How to Make Cannabutter and Use It For Edibles

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Make your own THC-infused butter with this thorough guide

Co-authored by Aaron Justis and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: September 29, 2024 Fact Checked

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Cannabutter Recipe

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How to Dose

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How to Use

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Managing the Smell

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Alternate Cooking Methods

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Ingredients

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Q&A

Cannabis-infused butter (or "bud butter") can be used in any recipe that calls for butter, though it is best known for being used in pot brownies. Using cannabis-infused butter allows you to side-step the disadvantages of smoking (like the potential health risks) while still enjoying the benefits of a THC high. We’ll teach you exactly how to make weed butter, including how to successfully decarboxylate (decarb) the weed and infuse it into butter. Whether you’re an experienced weed enjoyer or a first-time user, this recipe will help you achieve an enjoyable high with edibles.

Disclaimer: Weed butter needs to be cooled and refrigerated before consumption. Plan to make it ahead of time, or before you plan on getting high.

Things You Should Know

Decarboxylate (decarb) the weed first by leaving it in the oven for 40-45 minutes at 225 to 240 °F (107 to 116 °C).
Melt 4 sticks of butter in saucepan filled with 4 cups (950 ml) of simmering water. Add the decarbed weed to the melted mixture.
Infuse the butter for 3 hours before straining and refrigerating it for 1 hour. Once the butter separates from the water, refrigerate it in an air-tight container for up to 6 months.

Ingredients

1 oz (28g) of cannabis buds
4 sticks (2 cups) of unsalted butter
4 c (950 mL) of water

Section 1 of 5:

Cannabutter Recipe

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1
Decarb the cannabis in the oven. Set your oven to a nice, low temperature—anything between 225 and 240 °F (107 and 116 °C) is a good, safe range. Then, hand-crumble the weed into small, rice-sized chunks and pour them out onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Secure another sheet of foil over the crumbled weed, and then leave the weed in the oven for 40-45 minutes so it can successfully decarb. What you’re aiming for is golden-brown weed that looks a little bit toasted.^{[1]
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- “Decarbing” is short for “decarboxylating,” a simple but necessary process that activates the psychoactive compounds in your weed. Raw weed contains cannabinoids known as THCA and CBDA; when decarboxylated, they’re transformed into THC and CBD, the components of marijuana that weed users know and love.^{[2]
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  Research source} Although it’s an annoying step, decarbing is an important element of making good cannabutter.
- Once the weed is successfully decarbed, set it on the counter and give it time to thoroughly cool down.
Pour 4 c (950 mL) of water into a saucepan and wait for it to boil; then, bring it to a simmer. Unwrap and place 4 sticks of unsalted butter into the boiling water and wait for it melt completely.^{[3]
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Infuse the decarbed weed in the butter for 3 hours. Transfer the cooled weed to the simmering water-butter mixture and secure the saucepan with the lid. Set a timer for about 3 hours to let the weed completely infuse into the butter. Leave the lid on the entire time—once the mixture has a more shiny and thick consistency, it’s ready to strain.^{[4]
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- Some people prefer to infuse their weed for only 90 minutes.^{[5]
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  Research source} Keep in mind, though, that the longer you infuse the butter, the more powerful the high will be.
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Strain out the weed using cheesecloth and a large bowl. Stack two sheets of cheesecloth on the surface of a large bowl, securing them in place with a rubber band or section of string. Then, carefully pour the infused butter into the cheesecloth, which helps filter the pieces of weed out of the butter. Once you’ve transferred all the butter, give the cheesecloth an extra squeeze for good measure.^{[6]
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- Use oven mitts to protect your hands, as the infused butter will be very hot.
Cover the bowl with the cheesecloth again and set it in the refrigerator for 1 hour—this gives the butter time to separate cleanly from the water you cooked it with. After an hour, check to see if the butter has formed a solid layer on top of the water.^{[7]
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Remove the butter from the bowl and refrigerate it for up to 6 months. Using a butter knife, run the blade around the perimeter of the butter and pop it out of the bowl. Lay a clean towel on a cutting board and place the butter on top. Then, use the towel to lightly dry off the cannabutter.^{[8]
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Research source} If you don’t plan on using the butter right away, slip it into an airtight container (like a tightly sealed jar) and store it in your refrigerator or freezer for up to 6 months.^{[9]
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- Feel free to dump the water at this point—you don’t need it anymore.

Section 2 of 5:

How to Dose Weed Butter

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Check the label on the weed container and see if it lists the THC percentage (dispensaries typically include this info). Then, turn that number into a decimal—for instance, 17% THC would be 0.17.^{[10]
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Let’s say you have 7 grams of weed to cook with—you’d multiply 7 by 0.17, which totals 1.19.^{[11]
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In our example, we’d multiply 1.19 by 1,000, which is 1,190. This means that the finished batch of cannabutter will contain 1,190 total mg of THC.^{[12]
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Let’s say we only have 2 sticks of unsalted butter to work with (which is equivalent to 16 tbsp/8 tbsp per stick)—we’d divide 1,190 by 16, which equals 74.4. In other words, 1 tbsp of infused cannabutter has around 74 mg of THC.^{[13]
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Let’s say that we’re making brownies, using a recipe that calls for 8 tbsp of butter and produces 16 brownies total. Using our previous calculations, we can safely assume that the entire batch will contain around 592 mg of THC (74 x 8). 592 divided by 16 is 37, which means a single brownie would have 37 mg of THC.^{[14]
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Start small with your dosage and work your way up. If you have a relatively low THC tolerance (or aren’t sure what your tolerance is), start with a small dose of 5 mg or less—using the example above, that would be about 1/7 of a brownie. It takes at least 30 minutes for most people to start feeling the effects of an edible, so don’t start consuming extra.^{[15]
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- If you’re using your butter as a spread rather than as an ingredient, use a tiny amount (like ¹⁄₄ to ¹⁄₂ tsp (1.2 to 2.5 mL)) first.

