Our ultimate guide for making pot brownies, cannabutter, and where to find the best edibles within the cannabis market.

What are edibles?

Edible cannabis products contain cannabinoids that you can consume by eating or drinking. Cannabinoids are chemical compounds found in cannabis that can affect your mind and body after consumption. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is a cannabinoid that makes an individual feel high.

How do they work?

Edibles are consumed and digested, encouraging the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) to do its job. The endocannabinoid system is comprised of an extensive network of chemical signals and cellular receptors densely packed throughout our brains and bodies. 

The “cannabinoid” receptors in the brain — the CB1 receptors — outnumber many of the other receptor types in the brain. They regulate the body through immediate feedback, turning up or down the movement of whichever system needs to be adjusted, whether hunger, temperature, or alertness. Our bodies produce molecules called endocannabinoids to stimulate these receptors, which have a structural similarity to molecules in the cannabis plant. 

The endocannabinoid system regulates and controls learning and memory, emotional processing, sleep, temperature control, pain control, inflammatory and immune responses, and eating. This vital system is currently at the center of renewed international research and drug development.

Edible Dosage

When trying edibles for their medicinal properties, begin with a low dose, then increase the dose depending on comfort levels. If you’re unsatisfied with the desired effects after the first use, you can exponentially increase the dose. You can also boost your dosage of cannabis products slowly over a few weeks to reduce discomfort and ensure safe cannabis consumption.

Easy Pot Brownie Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• One Box of Brownie Mix (we recommend the Ghiradelli brand) 
• ¼ cup Canna Oil
• Additional ingredients per the box of brownie mix (eggs, water, vanilla) 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Follow the instructions on the box to make brownies.
2. Replace ¼ cup of vegetable oil with Canna Oil.
3. Follow the instructions on the box to bake the brownies.
4. Cool and Serve. Enjoy your delicious brownies!

Homemade Pot Brownie Recipe

These Double Chocolate Weed Brownies are delicious cannabis brownies.

Ingredients 

• 1/4 cup natural cocoa powder, plus more for the pan
• Cannabutter (1/2 cup unsalted butter and gram of weed) 
• 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• One tablespoon molasses
• One teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• Two large eggs
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted nuts (optional)
• A handful of chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Butter an 8×8-inch baking pan, then dust with cocoa. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Melt the cannabutter and dark chocolate. Remove the bowl from the heat, and add the sugar, molasses, vanilla, and salt.
3. Add one egg at a time, mixing well after each. Beat for about 5 minutes until a 5-second ribbon forms on the top of the batter when you lift the whisk. Stir in the chopped nuts. Sift or whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, then add to the chocolate mixture. Combine just until the flour disappears.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and place it in the center of the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes until a glossy top forms and crack. Keep an eye on the edges; they will firm up first. Insert a toothpick near the corner to check. 
5. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before cutting into 16 brownies.
6. Store the brownies in an airtight container for up to a week. Cut and freeze the homemade weed brownies for more extended storage, then warm up in the microwave or oven before serving.

Steps for Making Cannabutter

Here, we provide a detailed guide with all the steps to make a delicious, potent cannabis butter for making weed brownies. 

Use High-Quality Cannabis Flowers

The quality of your cannabis flower is essential. It can affect the potency and flavor of your finished weed oil. It’s crucial to find a high-quality strain with the desired effects you’re looking to feel. Pairing potent, decarbed cannabis with good quality butter is an excellent way to ensure that you have the best cannabutter for your pot brownies recipe.

Preheat Your Flower

In raw form, marijuana has no psychoactive potential. Natural cannabis and its derivatives contain cannabinoids THCA and CBDA. When you eliminate A, you’ll find THC and CBD. Without activation, this drug does not cause any psychoactive effects.

Decarb Process

The cannabis plant is organically non-psychedelic. This plant material contains high amounts of cannabinoids such as THCAs and CBDA, which form a broad range of cannabinoid acids. To achieve the ‘high’ effect of marijuana, you will have to convert the cannabis through decarboxylation.

Cannabutter is primarily made by decarboxylating cannabis flowers and can be made using various techniques for the infusion process. The cannabinoids that live within cannabis flowers are activated when they are decarboxylated or removed.

Baking

If you’re planning to make infused butter, baking your weed first is an optimal way to decarb. You’ll want to break up your buds into small pieces and evenly distribute them on a sheet pan with parchment paper. Then, you’ll cover and bake on low heat for thirty minutes. After it cools, you’ll have fully decarbed cannabis for your edibles.

Boiling

You can also boil cannabis in a tea bag or place it in a heatproof bowl of simmering water to draw out the cannabinoids. Once the cannabis has reached the ideal temperature, you can add melted butter to provide something the cannabinoids can stick to.

Pick Your Fat or Butter

Regular butter is a type of fat used in a cooking experiment for cannabis and has an ideal consistency and flavor and should be included in many baking recipes. Based on how you plan on using this fat, you could add some additional ingredients.

Olive oil, vegetable oil, and coconut oil — all fatty acids that can remain stable in the liquid between 160-200 degrees can be used to infuse the butter. 

