The holiday season provides us with the opportunity to take a break from our busy schedules and spend time with the ones we care for most. A time that is often celebrated with gatherings surrounded by food.
As cannabis reform laws continue to evolve, more people are being drawn to edible forms of cannabis. These edibles don’t have to be limited to chocolates, gummies, or cookies either. In fact, cooking with cannabis is easier than you think!
Today, CannaMD explores the basics of how and why to cook with cannabis products.
FUN FACT: Speaking of edibles, on August 26th 2020, CannaMD – the fastest growing network of medical marijuana doctors in Florida – issued the first ever medical marijuana edibles certification in Florida!
Top 4 Reasons To Make Your Own Edibles
Before we dive into some tips for cooking with cannabis, let’s review a few reasons why you may want to consider making your own edibles:
- Sugar Content – Need we say more? Many pre-packaged edibles are loaded with extra sugars to help disguise the tastes of the product.
- Additives – This can come in the form of flavoring, thickening gums, cutting agents, dyes, and preservatives.
- Quality – As with traditional food, it’s good to know where your food is coming from and what interacts with your food during its journey to the dispensaries.
- Dosing Control – Making your own edibles gives you the control over the dosing in each bite. Dispensaries are often restricted to creating edible products with certain milligram caps. Creating your own edibles gives you complete control over milligram ratios that better suit your medical needs.
Cooking With Marijuana: Decarboxylation
The most important thing to remember when cooking with cannabis is to use a product that has undergone decarboxylation. Decarboxylation is a chemical reaction that occurs when you heat cannabis flower over a low heat (200-240°F) for 30-40 minutes. This process activates the chemical compounds in the flower.
In its natural form, the cannabis plant produces a non-psychoactive cannabinoid called cannabigerolic acid (CBGA). CBGA is known as the “mother of all cannabinoids”. This cannabinoid converts into other precursor cannabinoids such as CBDA and THCA.
These group of precursor cannabinoids, possess an extra chemical group, called a carboxyl group. The extra carboxyl group prevents the compound from attaching to our receptors. Decarboxylation removes the extra carboxyl group activating the cannabinoid.
Many syringe concentrates, tinctures, and oils sold in dispensaries have already gone through this process. If you are unsure if your product has, ask your budtender when purchasing.
What Form Of Cannabis Should I Use For Cooking?
The choice is yours! Everyone has a preferred form of cannabis that they like to use for cooking. If you are looking for a quick option, most dispensaries sell syringe concentrates that are already decarbed and ready for you to add into any dish!
If you have extra time to spare, making your own cannabis oil or butter allows you to have more control over the strains, terpenes, and cannabinoids. The key is simply to decarboxylase the material in order for the compounds to become activated. Making your own edibles is easier than it sounds! If you need a little help, check out Leafly’s guide, How to Make Edibles.
Cooking with cannabis doesn’t need to be difficult. Generally, the hardest part is determining the total dosage and how that breaks down into individual servings – not the actual cooking itself!
How Much Thc Should Edibles Contain?
In general, the industry standard for a single edible serving is typically between 5 – 10 mg of THC. However, if you’ve never had an edible before, we advise starting with a low dose of THC – around 2.5 mg per serving. Wait 45-90 minutes before increasing dosage. The amount of time it takes for an edible to take effect differs per person. Many factors can impact the experience such as metabolism, digestive issues, time of day, genetics, hormones, and other medications.
Florida Thc Milligram Cap: August 2022 Update
Edibles milligram cap update: As of August 30th 2022, Florida medical marijuana patients may only purchase up to 60mg of THC edibles per day or 4,200 mg of THC edibles per 70-day period.
*New Florida medical marijuana THC milligram caps