Lots of people want to try their hand at cannabis cooking, but it’s not as easy as tossing a few buds into some cookie dough and calling it a day. Cannabis needs to be decarboxylated, or heated up, in order to activate the cannabinoids. These cannabinoids are fat-soluble, which means they needs to attach themselves to something like oil or butter in order to be effective in your recipes. That’s why cannabis-infused butter, or cannabutter, is so popular.

Cannabutter can’t just be picked up at the supermarket, but once you have a recipe you’ll be able to create your own infused recipes. Here are a few popular ways people make cannabis-infused butter.

You’ll need:

7 grams of ground cannabis (medium to coarse grind)

1 cup of unsalted butter

Oven safe baking tray

Parchment paper

Saucepan

Stir stick

Strainer (funnel style)

Cheesecloth

Jar or container for refrigeration and storage (preferably glass)

The first step is decarboxylation

Also known as decarbing, this process activates the cannabinoids.

Preheat your over to 245°F Line an oven tray with parchment paper and place your cannabis buds on it Bake the cannabis for 30-40 minutes. If your cannabis is very dry to begin with, less time in the oven may be required. Every 10 minutes or so, open the oven and gently mix the cannabis flower on the tray to ensure even heating

When you take the tray out, your cannabis should look mostly brown.

The decarbing process is the same no matter how you create your cannabis-infused butter.

Stove top directions

This method takes between two and three hours. Be prepared to stay by the stove the whole time.

Place your saucepan on the stove top over a low-medium heat Add 1 cup of unsalted butter and 1 cup of water, simmering on low heat until the butter begins to melt (the water aids temperature regulation and prevents your butter from burning) When the butter is almost completely melted, add in your decarbed cannabis Use a thermometer to make sure the temperature stays above 160°F but below 200°F Let your mixture simmer for 2-3 hours and remember to stir occasionally. Pay attention and NEVER let the mixture begin to boil After the simmering time is completed, allow the mixture to cool (not harden) and continue onto the straining process outlined below

Slow cooker directions

Set your slow cooker onto its low setting (about 160°F, never over 200°F) Add 1 cup of butter and a small amount of water into the slow cooker and wait for the butter to melt Once the butter is melted, add your decarbed cannabis and stir occasionally until a uniform mix is created Allow the mixture to simmer in the slow cooker for 3 hours, then unplug the slow cooker and allow the butter to cool but not solidify Continue to straining instructions

Straining directions

Place your strainer on top of your storage container and line the strainer with cheesecloth Pour the cooled cannabutter over the cheesecloth and allow it to strain using only gravity. Avoid squeezing or pressing the cheesecloth to limit unnecessary plant material from landing in your end product Once your mixture has finished straining, seal your storage container full of cannabutter and refrigerate until hard

Using your cannabutter

The internet is full of recipes that call for cannabutter, or you can even substitute it into recipes you already have. The potency of your edibles will always depend on the potency of your cannabis, how much cannabutter you use, and how many servings the recipe makes. That’s why it’s important to start low and go slow when consuming edibles, and always wait at least two hours before consuming more.