How to make a cannabis infusion
List of contents
How to extract cannabinoids in a drink
Making a cannabis infusion is a simple and effective way to consume the plant, for recreational or therapeutic use. It can also be a good solution to recycle cannabis buds that don't have a good enough quality flavour to be consumed in the "conventional" way.
Cannabinoids such as THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) or CBD (Cannabidiol) have the particularity of not being water-soluble. Therefore, the result of boiling water with cannabis will not be as effective as it is with other infusions such as tea, mint or chamomile.
The active ingredients of the cannabis plant are fat-soluble, i.e. they can be mixed with lipids (fats). Therefore, it is possible to infuse herbal cannabis with whole milk, which contains approximately 36 grams of fat per litre. To increase this level of milk fat, a little butter, cream or even vegetable oil, such as coconut oil or cocoa butter, can be added. The more lipids the mixture contains, the easier it will be to extract the cannabinoids.
To mask the characteristic flavour of cannabis, we can add some cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, coffee... or any other flavouring depending on the taste of each consumer.
Recipe for Space Milk with chocolate & vanilla
Ingredients used in this cannabis infusion recipe:
- A bit of weed. In this case, we'll use a sun-grown outdoor bud of Fruity Jack / Jack El Frutero by Philosopher Seeds.
- 25cl full-fat whole milk
- A tablespoon of coconut oil
- Cocoa powder
- 1 vanilla pod
1- Grind up the buds with a grinder.
2- Heat the milk, ideally in a double-boiler (bain-marie), and add the coconut oil, the vanilla pod and the weed.
3- Cook over low heat for about 60/120 minutes, stirring regularly and making sure the milk does not spill over. This step is not only necessary for the extraction of the cannabinoids, but also for their decarboxylation, i.e. the transformation from their acid form (THCA, CBDA, etc.) to their active form (THC, CBD, etc.). Therefore, in a cannabis infusion that has not been boiled for long enough, the result will be a less potent effect.
4- Allow to cool, filter the liquid with a sieve or cheesecloth, squeezing it well to recover all the oils, which is where the cannabinoids will be found.
5- Finally, add some cocoa powder and stir well. If you prefer to drink the infusion hot, of course, you can warm it up in the microwave oven or reheat it on the stovetop. Your cannabis infusion will keep for a few days in the fridge, for example, in a clearly labelled milk bottle (keep it well away from children!).
Variations and other cannabis infusion recipes
Of course, this isn't the only way to prepare a cannabis infusion. Here are a few more bright ideas:
- For those who prefer vegan products, the whole milk can be replaced with plant-based milk and a little vegetable oil (coconut oil, cocoa butter, etc.)
- Instead of using buds, the infusion can be made with hashish. The recipe is the same, but in this case the hash must be broken up as finely as possible. Dry-sift hash is ideal to use for this, as it doesn't compact too much and is easily mixed. Infusions with hash have a better flavour and stronger effect than herbal infusions, indeed, Space Milk with hash is a classic of cannabis cookery.
- To improve the flavour of the infusion, you can boil the cannabis in water for a few minutes and then discard the water, before boiling it with the milk. This process will remove much of the chlorophyll as well as other molecules responsible for the characteristic "green" taste, without losing too many cannabinoids.
- Another technique is to previously make some cannabutter to mix with hot chocolate milk or any other type of infusion, coffee, tea, etc.
- If you want to use BHO extracts, you can dilute some in a little food-grade alcohol (rum, vodka, gin, etc.) and use the resulting liquid in milk or water-based infusions.
As usual in cannabis cookery, the strength of the effect in the final product will depend largely on the quantity and the quality of the cannabis used. As a general rule with THC-rich cannabis edibles, it is advisable to consume a small dose and wait about 90 minutes before taking another portion if necessary. The psychoactive effects will appear when the cannabinoids have been assimilated by the digestive system and can take about 45 / 90 minutes to be felt.
Enjoy it!
