I have had the pleasure of sharing several of my favorite recipes here on weedist. As I tried to decide what to share next, I had a flash of brilliance and decided not to share one at all. Instead, I am going to pass on to you some of the many ways that you can add cannabis to your culinary menu on a regular basis.

Whether you like to eat cannabis because the buzz lasts longer or because of its myriad healing properties, variety is important. The days of the good old pot brownie are over! Any food that you like to prepare that needs oil or butter can easily be medicated. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I continue to have moments of, “I wish I would have thought of that sooner,” when it comes to medicating my food.

There are tons of videos and directions on the internet and beyond that show you how to make cannabis infused oils, butter and tinctures. I always reference my friend, Yellowjuana Cake here, because she is the one who really opened my mind to the endless possibilities of cooking with cannabis.

To really experiment with cooking, it is nice to have all of these infused items available to you. Making weed concoctions can get messy, so I generally try to make those messes all in the same weekend. I store my goodies in the refrigerator and have never had a problem with spoilage or rancid oil. Butter can be stored in the freezer, too.

Many believe that the longer you let the oil soak up the cannabis, the better it is. I am formerly a member of that school of thought. I simmered my oils and butters for a week – crazy! One of my much more scientific friends explained the whole thing, but the gist is that it really only takes a couple of hours for all the good stuff to infuse into whatever you are infusing when using heat. I’m not going to lie; I am a skeptic and still cook my stuff overnight.

Another trick that I wish I had learned much earlier on is to wrap my cannabis in cheesecloth before adding it to my oil or whatever. The discovery that potency is not lost by wrapping up the weed has become a major time saver, especially when combined with a two-hour infusion time!

The last and maybe most important step that cannot be missed is decarboxilization first and foremost. I cannot emphasize enough the very distinct and noticeable increase in potency once I succumbed to decarboxilizing all my weed before I cook with it. I do that right when I get it home before I store it away until I need it. I bake it at 225 degrees for twenty minutes. Make sure it’s completely cool if you store it in a sealed container. I just throw it into a paper bag and fold over the top to keep it nice and dry. At this point is the perfect time to make canna-flour. Just grind up some of that prepared cannabis and store it in an air tight container, and you’re good to go. It can be used as a spice in your spaghetti sauce or on top of your pizza, and it can be substituted for part of the regular flour in any recipe. I don’t use it much because it takes a lot of leaf to make, and I don’t generally have that kind of access.

Now that you’ve got your supplies in place and ready to go, where to begin? The easiest way to start is with pre-packaged cookies – like the ones from Betty Crocker. Read the packages and look for the ones with the most butter or oil in them. Substitute your infused oil or butter, and there you are.

Another scientific friend told me that cannabis potency is increased when vinegar is added. Cannabis infused oil makes a great base for salad dressing; add spices, vinegar and water for a great vinaigrette. Since the oil can be used just like any other cooking oil, you can put it in marinades and sauces.

Cannabis glycerine tincture is a great sweetener. It is what gives the kick to my medicated applesauce, and it can be used in place of any liquid sweetener. It is easy to end up with consistency issues, so be aware of that. It’s great with your morning coffee and evening cup of tea. Since it mixes in easily, it may work well with any kind of unsweetened drink mix – maybe even Kool-Aid.

Be careful when making candy or other food that requires a high cooking temperature. Remember, THC evaporates at 390 degrees (activates at 314.6F, aka the magic begins), so you want to keep your cooking temperatures lower than that. One of my favorite medicated treats is popcorn made old school style in a pot on the stove with cannabis infused oil. I fry my tortillas in infused oil for tacos, too.

So, regardless of what you are cooking, the guidelines are not to make anything that requires heating to over 390 degrees and finding recipes that require larger amounts of whatever it is you are using at the time. Other than that, the sky is the limit!