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If you’ve ever watched a cooking show, subscribed to any of the diet fads in the past decade, or if you’re lucky enough to live in a tropical place you’ve definitely heard all about coconut oil. This hard-shelled, hairy wonder-fruit has been all the rage with health nuts (no pun intended) and fitness freaks because of its rich nutrient profile and its smooth and creamy taste. There’s nothing quite like the silky, savory goodness of coconut oil or coconut milk… It’s high in good fats, extremely hydrating and it is favorable for your cholesterol, unlike many of its competitor oil products. There’s so many ways to include coconut oil into your daily life that it’s almost bordering on becoming a cult – you can put it in your hair, cook with it, drink it, rub it on your skin, and make hundreds of homemade health & fitness concoctions with it.
One particular group that is going coo coo for coconuts is the cannabis industry and its consumers. Cannabis infused oil has become a very popular way to get your daily dose of THC or CBD, and as coconut oil is currently reigning supreme it is a natural choice for many a batch of homemade cannabis oils. If you’ve ever made “cannabutter” at home, you know that the process is quite easy but the results don’t always taste the greatest. With coconut oil in your arsenal, we’re confident that you’ll be more than satisfied with the flavors and aromas that this hearty fruit/nut can provide to your next round of coco-canna-oil.
Maybe you’ve never made your own cannabis infused oil? Or maybe you’re not looking to play mad-scientist in your kitchen, and you’d rather buy some? We’ll explore your options for making cannabis infused coconut oil with some easy steps anyone can follow at home.
PUT THE DIME(BAG) IN THE COCONUT, AND MIX IT ALL UP
Before we teach you the all-important cannabis coconut oil recipe, it’s a good idea to first go over the benefits of coconut oil and what kinds of cannabis you’re looking to infuse. Have you ever considered what kind of cannabis suits your needs? Do you even have a need for marijuana? Maybe you’ve been smoking the same stuff for years, or you’re looking to try cannabis oil for the first time… How do you know what strains of weed are right for you? Matching your medical needs – or just your recreational preferences – with the right buds can be a lifelong pursuit, but we’re here to help you figure out the basics so we can get to mixing up a batch of weed coconut oil.
Before you start hunting the e-commerce realm for some good strains, you need to ask yourself a very simple, but crucial question: “WHY do I need/want weed?”. Do you suffer from arthritis, insomnia, gastrointestinal issues or cancer? If you think you might have a medical need for cannabis in any capacity, then you’ve already got your “Why” figured out. Cannabis is one of the most versatile natural remedies on the planet, and even if you feel healthy and don’t perceive a need for weed, marijuana can be a great daily supplement that helps keep injuries or illnesses from occurring. For some potheads, they enjoy weed just because – so they’re “why factor” is as simple as their own desires for chill, relaxation, fun or freedom. You don’t need to have some all-encompassing requirement to consume cannabis, but when we’re talking about maximizing the benefits you get from this unique plant, it’s a good idea to understand your motivations and goals.
So, now that you’ve soul-searched and found your reasons for wanting cannabis, how do you go about discovering which kinds are “the best”? Well, that’s the tricky part – there’s thousands upon thousands of cannabis strains, products and concentrations to consider. Fear not, however, because the world of cannabis choices can seem overwhelming but in the world of weed the saying goes “Too much of a good bud is never a bad thing”.
Many cannabis consumers today are very much like wine connoisseurs – they know what they like, they’re well-educated in what makes a good product, and they’re willing to sample a lot of different kinds to keep evolving their experience. If you’ve ever perused the thousands of known cannabis strains online, you might’ve realized how vast and mysterious the wide world of weed can be. Almost no two strains are alike, and even if there are some similarities to their terpenes or cannabinoids, weed strains can affect people on an individual level. The most important – and sometimes the most difficult – first step is to figure out what kind of weed benefits you the most. This requires a lot of experimentation, research, reviewing, and oftentimes a lot of cha-ching. Sampling many different kinds of cannabis isn’t cheap, even if you grow your own. Many newbies just starting out on their cannabis journeys ask themselves: “There’s got to be a quick-and-easy way to find some strains that can provide what I’m looking for?”. Thankfully, once you understand what you’re seeking, and why, you need look no further than our friends over at Leafly.com.
