have anything going on because….
Everyone is different:
When you eat edibles, you’re not just going after the biggest bang for your buck, you want to enjoy the ride and still be able to have some motor skills so you can get up and go to the bathroom. Even if you buy edibles in a state such as Washington that they are regulated, you don’t know how they’re going to affect you. Even if you think you have a high tolerance when you smoke, that doesn’t mean a brownie won’t put you on your ass for a few hours. There are a lot of factors to this such as metabolism, how much you weigh, etc so start small at first until you know how much you can handle.
Buds, shake, trim or Kief, how much do I use?
Again, this is a big variable. THC forms in crystals all over the cannabis plant and they break off the more you handle them. The most potent form is Kief since its pure THC crystals. Buds are what you buy and smoke and this, despite the cost, is what I recommend using. Shake is the shit that you have left in the bottom of your bag, it still packs a punch but it’s unreliable. Trim is all the leaves and stems from the plant. It has THC but not much and you need to use a lot to get any potency.
As far as how much to use, it works like this:
- 1/4 ounce of finely ground BUDS per pound of butter for a light but potent batch
- 1/2 ounce of finely ground BUDS per pound of butter for a medium strength batch.
- 1 ounce of finely ground BUDS per pound of butter for an unholy strength batch.
Keep in mind that weed can vary in potency from as little as 5% THC, also known as swag (this is what Juggalos smoke) to 30% THC which is what I tend to smoke most of the time. If you live in Washington you have a lot of choices that are clearly labeled but if you’re buying from a dealer, you never really know what you’re getting thus the chart above.
Now I know you’re thinking “Holy fuck that’s a lot of cash to spend on Edibles!?!?” but let’s do the math.
I get ounces out here for around $260 for the good stuff. An ounce makes a pound of butter and I get two batches, 24 brownies, from a pound of butter. It works out to be a little more the $10 per brownie but trust me, one brownie made with the super strength butter is more than enough to set you straight for the day so it’s actually a good deal. If you smoke the stuff you’re losing most of the potency anyways dumbass.
Weed Butter, the water bath method:
I’ve cooked butter a lot of different ways this is more or less the most consistent, idiot proof way to make butter. The science is simple, THC loves fat but it hates water and high heat. Water has a boiling point of 212 which is high enough to release the THC from the plant matter but still far below the temperature that it will degrade the potency or burn the butter. Boiling water also means that the plant matter is getting mixed thoroughly with the butter. The nice thing too is that you don’t even need a thermometer for this, you just have to make sure that you have plenty of water in the pot. Once you cool the mix the water and butter will separate with the THC chemically bound to the butter.
Mise En Place
- Large pot with lid
- Fine Mesh strainer
- Cheesecloth
- Weed or pepper grinder
- Rubber spatula
- Large bowl
Ingredients
- Water
- Marijuana
- 1 pound unsalted butter
Method of preparation
- Fill the pot about halfway with water and bring to a mild boil
- Add the butter and let it melt
- Grind up your weed and add it to the pot
- Let it cook but keep an eye on it to make sure that the water doesn’t boil over or run dry.
- You need to boil it for at least an hour but I normally cook mine for at least three to six hours to get the full potency.
- Cut off the heat and let it cool for a bit
- Set up some cheesecloth in the mesh strainer and pour the mix through.
- Press it down hard with the rubber spatula to really get all of the butter out. Once you do, you can throw away the weed and cheesecloth.
- Put the strained butter and water in the fridge for a few hours until the butter hardens on top.
- Once it’s ready, just cut the butter out and get rid of the water.
- Enjoy responsibly (my lawyer made me say that)
- I’m not sure of the shelf since it’s never lasted long in my Kitchen but if you’re going to store it, wrap it in wax paper and store in the freezer.
Brownies
So what do I know about Brownies? I’m not admitting to anything. Just know that this recipe has never done me wrong, it’s made a lot of people happy, paid my bills and gotten me jobs at several places. It’s been tested.
Brownies are similar to cake since both use a mix of Baking Soda, Baking Powder and Salt as a chemical leavening agent to make it rise and get nice n fluffy. But Brownies use a lot more Chocolate so the texture is going to be much richer. You don’t have to use Budda, you can use normal butter but why the hell would you?
Mise En Place
- Medium Pot with 2-3 inches of boiling water
- Large mixing bowl that will fit over the pot of water. Make sure its metal or glass so that it can take the heat
- Whisk
- Rubber Spatula
- Standard 9x13x2 in cake pan greased and ready to use
- Oven set to 325-350
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (2 sticks) of budda
- 11-ounce bag of Milk chocolate
- 1 1/2 cups of light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups of AP flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Method of Preparation
- Melt down the budda in the bowl
- Melt the Chocolate into the butter
- Remove the bowl from the pot of water.
- Whisk in the brown sugar
- Whisk in the salt, baking powder, and baking soda
- Whisk in the eggs
- Whisk in the flour
- Make sure there are no lumps
- Pour into the Baking pan and cook for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick or a knife comes out clean.
- Let them cool for a few minutes then serve.
Notes
- Please, if you are going to cook with Budda, please read the article about cooking with THC before you do. You can play around with different types of Chocolate, add peanut butter, nuts, hell I’ve added chili and cinnamon to make a spicy dark chocolate brownie and it was fucking good. Please, play around and if you have any questions just let me know and I’ll do my best to answer you.Oh, and my buddies crush loved the ones he made and he looked like a Pimp, because he took the time to do it right.
WANT MORE!?!?