The versatility of the marijuana plant is extraordinary.
The multitude of choices we have to consume cannabis is only tethered by your imagination. We have touched on the subject of eating cannabis as a method of consumption many times and want to expand the topic.
Why eat cannabis?
When we eat cannabis, the liver processes the active ingredient THC (tetrahydrocannabinoids) producing a byproduct (aka. a metabolite) called 11 hydroxy THC. 11 hydroxy THC is three to five times more potent than THC that has been inhaled as it enters the bloodstream and travels to the brain.
Eating cannabis, one can expect it to take 40 – 90 minutes for the effect to show while the effective duration of ingested cannabis is six to eight hours, with the reported peak at about three hours depending on the patient’s individual chemistry. (1)
Because of the long duration of effect, cannabis consumption by ingestion is our best suggestion for insomnia.
THC absorption is slowed down in the gut by the intake of food. For maximum benefit, it is recommended that a person not eat one hour before and two hours after the consumption of your cannabis infused goodies.
A couple suggestions if you’re new to eating cannabis.
Start slow and take your time.
An unpleasant experience could put you off an otherwise good thing for a long time. Some unpleasant side effects from consuming too much include nausea, vomiting and hallucinogenic episodes.
The basic premise to pass the active ingredients and infuse an oil base, ie. butter, olive oil, coconut oil, milk.
THC is fat soluble, therefore, any fat base will do, leaving a wide range of options to the culinary experimenter. No matter the application, a couple principles to infusing oil with cannabis are common.
It is always recommended to know how much active ingredient you are getting although that can be hard to gauge.
- Use low heat and take your time, patiently simmering the base with your infusion.
- The finer ground the dried cannabis your using is the better.
- Use good quality cannabis, preferably organic.
If you’re using pre-made cannabis oil, it can be easily mixed in an oil base at the desired strength.
Heat your chosen oil to very hot but not boiling. Stirring constantly, add the bud oil in a thin ribbon. Bud oil that is heated slightly before adding mixes in quicker. The oil can be used right away because there is no need to “steep” the concoction. Additionally, you’ll always know exactly how much active ingredient you’re getting with no fear of going accidentally overboard.
Using dried marijuana when building a base to cook with is different that using pre-made cannabis oil and may not be as cost efficient.
An intriguing idea is to make Cannabis Milk.
Mix 4 grams of finely ground dried cannabis into 1 cup full fat milk.
Bring to a boil on medium heat and then simmer for 1 hour.
Try it with chai spices added in, cinnamon stick, cardamom, ginger, peppercorns, fennel, cloves, etc. and a darjeeling tea bag for the last five minutes, for extra flavour and interest.
You could also add a big teaspoon of raw organic sugar or honey and savour the flavour and aroma.
Recipes
Do you have a favourite recipe you would like to share with Hempearth?
Write us an email at hempearthcanada@gmail.com! If we get enough of them, maybe we will post them!