Leafly’s sophisticated terpene profiling and strains reviews is some of the most complex but absolutely revolutionary. Their hard-working team is constantly reviewing the never-ending parade of cannabis strains and providing expert opinions, education and data. The Leafly.com Strain Explorer and their Cannabis 101 will help anyone – from greenthumbs to green beginners – find the cannabis that fits their lifestyle, and with the science of decades of experience to back it up.
Once you’ve settled on a couple choices of marijuana that you enjoy the flavors, aromas and effects of, you can now start to blend up your own cannabis products at home. Edibles, oils, Cannabis topicals, you name it – there’s a lot of craftiness to consuming cannabis, and the only limitations on how you get your THC or CBD depends on how creative you are. There’s no “one way” to consume cannabis at home, but we think that cannabis infused oils are the way to go, so let’s dive into a pot of cannabis coconut oil.
HOW TO MAKE THC OR CBD INFUSED CANNABIS OIL
You’ve done your research, you’ve got some top-quality buds from Haute.health, and you even bought that giant tub of coconut oil at Costco – you’re ready to make like Walter White and “get cooking”. What kind of equipment will you need to make cannabis infused coconut oil? What steps are involved? Thankfully, you don’t need a whole RV full of beakers and lab equipment to make potent and delicious cannabis coconut oil. For the purposes of this recipe, all you need is your weed, coconut oil, a grinder, an oven, tin/aluminum foil, baking sheets, and a cooker (this can be a slow cooker, magic butter machine, or anything equivalent). Got these items assembled? Alright, let’s make some oil!
STEP 1: Decarb Your Buds
If you weren’t already aware, whenever you want to feel certain effects from THC or CBD you first need to decarboxylate the cannabis you’re intending to consume. This is because the cannabinoids we covet exist in their raw/natural form – THCA, CBDA, CBGA, etc – in unprocessed cannabis flowers. Basically, you need to apply temperature and/or pressure changes in order to instigate a chemical reaction in the cannabinoids, and in most cases this means heating them up. This is why we smoke, bake, cook or apply intense heat to cannabis in all its forms – it essentially breaks the THC or CBD we want to consume into absorbable, active forms. There is much more going on when we heat-treat cannabis, but for the purposes of this article we’ll skip over the science. If you’re interested in reading more about decarboxylation, check out our friends at Leafly and their in-depth breakdown of the process.
To “decarb” your marijuana, there’s only a few simple steps to follow:
- Preheat your oven to 245 ℉
- Grind your cannabis with a grinder (hand grinder, coffee grinder or electric blender)
- On a large baking sheet, cover the entire surface with tin/aluminum foil
- Sprinkle your finely ground cannabis onto the foil-covered baking sheet (make as even as possible)
- Cover the weed with another sheet of tin/aluminum foil
- Once the oven is heated, place the baking sheet in the oven for 45 minutes
While you’re decarbing your buds, you’ll notice a sweet, almost herbal aroma as the cannabis bakes in the oven. Be sure to check on your weed between 35-45 minutes to be sure that it isn’t burning – you want your ground up marijuana to be a light, golden brown color. Upon finishing in the oven, take your baking sheet of buds out and create some airflow by folding the top foil sheet up or removing it altogether. Let your ground weed cool for 10 minutes or so while you get the rest of the items ready.
STEP 2: Cooking Your Cannabis Infused Coconut Oil
Just like Step 1, when it comes to actually cooking your cannabis coconut oil it’s pretty simple, but you need to make sure you’re monitoring your batch carefully – it’s also easy to ruin a batch if you’re not paying attention. First, we need to separate those valuable cannabinoids from the plant material. For this recipe, we’re going to show you how to use a slow cooker because they’re much more common than a Magic Butter machine. However, if you are lucky enough to own one of these wizardly devices, simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions for making cannabis infused oils that comes with the machine. With your newly decarbed buds in an easy-to-extract state, let’s fire up our slow cookers and make some weed coconut oil.