Steep Away

It is possible to soak decarbed grass with fat by following several techniques. Probably the most basic version occurs over the stove using one or two large pots. To make a batch of cannabutter, mix the butter in equal parts of water. The process aims to keep the temperature within 160 to 220 degrees, so be proactive in piloting your newly brewed beer from the start to the end.

Strain the Butter

After simmering and slowly increasing the butter’s temperature, you need to strain it. Put a few layers of cheesecloth into jars and utilize an elastic band to keep it safe during tension. You can do the same process with a coffee filter if you don’t have access to a cheesecloth. When strained, it can easily be removed or recycled into compost, and the butter can go into a mason jar. Then, placing it in a mason jar for a few hours in the refrigerator will complete the process.

Storage

You can use the cannabutter immediately to make baked goods and many recipes involving cannabis. Infused butter and fats last up to six months in the refrigerator and up to a year in the freezer when appropriately stored in mason jars or other sealed glass containers.

Choosing the Right Strains for Weed Brownies

Cannabis strains are considered to be a pure or hybrid genetic variation of the plant Genus Cannabis. There are three species: Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica, and Cannabis Ruderalis. Ruderalis is not as popularly known; however, it is a derivative of cannabis with the lowest THC levels. Although they are popular among the cannabis community, hybrids are not considered a species as they are made of Sativa and Indica, with typically one or the other dominating the gene pool.

Those within the cannabis community report that there are close to eight hundred unique weed strains worldwide, but that number has increased steadily throughout the years. Different strains are created yearly as botanists experiment with crossing classic marijuana strains with hybrids to change their genetic qualities.

Skunk No. 1

• Skunk No. 1 originated in California and later was brought to the Netherlands.
• It has 17 percent THC and 1 percent CBD
• Its parent strains are Afghani, Acapulco Gold, and Colombian Gold
• It is a balanced Hybrid breed
• The flavor aroma is overwhelming and skunky with a hint of tobacco aspects
• It has an average of nine weeks of flowering time indoors
• This marijuana is used to treat depression, anxiety, and appetite loss
• It produces an uplifting, creative cerebral high that leaves you relaxed and hungry

Blue Dream

• Blue Dream originated in California, on the West Coast
• It has 18 percent THC and low CBD
• It’s a cross of Blueberry and Haze
• Blue Dream is a Sativa dominant hybrid strain
• Flavor and aroma boast sweet berries
• It has an average of 65 days of flowering time
• This strain is used to treat nausea, depression, chronic pain
• Blue Dream produces a relaxing, body high, and balanced cerebral stimulation

Island Sweet Skunk

• Island Sweet Skunk was first bred at Federation Seed Company in Canada
• It has 18 percent THC and one percent CBD content
• It’s a cross between Skunk No. 1 and Sweet Pink Grapefruit
• It’s a popular classic Sativa strain
• It smells sweet and skunky with a slight grapefruit taste
• The average flowering time indoors is seven to eight weeks long
• It’s used to treat anxiety, inflammation, and muscle spasms
• It produces an uplifting, energetic, and creative high

Girl Scout Cookies

• Girl Scout Cookies originated in the Bay Area of California
• It has 19 percent THC and 1 percent CBD
• Its parent strains are OG Kush and Durban Poison
• It is an Indica dominant hybrid breed
• The flavor is sweet and minty with an aroma of vanilla
• It has an average of ten weeks of flowering time indoors to reach the prime age
• This cake strain is used to treat muscle spasms, nausea, appetite loss, and depression
• Users say it produces a happy, cerebral high, leaving you pain-free and euphoric

Tips for Making the Best Marijuana Brownies

1. Decarb before adding ground cannabis flower. If you don’t, the vegan butter will not taste ideal, and it will be less potent because the cannabinoids do not have time to be fully activated. Low heat is the way to go with this process for the best marijuana and the most delicious recipes.

2. Get the grind right. It’s suggested to use a hand grinder or coarse coffee grinder for optimum results when grinding your hemp.

3. Be patient when straining the cannabis oil. A cheesecloth, gravity, and time are the three ingredients needed to strain your marijuana-infused butter properly. Do not squeeze the cloth at the risk of adding in excess plant matter.

4. Mix the batch well. Remember to occasionally stir when making vegan baked goods and such products with this cannabutter recipe for an even level of THC potency and flavors.

Other Common Types of Edibles

Here are some of the most common types of edibles you’ll find online and at your local dispensaries:

• Beverages
• Baked Goods 
• Gummies
• Gourmet Candy
• Hard Candy 
• Savory Snacks 

Can I Use the Weed from Smoking for Making Weed Brownies?

If you are considering making weed brownies, it’s recommended to use fresh weed instead of the leftovers from smoking. The THC content in smoked weed is lower, which can result in weaker potency. For more tips on using weed, check out a beginner’s smoking weed guide.

Best Store-Bought Weed Brownies

• Good Co-Op Brownie
• Peanut Butter S’Mores 4.20 Brownie
• Lifted Superfood Brownie Bites
• Cookies N Cream Brownie 100mg
• Brownie Truffle Bites 50mg

Conclusion

Making cannabis edibles may seem overwhelming at first, but becoming better at cooking is about perfecting a few recipes and experimenting as you feel comfortable in the kitchen.

At LeafyMate, we recommend beginning with one of these simple weed brownie recipes. Once you get that recipe down, you can move to more advanced edible recipes.