Tips for Using Cannabis Concentrates in Edibles

As understanding of the cannabis plant and all the wonderful things we can do with it continues to grow, more and more patients are beginning to experiment with ways they can access their medication. As a result, many people are discovering that they can make unique and interesting consumables from quality cannabis.

Edibles are a favorite for cannabis patients, not only because they are so effective, but because they offer so much variety. At MÜV Dispensaries, you can find soft chews, hard candies, chocolates, and more, but due to state regulations, each piece can contain a maximum of 10 mg THC.

At home, finding the best ways to add cannabis to your favorite treats at your preferred dose, high or low, can be a fun experiment, no matter what kind of edible product you prefer. But to do so, you’ll need to create cannabutter or canna oil first.

Why Create Cannabutter or Canna Oil with Concentrates?

The expansive nature of cannabis products is especially true for concentrates, a category that encompasses a broad range of concentrated cannabis products with varying extraction methods. Solvent-free methods actually do use a solvent like butane, ethanol, or carbon dioxide to extract cannabis compounds from plant matter, but are referred to as “solvent-free” because all solvents are purged away after extraction. Solventless extraction is achieved by using heat and pressure to extract essential compounds. These extracts are typically in raw oil form, then further refined to create many types of concentrates.

Here are some of the most popular concentrates for making edibles:

• RSO - Otherwise known as Rick Simpson Oil, this oil is potent as well as very thick and sticky. RSO is made using a unique extraction process that uses every part of the cannabis plant, so it often has a very earthy cannabis flavor that can be present in your edible. No decarboxylation is needed with this concentrate, an added bonus and saved step in the edibles cooking process.
• Distillate - This is a very pure, flavorless concentrate created with a distillation process similar to what is used to create alcohol. This concentrate goes through a refinement process where it is heated and filtered several times, so it does not need to be decarbed (more on this later) when you are using it for edibles. Some distillates are available at up to 99% purity.
• Shatter - crumble,  and related products. Solvent-free oil can be vacuum-purged, then agitated or whipped while hot to create a sticky wax. From there, it can be manipulated in a variety of ways, including into budder, badder, sugar, crumble, and more, with varying textures based on the amount of whipping, agitating, cooling, and purging that takes place. You’ll need to decarb these concentrates before infusing them into your cannabutter or oil.
• Kief - A solventless concentrate. The potent holders and producers of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other beneficial cannabis compounds. Kief can be collected over time in your flower grinder or purchased at a dispensary.
• Rosin - Another solventless concentrate. Trichomes are collected and the beneficial cannabis compounds extracted using only heat and pressure. Often pressed into coins, rosin is a potent, full-spectrum option.

These concentrates are common but are not the only options available to cannabis patients. Your local MÜV Cannabis Advisors can help you understand each type of concentrate, talk you through their effects and uses, and help you find the one that is best for you. Once you have found your favorite concentrate, you are ready to get cooking!

Making Cannabutter with Concentrates

Butter is a staple ingredient in recipes ranging from baked goods to buttered popcorn, casseroles, and more. It provides the necessary fat content you need to make recipes delicious and filling and serves as an excellent medium for transferring the properties of your favorite concentrate to your edible goods. Infusing butter with your favorite variety of cannabis concentrate can help you make delicious edibles that pack a powerful high.

Cannabutter, butter that has been infused with cannabis, is simple to make and can be easily adapted to meet your needs. If you are already familiar with the process necessary to make your favorite buttery goodies, then making your own cannabutter is a great way to expand your repertoire.

About Decarbing

You'll need to determine whether you should decarboxylate your cannabis concentrate first. Decarbing is an essential part of making cannabutter and oil with cannabis flower. With flower, it is necessary to heat the cannabis first to cause a chemical reaction that prompts the preliminary cannabinoids like THC-A and CBD-A, which are not psychoactive, to drop a carboxyl group and become activated THC and CBD.

If your THC concentrate has not already been decarbed during the production process and you want to experience the psychoactive effects, you’ll need to decarb. Fortunately, some concentrates are already decarbed, making them easier to work with than flower.

