How To Make CBD Edibles

Learning how to make CBD edibles at home is all the rage at the moment. Not only is it fun and super impressive to make your cannabis candy—it’s an easy way to save some money. 

By making it yourself, you also have complete control over the cannabinoid content in your snacks. You get to use your favorite strain to make edibles to your exact needs. 

If making your own CBD oil interests you but you don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered. We take a look at the benefits and effects and how to make CBD edibles at home. We’re also going to share a great method for infusing butter to get you started. 

What are CBD edibles?

You guessed it; edibles are quite simply weed prepared for ingestion. It usually doesn’t require any combustion to take place as the chemical compounds have already been activated. The CBD edibles effects last much longer than in other forms. 

Since CBD came into the limelight, many people believe edibles are a new concept. Smoking and vaping are, in fact, ‘new’ to the scene. Marijuana edibles are the oldest method of consuming pot.  

It makes sense that cannabis has been used as an ingredient for thousands of years for various reasons. 

CBD-infused edibles contain virtually no THC and are often used for medicinal purposes. It’s a discreet and excellent way to get your fix without lighting up a joint. 

CBD edibles effects

If you’ve spent some time around regular marijuana users, you’ve no doubt heard of someone accidentally eating too many brownies. The effects of CBD edibles are the same; they can take you by surprise.

Whatever your experience with ‘enhanced’ baked goods, it’s all about the effects. As with most weed products, edibles usually have high levels of THC—the psychoactive component of reefer. These might induce unwanted effects, especially for medical users. 

CBD-infused edibles are gaining popularity thanks to the long list of potential health advantages. It’s non-psychotropic and has loads of benefits. Users everywhere attest to CBD helping with the following: 

• Depression
• Fibromyalgia
• Insomnia
• Stress-relief
• Anxiety
• Pain relief
• ADHD
• IBS
• Multiple Sclerosis

Just to name a few. Users report a general improvement in health and wellness when eating CBD-infused edibles. 

When ingested, CBD usually takes about 1–3 hours to enter the bloodstream. Tinctures and vaping get absorbed much faster, but the effects don’t last as long. Symptom relief can sometimes take longer, but this shouldn’t be an issue as you can standardize dosing. 

The cherry on this proverbial cake would be the lack of side effects. Most users don’t experience any adverse sensations from consuming CBD edible treats. 

CBD edibles benefits

Unlike THC, most CBD-infused edibles benefit from the long list of positive traits of hemp plants. It’s quickly becoming one of the most popular supplements around, and with good reason. 

This cannabinoid produced by the marijuana plant doesn’t make you high, but the effects are awesome. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of CBD-infused edibles. 

CBD is an antioxidant

It has an impressive repertoire of antioxidant properties and Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. That’s probably why CBD is a popular health and wellness supplement. 

Anything that inhibits oxidation in your body is seen as an antioxidant. Oxidation is the bad guy that causes damage to cells and often leads to common health problems. 

When it interacts with the natural endocannabinoid system in your body, CBD-infused edibles act as an antioxidant. It also supplements the positive effects of other fruits and veggies that we consume. It leads to reduced inflammation and less damage to cells. 

CBD is non-psychotropic

Even though it’s a cannabinoid compound found in cannabis, CBD has no psychoactive properties. Instead, it’s an excellent mood booster that offers positive and alert energy. 

The long-lasting effects of CBD edible treats are excellent for managing day-to-day stress and mild pain. Edibles are a great way for folks to experience the positive effects of weed without getting high. 

It’s easy to make

It’s surprisingly easy to make your CBD-infused edibles. Big words like decarboxylation can sound scary and complex, but they aren’t. 

You can add CBD extractions to baked or cooked goods for an extra antioxidant kick. 

Grab your favorite strain when making your own CBD oil or make cannabutter for those cookies you’re baking. 

CBD crystals and tinctures make edibles dosing easier, giving you total control over your dose per serving. 

It’s discreet

Marijuana can be quite inconvenient to consume. Sure vaping has come a long way, but even pocket vapes can be quite bulky. You might not always be able to take a puff to get your dose. 

CBD-infused edibles are a lifesaver in situations where you need some pain relief or a mental boost. You can take it on your long flights or pack it as snacks for those tiring business days. 

It balances out THC’s psychoactive effects

While it’s true that CBD-infused edibles take a while to kick in, they help balance out the psychoactive effects of THC. Eating some CBD gummies before trying out Bruce Banner fem can help moderate the hard-knocking effects. 

Some research suggests that CBD-infused edibles calm the uncomfortable experience for folks sensitive to THC. 

If you’re after a bit of a high, you may want to try out pre-dosed CBD and THC edibles. 

You can buy it online

Despite its impeccable reputation, CBD is still banned in many parts of the world alongside THC. The regulations in the United States are still a bit unclear, but many providers sell CBD online and ship it country-wide. 