Section 3 of 5:

How to Use Weed Butter

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1
Substitute weed butter in recipes at a 1:1 ratio. According to some weed enthusiasts, cannabutter can be used in place of regular butter without the need for any additional substitutions.^{[16]
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Research source} If you aren’t sure of your weed tolerance, though, it might be best to start with just a little bit of cannabutter rather than a complete substitution. Marijuana edibles can be extremely potent, so it’s better to play it safe as you figure out your tolerance (and the potency of your butter).^{[17]
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- Tip: Get a feel for the potency of your batch by spreading a tiny bit (no more than ¹⁄₄ to ¹⁄₂ tsp (1.2 to 2.5 mL)) on a bagel or piece of toast before you start baking with it.
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Use weed butter in a variety of baked goods and other recipes. Weed butter is a versatile ingredient that can be added to a variety of recipes, both sweet and savory (like Mexican street corn, for instance).^{[18]
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Research source} Here are few recipes to try out:
- Brownies
- Cookies

Section 4 of 5:

How do you make cannabutter without it smelling?

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Decarb the weed in an oven bag or glass jar. If you put your weed in a smaller container before placing it in the oven, you may be able to contain the smell a bit more easily. For instance, try sliding the weed into an oven-safe bag or pouring it into a mason jar first; then, put the bag or jar into the oven.^{[19]
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- Be cautious putting glass in the oven, as it may crack from the intense heat.
- Cracking open a window may also help you to manage the smell.
- Keep in mind, though, that this precaution won’t eliminate the smell. If you share a living space, let your roommates know ahead of time so they can be prepared.

Section 5 of 5:

Alternate Cooking Methods

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1
Adjust the amount of marijuana to change the butter's strength. You can keep everything else the same, since the water is there to prevent burning (not to dilute the butter). Keep the butter and water ratio the same and simply adjust the amount of bud you grind in. You can also adjust the cooking times, cooking less for less potent weed, but this is just a waste of weed—fewer buds cooked for a longer time will get the same results.
- 1 ounce of buds will lead to some strong, strong butter, but you should probably use 1 1/2 ounces if you only have shake or leaves.^{[20]
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- If you use a lot more than 1 ounce, add more butter to absorb all of the THC. However, 1 ounce of weed per 1 pound of butter is usually more than enough marijuana.
2
Quick-cook some butter in under an hour for a quick edible treat. The following method is for smaller batches, and reliably turns out ¹⁄₂ c (120 mL) of marijuana butter quickly and easily. This method does not require a "pre-bake." To make it:
- Finely grind up 1/4 ounce of cannabis buds (not shake or leaves)
- Heat ¹⁄₂ c (120 mL) of butter until melted in a saucepan on medium heat
- Add the buds slowly, stirring frequently.
- Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring often. There should only be small bubbles on the butter's surface.
- Strain through a strainer and cheesecloth.
- Chill and use.^{[21]
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Use a slow cooker for hands-free marijuana butter. A simple Crockpot is the perfect way to get the "long and slow" cooking that you're after. To pull it off, all you need to do is:
- Mix 1 c (240 mL) of water, 1 lb (0.45 kg) of butter, and 1-ounce ground marijuana in the slow cooker.
- Turn the cooker on low and stir.
- Cover the cooker and let simmer for 8-24 hours, stirring occasionally.^{[22]
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Clarified butter has been separated, isolating the essential milk fats. It will absorb the THC better and cook much more cleanly, with less smoke if you accidentally overheat things.^{[23]
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Spray your toasted buds with a little high-proof alcohol beforehand. This scientific little trick helps break down the cellulose in your buds, leading to greater THC release and a less green final color. However, this only works if you do the decarboxylation step (pre-bake). Simply spray the buds after they come out of the oven and let them sit for 10-15 minutes while you start melting the butter.^{[24]
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- Everclear works well for this
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Blanch your marijuana beforehand for a relatively scentless, flavorless butter. This recipe uses the nifty cooking trick of blanching, rapidly heating and cooling the buds, to remove chlorophyll and other stinky chemicals. To pull it off, you need to be prepared to pre-bake as well, so get ready for a several-hour cook. That said, blanching is easy:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Set aside another bowl and fill it with ice water.
- Place your ground-up weed in a tea ball, then dunk it in the boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Remove the weed ball and place it immediately in the ice bath for 1 minute.
- Repeat until all the weed is blanched
- Pre-bake the weed at 220 °F (104 °C) for one hour to dry out.
- Make your cannabutter like normal.

References

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Question

What happens if I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter?

Community Answer

It's just taste saltier, that's all.

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Why would people want to prepare marijuana butter when it's illegal in most places?

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Actually, marijuana is legal in Canada and is legal either medicinally or recreationally in all but 17 of the 50 United States. Many other countries are also legalizing or decriminalizing it. As to the why, infusing butter or oil with marijuana allows it to be distributed more evenly throughout edibles.

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Can I use margarine instead of real butter?

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For this recipe, you should only use real butter.

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Tips

Always use unsalted butter when preparing marijuana butter.

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If you’re worried about your cannabutter tasting a bit too much like cannabis, try using it in a baked good to see if the taste gets masked.

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When people talk about marijuana, they think about getting high. It is a psychological state that shifts one's perception and gives a euphoric buzz or creative feeling. It can be very powerful and lead to addiction.

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Warnings

Marijuana is illegal in most countries and isn’t consistently available (or legal) across the United States. Make sure you can legally obtain and possess marijuana before attempting this recipe.

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