If you purchase the following concentrates, you won’t need to decarb first:

• RSO
• Distillate

If you have purchased these concentrates, you may want to decarb:

Concentrate Cannabutter Recipe

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Prep Time: 1 hourYield 1 cup

Brownies, cookies, and other baked goods are a favorite treat for many people, and for good reason. They are delicious and can be simple to make – and many of them contain butter, which makes them ideal vehicles for cannabis-infused edibles. When you are ready to make your own cannabutter using your favorite concentrate, get started with our concentrate-friendly cannabutter recipe. This recipe makes one cup of butter per gram of concentrate, but keep in mind that a gram of concentrate can contain as little as 60% and as much as 95% THC.

Supplies You’ll Need:

• 1 g of your chosen concentrate, or your preferred dose
• Dab tool
• Parchment paper
• Double boiler (or saucepan and oven-safe bowl)
• An oven-safe dish
• 2 t of sunflower lecithin, either liquid or powder (optional)
• Lighter
• 1 c of butter

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Directions:

• If necessary, decarboxylate your concentrate by heating it at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Thicker concentrates should be broken up into as even pieces as possible using a dab tool, and spread evenly on parchment paper to decarb in the oven , while liquid versions can be carefully heated in a small saucepan.
• Let you concentrate cool after decarbing.
• Add about an inch of water to the lower half of the double boiler, or saucepan if using saucepan and bowl. Heat the butter in the top portion of the double boiler or oven-safe bowl  until it starts to melt, but make sure it does not boil. Add in your concentrate with a dabber or with a heated utensil and continue to .
• Stir the concentrate into your warmed, melted butter to be sure it is well incorporated.
• Add sunflower lecithin to the mixture, if you wish. While not necessary, it can help baked goods and gummies stabilize to a form that will not crumble.
• Pour into a glass container with a lid, and allow to cool.

Cannabutter will be a great addition to any recipe that normally calls for butter. It will make any baked goods fluffy and delicious while giving you the powerful effects you want from your cannabis concentrate.

Making Canna Oil with Concentrates

While cannabutter is a cannabis edible staple ingredient, butter may not be the best option for you, especially if you have a dairy allergy or are lactose intolerant. You may also find that butter simply does not fit as well into the recipe you’d like to infuse with cannabis. In these circumstances, canna oil may be just what you need.

When you are looking for something with a high fat content to infuse with your cannabis concentrates, you cannot do much better than cooking oil. Oil is great for recipes like salad dressings and boxed baking mixes, and it is just as good for ensuring an even distribution of THC or CBD. It can also be added at the end of a recipe to round everything out.

Canna Oil Recipe

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Prep Time: 1 hourYield 1 cup

Much like the cannabutter process, making canna oil with any type of concentrate is relatively simple. One of the other benefits of canna oil is that it can be made with nearly any type of cooking oil. Olive oil and coconut oil are the most common types, but you can also use avocado, walnut, grapeseed, or any other oil that you prefer. This recipe will make about one cup of canna oil. As with cannabutter, this recipe will make a cup of oil infused with a gram of concentrate, but you’ll need to keep your concentrate’s potency in mind for dosing.

Supplies You Need:

• Double boiler or saucepan and oven-safe bowl
• An oven-safe dish
• Parchment paper
• Dabber
• Lighter
• 2 t of sunflower lecithin, powder or liquid (optional)
• 1 c of your favorite cooking oil
• 1 g, or preferred dose of your favorite concentrate

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Directions:

• Decarboxylate your concentrate if needed. Use the dab tool to break your concentrate into equal pieces, then spread it evenly on parchment paper and place int he oven. Heat to 200 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.
• Once your concentrate has been decarbed, take it out of the oven or off the heat and let it cool slightly.
• Add about an inch of water to the bottom of the double boiler or saucepan, then the oil to the top of the double boiler or oven-safe bowl. Warm your oil over low heat.
• Slowly combine your concetrate with the heated oil, stirring to ensure that it is well combined. This will help the THC or CBD in your concentrate bond with the oil.
• Once the two have been combined, add in the sunflower lecithin, an optional addition if you’re concerned with crumbling textures in baked goods or gummies.
• Stir until thoroughly combined.
• Remove from heat and pour into a glass container for storage.

