Make your own edibles with a personalized THC dose that’s right for you.

Making edibles at home can be a fun and satisfying way to create your own personalized THC treats. While cooking cannabis-infused treats can be simple and easy, understanding a correct THC can be intimidating.

First things first, what is THC?

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the compound in marijuana that gives you the sensation of being high. The amount of THC you put into your edibles can make the difference between a nice evening with a relaxing buzz, or a stressful paranoid high.

Edibles that are too strong have even been known to cause panic attacks. The right dose is different for everyone. Factors like previous use and sensitivity are important to consider. The rule of thumb is, if you’re new to consuming cannabis edibles, start light with only one to five milligrams of THC.

Let’s say you occasionally sample edibles on weekends or holidays. Consider trying anywhere between five and ten milligrams. If you consume marijuana on a regular daily basis, you can up your dose from here. If you’re unsure of how to approach, it’s best to start with a low THC dose and work your way up. Be sure to give yourself one to two hours to see how a serving of THC edibles affects your body. Remember, it’s better to consume too few than too many.

How to administer the correct THC dose for edibles:

There are a few things you’ll need to know about the cannabis bud you’re using to make edibles.

Firstly, what is the percentage of THC in the flower you’re cooking with? This information should be available to you if you are using dispensary bud. Make sure you write that number down.

Secondly, weigh out your cannabis flower in grams. The next step is to find out how many milligrams of THC is in a gram, which requires converting your flower weight into milligrams. 

Follow the formulas below:

1 gram of flower = 1000 milligrams

Let’s say you have one gram of flower that’s 18 percent THC. Follow this calculation to determine the amount of milligrams of THC:

1000mg X 18% = 180mg THC

Now, you’re ready to calculate your dose of THC.

Let’s say you want to make a cup of THC butter. That cup of butter will be 180mg of THC. If you are you using that butter for a batch of sugar cookies, the recipe calls for a quarter cup cannabis butter. This is how you determine the dosage per serving.

Start by dividing the mg per cup into four. This will determine how much THC is in 1/4 cup as seen here:

180mg/4 = 45mg

Then, divide 45mg by the number of servings you are creating. Let’s assume you’re making a dozen sugar cookies. 

45mg/12 = 3.75mg per serving

From the above calculation, you know that each sugar cookie will have approximately 3.75mg of THC. 

You can also keep things simple by using an online THC dosing calculator.

Just measure your cannabis flower in grams, enter in the percentage of potency, the amount of butter/oil you’re using, and this handy calculator will give you the dosage.

How to Extract THC for Making Edibles

Now that understand how to correctly calculate a dosage, you’re ready to start cooking. To start, you’ll need to extract your THC from the flower. This is to allow you to infuse your recipe. This involves decarboxylating your flower.

The easiest decarb method involves your oven and a baking tray. 

Place some parchment paper on a baking tray, and crumble your flower over the top. Then, stick it in the oven at 240 degrees for 45 minutes. Your flower will be golden brown and ready for cooking. If you’re baking something like the sugar cookies, you can merely simmer your decarb flower in butter and water before you start baking.

What if you’re interested in making some edible THC gummies?

Weed gummy do not require butter or oil, rather, they calls for one tablespoon of cannabis tincture. You can make your own THC-infused tincture at home by adding your decarb flower to alcohol. 

The process is simple:

• Mix your flower with high-proof grain alcohol (like Everclear) and put it in a mason jar.
  
• Close the lid and let it sit in your cupboard for a few weeks, while making sure to shake it once a day.
  
• Filter the liquid through cheesecloth or a coffee filter.

Don’t have time to wait a few weeks? Try this method:

• After you add your decarb flower to the alcohol, you can simmer your mason jar of ingredients in what’s called a water bath — it’s the same process you would use if you were canning a jar of pickles. 
  
• Simply strain the mixture and your tincture will be ready.

Now that you understand how to correctly decarb, calculate, and dose THC, you’re on the path to becoming an excellent weed chef!