- To begin, you need to choose a concentration rate:
- 7 g of cannabis / ½ Cup of Coconut Oil
- 14 g of cannabis / 1 Cup of Coconut Oil
- 28 g of cannabis / 2 Cups of Coconut Oil
- 42 g of cannabis / 3 Cups of Coconut Oil
- 56 g of cannabis / 4 Cups of Coconut Oil
**It is important to note, that these are simply guiding figures; each strain of cannabis will yield different results, which is one of the reasons it’s so important to know how a particular kind of weed affects you. REMEMBER the golden rule: Start LOW, and go SLOW with your cannabis dosing – and if you’re dealing with high-volumes of THC in your cannabis oil, have some CBD handy to counteract the THC if you feel yourself getting too high, too fast.**
- Once you’ve decided on a concentration level, combine the coconut oil, decarbed buds, and any flavoring ingredients you’d like into the slow cooker.
- For better tasting oils, many people like to add spices, herbs or flavor enhancers to their cannabis oil – this is completely up to you, but be sure you understand how your flavor additions will cook in the mixture (some do not burn, while others can, so you need to decide if they’re appropriate to add in during the slow cooking process, or after when your oil chills).
- Set the slow cooker to LOW heat
- Time your slow cooker for 4 hours
- Stir the cannabis infused coconut oil gently, every 30 minutes with a spoon or whisk
STEP 3: Pouring & Storing
Lastly, but not least, you need to strain your cannabis oil through a filter and store it properly:
- After letting your batch of oil cool off a bit (Don’t pour it piping hot right after the 4-hour cooking time! You’ll risk burning yourself), stir it generously to agitate the mixture.
- Place a cheese cloth, nylon or fine-screen strainer over your storage container (glass jars with rubber seals or sealable lids are best, but it is ultimately up to you).
- Wearing oven mitts – to be extra careful – remove the slow cooker pot from the heating element and pour the oil through the strainer and into your container
- You should notice the ground-up plant material collecting on the strainer screen – make sure none of it gets through to your storage container. If it does, use a strainer spoon to take any of the buds out of the final mixture.
Voila! You’ve brewed your very own batch of cannabis infused coconut oil! Let your cannabis coconut oil sit in the container on your kitchen counter to allow it to come to room temperature, then place it in your cupboards or fridge (where you store it is up to you, but be aware that it will coalesce and firm-up in the fridge much quicker).
STEP 4: How to consume your cannabis coconut oil
This last step is completely up to you, but here’s some helpful tips on how to get the most out of your cannabis oil:
- Coconut oil has a habit of firming up and returning to its original viscous state after some time, even after cooking. If you’re planning on putting your newly brewed weed coconut oil in a tincture/dropper, stick with coconut MCT oil instead of the traditional raw coconut oil – this form is already broken down and maintains its fluidity much better.
- You can consume your cannabis infused coconut oil in almost any deliverable form – body lotion, shampoo, soap, cooking oil, drops or soft gels. Try a bunch of different methods to see which one suits you best, but also keep in mind that certain products will require additional steps (capsules involve filling each capsule individually, shampoo or lotions will require additional recipes, etc).
Now that you have your delicious and nutritious cannabis coconut oil, why not try making some homemade edibles? There’s no limit to the foods, drinks, health or fitness products you can add cannabis oil to. Once you’ve brewed your own, the real journey of discovering all the best kinds of cannabis products begins. Cannabis infused coconut oil is great for you, great for your health or the health of your loved ones, and that includes your dogs or cats. Try our cannabis coconut oil recipe next time you’re looking for a new, healthy way to consume cannabis – all you need is some quality buds from Haute.health and some tasty coconut oil.