Most CBD-infused edibles that you’ll find on the internet are derived from hemp plants and not marijuana. In recent years the term hemp applies to cannabis cultivars with high-CBD and low-THC.

How to make CBD butter

Cannabutter is an easy way to infuse recipes with CBD. The process of making your own CBD butter is almost the same as extracting CBD oil without the use of carrier oil. 

Let’s look at how to make CBD butter.

You’ll need some hemp leaves or flowers to start the process. It’s recommended to start with only one and work your way up till you find the dosage that works for you. If you’re legally able to, growing your own plants is a great first step. 

Other ingredients you need include: 

• A pound of unsalted butter
• Four cups of water
• Two cheesecloths (fine)
• A couple of cooking utensils and a mixing bowl 
• A saucepan and metal colander 
• Airtight container 

Now that you’ve gathered everything you need, follow these easy steps, and voila—you’ll know how to make CBD butter.

Step 1

Add butter and water to the saucepan and put it on low heat. Once the butter has melted, add the hemp flower or bud.

Step 2

Let the mixture simmer over low heat for 3–4 hours—stir every 30 minutes. Make sure it never boils. 

Pro tip: pop a thermometer in the pan and make sure the temps never pass 320°F. Any warmer, and you’ll lose the effects of CBD edibles.

Step 3

If the hemp flowers touch the bottom or float too close, gradually add some water to the mix. Some extra water will also solve your problem if the mixture becomes too thick. 

Step 4

After 3–4 hours of simmering, most of the water will have evaporated. You can now remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool. 

Step 5

Line your colander with a fine cheesecloth and hold it over a bowl. Once you can handle the concoction, pour it into the colander and press it to pass the butter through the cloth. 

If you think it’s needed, you can lift and squeeze the cloth to make sure you extract as much butter as possible. 

Step 6

Put the bowl in the fridge until the butter has solidified—it should separate from the water.

Step 7

Remove the butter and make sure the extra water remains in the bowl. Dry the butter as you lift it out and put it in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator and use as necessary.

You see, making your own CBD oil and butter isn’t that difficult.

How to make CBD edibles

Making CBD-infused edibles isn’t much different from regular baking; you’ll just be substituting some oil or butter. You need to extract oil from a CBD-rich strain and infuse it into your chosen carrier. Some great options are olive oil, butter, ghee, or coconut oil. 

Exposing your CBD-rich plant material to low heat over a longer period helps to avoid vaporization and the breakdown of cannabinoids. Once your canna oil or butter has set, you can use it in most of your favorite CBD oil edible recipes. 

We’ve shared the following tips and tricks to help in your journey to making delicious edibles. 

Use a dosage calculator for your CBD edibles

You’ll need a small kitchen scale and the certificate of analysis that came with your CBD. The process includes a bit of math. 

Use the certificate of analysis to calculate the dosage and then determine how many flowers to use. We recommend starting with a dose of 25mg when learning how to make CBD edibles.

Decarboxylate your hemp

Decarboxylation—the term that makes everyone stop in their tracks. Decarbing your weed involves heating it to release the carboxyl acid group from CBDa (cannabidiolic acid). Seeing as you won’t be lighting it up, this is one of the most important steps when making CBD edibles. 

Without this process, your CBD-infused edibles won’t have any effect. Here’s a quick and painless guide to decarbing: 

• Preheat your oven to 240°F.
• Spread your buds out evenly on a clean roasting sheet. Make sure it’s all in a single layer.
• Cover with foil. This part of the process isn’t a must, but it helps to keep the smell and terpenes in. 
• Bake for an hour.
• Keep the pan covered until it’s cooled down. 

Turn your extractor on because the following part can be quite pungent. 

• Mill the nugs in a grinder until everything is evenly pulverized. A pestle and mortar work too.
• Your hemp or weed is now ready for consumption. 

Don’t put hemp directly into your CBD edibles

Adding hemp directly to the cooking process is a rookie mistake that plenty of people make. The secret to any good CBD edible treats is the infusion of cannabinoids into the carrier oil. 

Pro tip: Our bodies don’t metabolize weed plants as is, so it’s best to use it in infused form. It doesn’t taste that great either.

Use high-quality fats

If you’ve ever had a chat with a chef, you’ve probably heard that better ingredients lead to delicious dishes. This concept applies to making CBD edibles too. 

Try to use high-quality fats like butter from grass-fed cows or coconut oil. CBD has a higher latch rate to these oils than normal olive or cooking oil. Using these fats means your CBD edible treats are stronger.

These are the best oils for CBD-infused edibles and their infusion rates: 

• Butter – 93% 
• Avocado – 92% 
• MCT (Medium-Chain Triglyceride) – 91%
• Coconut – 82%

These oils have different tastes, so consider that in your recipe planning.

Don’t burn your CBD.

Something else to consider when choosing your recipe is the cooking heat. 