Concentrate Cannabutter and Canna Oil Tips

We’ve rounded up some essential tips to ensure your cannabutter or canna oil journey is a successful one.

Dosing with Concentrates

Baking brownies, making soft chews, or creating your own chocolates with cannabis concentrates can be fun. You get to test out your cooking skills while creating something that is delicious and helps you feel good. It is important, though, that you know how to dose your edibles when you are using concentrates.

Most recipes for cannabutter and canna oil that use concentrates infuse one gram of concentrate with one cup of butter or oil. That does not mean that every batch of cannabutter or canna oil will be uniform across all types of concentrates. More potent concentrates will make for more potent oil or butter, and you'll need to use less to achieve the same effects.

Storing Cannabutter and  Canna Oil Properly

Many cannabutter and canna oil recipes create more than you can or should use for one recipe. If you choose to create extra cannabutter or canna oil or don't use all your butter or oil in your first recipe, you can store it for up to 30 days in your refrigerator to be used in other recipes.

Here are some tips for cannabutter or canna oil storage:

• Make sure to store excess butter or oil in an airtight container.
• Try to store your butter or oil in heat-resistant containers in case you have to warm it up for your next recipe.
• Do not keep it in the refrigerator for longer than 30 days, or it will go bad.
• Using an opaque or dark glass container can help keep canna oil stored at room temperature from becoming degraded by excess sunlight.
• Label your cannabutter as containing THC to ensure no one accidentally uses it.

If you wish to keep your cannabutter for longer than a month, you can freeze it instead. Be sure to thaw it at room temperature prior to using!

Try Using Sunflower Lecithin

While sunflower lecithin is not absolutely essential to creating cannabutter and canna oil, it does have a beneficial effect on your infused cannabis fat. Lecithin improves the fat's ability to bind to cannabinoid compounds. This means your THC or CBD can be distributed more evenly throughout your edibles. Too, it helps to ensure a stable finished homemade edible.

Mistakes to Avoid When Making Cannabutter and Canna Oil

When you are trying a new recipe for the first time, there is no guarantee that you will get it right. That can be frustrating, but here are a few things you can do to give your recipe a better chance of success.

Avoid Using the Wrong Carrier

Having the right ingredients is a key part of making great edibles, but not all ingredients are created equal. While butter and oil can both be infused with cannabis, they are not interchangeable in every recipe. Read your chosen recipe carefully so you will know for sure which carrier to use for your cannabis concentrate. Using the wrong fat can cause your recipe to be a potent, wasteful failure.

Avoid Too Much Heat

If you're decarbing, you'll need to heat your concentrate. You'll also need to warm your butter or oil to encourage blending. However, it is important that you don't go overboard. Decarboxylating your cannabis concentrate brings out the psychoactive effects of the cannabis, but if it gets too hot or stays in the heat too long, then you risk burning off any THC and wasting it. Aim for temperatures between 200℉ and 300℉ for no more than 40-60 minutes for the best results.

The best way to ensure that your edibles turn out well is to use quality cannabis products that feature the effects you desire without being too potent. Finding a concentrate that works with your recipe, has the effects you enjoy, and contains the right THC percentage will help you make delicious edibles that achieve your purpose. Pay careful attention to dosing, and start low and slow until you reach your ideal effects.

Trust MÜV as Your Source for High-Quality Cannabis Concentrates

If you are a Florida cannabis patient, making edibles with concentrates can be a fun project for you to try. First, though, you'll need to identify your favorite concentrate and land on the right dose for you. Whether you are looking for a strain-specific concentrate or you want a full-flavored RSO, MÜV has what you need.

Visit any of our Florida dispensaries and ask a Cannabis Advisor which concentrate will work best for your specific needs.