When getting started with edibles, infusing canola oil with cannabis is an easy way to get the most out of your product. When you choose to medicate with an edible, you’re guaranteed to experience different effects from more traditional forms of ingesting marijuana, like inhaling. These effects last longer and have a gradual onset, making edibles a perfect once-a-day medication.
Ingredients
2 cups organic canola oil
1 cup of dried cannabis (approximately 1/4 ounce or 7 grams)
Latex/vinyl gloves
Crock-pot (we like these because they are portable and have a locking lid in case you need to move it quickly.)
Air tight storage container
Cheesecloth or straining bag
Large rubber band
Instructions
Before beginning, you want to make sure that you have already decarboxylated your cannabis. To do this, you will need to preheat your oven to 240° and spread about a quarter ounce of slightly ground cannabis onto a baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes. This process “activates” the THC by removing the acid, or carboxyl group, thus converting THCA to THC. You may skip this step if you wish to avoid most of the psychotropic effects from your finished product.
In a crockpot mix the canola oil and cannabis and give it a stir before covering. Allow the ingredients to cook on low from 6 hours up to (yes, really) 3 days. Some people prefer cooking on a very low temperature over days for the perfect infusion, but we recommend 8 hours. Anything longer may scorch your product. If you see that your mixture is getting too hot, you can add water to the mixture a few drops at a time to help keep the temperature regulated. When you feel your oil is done, turn off your crockpot and let the oil cool down before handling. The oil is very hot and handling it may burn you.
Put on your gloves, as this mixture may be incredibly potent. Don’t underestimate this step as it may land you on the couch for the night!
If you don’t have an inexpensive straining bag then place 2-3 layers of cheese cloth over your container, wrapping it snug with a rubber band. Once your cheesecloth is in place, carefully pour your mixture of cannabis and canola oil over the cheesecloth, straining the plant ingredients from the oil. You can use a silicone spatula to get all the oil and plant you can from the crockpot.
Before this next step you need to make sure that you are wearing gloves and that they are free from any tears. Cut the rubber band and using your gloved hands, squeeze the cheesecloth to extract as much oil from the plant leftovers as possible. You’re not going to want to do this without gloves because you do not know how you will react to your oil yet. Discard plant leftovers.
Pour the oil from the container (if you’d like) and place into a mason jar. Keep the jar covered with it’s lid and store in your refrigerator.