Once you hit temperatures between 320–350°F, the cannabinoids vaporize and boil off. At this point, the effects of CBD-infused edibles start disappearing. Sticking with recipes below these temps protects the integrity of your CBD. 

Share your CBD edibles with your friends 

Okay, so this one isn’t really a tip, but you should definitely share your edibles with some friends. 

4 amazing CBD edibles recipes

The popularity of edibles has grown like a weed in recent years—pun intended. 

When you start gobbling down those CBD-infused treats, remember to go low and slow. It takes longer for the CBD edible’s effects to kick in—but it lasts much longer and can feel more intense.

Let’s take a look at some delectable recipes. 

CBD gummies

Instead of puff puff pass, you’ll likely hear ‘pass the gummies, bro.’ It’s probably the most popular edible on the market. THC and CBD gummies are both super easy to make. 

Most recipes only ask for CBD and gelatin. You can add different flavors with honey or fruit juice and put your own twist on it with some colorants. If you’d like some funky-looking gummies, use different silicone molds. 

Making CBD gummies is all about heating your gelatin and adding CBD to it. You can either pour it into an ice tray or keep things interesting and use a mold. A silicone mold also makes it easier to extract your CBD edible treats later.

You can use tinctures, isolates, or CBD oil. Some folks even use ground-up hemp after it’s been decarboxylated. 

A quick browse on the web will reveal plenty of delicious recipes. You’ll be surprised at how incredibly easy most of them are. 

CBD chocolate

As long as there’s chocolate, there’s happiness. Imagine these CBD edible treats melting in your mouth—we don’t think it gets better than this. 

It’s as simple as melting the chocolate and adding CBD to it. Pour the infused chocolate into a mold after you finish mixing, and voila. 

There are some things to keep in mind during this process. Water and chocolate don’t mix, so you want to avoid any humidity. 

Similar to making gummies, you can use many different forms of this compound in this CBD-infused edibles recipe. If you’re not a fan of the taste of cannabidiol, use isolates to make your chocolate, as it’s tasteless. 

CBD coffee and other infused drinks

CBD stays active under many different conditions, which makes it an easy addition to your morning coffee. You can add it to any other drinks, depending on your needs. 

When it comes to CBD oil edible recipes, you can get creative with your drinks. Add it to milkshakes, teas, beer, or even your cold water for a refreshing beverage.

CBD brownies

There’s an easy way to add CBD to all kinds of baked goods. Cannabidiols dissolve into different oils and butter without much trouble. Heat the substance and mix in your isolate or compound. 

All you need is a killer brownie recipe and your infused carrier, and you’ll have delicious CBD-infused edibles. 

Take it one step further and buy a box of brownie mix that requires oil or butter. Carefully follow the instructions on the label and add your infused carrier oil once the time comes. In no time, you’ll have mouth-watering CBD edible treats with very little effort. 

FAQs

We’ve gathered some of the most frequently asked questions and their answers. These should help with anything that’s still quizzing you regarding how to make CBD edibles. 

How much CBD should be in edibles?

We recommend starting with 25mg and building from there. The effects of CBD edibles you’re after determine how much you add. The same goes as for smoking weed—take it low and slow. Keep in mind that the effects take more time to kick in and last much longer too.

How do you infuse food with CBD?

The easiest way to infuse food with cannabidiol is by making your own CBD oil, butter, or honey. You can either use the infusions for baking and cooking or drizzle them over your food and drink. 

Does the CBD evaporate like alcohol when heated? 

Yes, when you pass the evaporation threshold of 320–350°F, the CBD evaporates. When you warm it to just below this point, it’s believed to improve the effects. Keep in mind that as the temps increase, so does the bitterness of your CBD. Avoid overheating, or you’ll lose the effects of CBD edibles.

Do I have to use it in baking?

No, if you’re not big on baking, there are plenty of other ways to incorporate CBD oil into your diet. Add it to everyday sauces and salad dressings, or drizzle it over popcorn or your favorite garlic bread recipe. Using it in flavorsome cuisine like Indian dishes easily masks the taste of the oil. 

Can my dog eat CBD edibles?

The FDA and American Veterinary Medical Association haven’t concluded this. Pets—dogs in particular—are often overly sensitive to THC products, making this a tricky topic. 

CBD-infused edibles seem to have a positive effect on pets who suffer from anxiety and cancer. Until official recommendations are made, you have to decide whether or not you deem it safe for your pet. 

Time to get cooking

If you’re planning on making CBD-infused edibles with delicate flavors, consider using isolates. You can make delicious treats with all the desired effects and none of the taste. 

By following all the tips above, you’ll soon be the king or queen of making CBD edibles. 

Take it one step further and grow your own marijuana from high-quality CBD weed seeds. You won’t have to worry about how long CBD edibles last, as you can always use your stash to make more. 

Check out the Homegrown Forum for some more information directly from the 420 community.