A dispensary is a great place where you can get all sorts of weed products. For edible enthusiasts, it’s like a candy shop because you can find edibles of all sorts there. THC butter or cannabutter is one of them, and it may be one of the most popular edibles, next to brownies.
But what exactly is THC butter and is it the same as cannabutter? Saying it’s the same product wouldn’t be far from the truth, but there are some differences. So, today we’ll talk about what THC butter is and how you can make it at home.
What Is THC Butter?
Simple enough, THC butter (sometimes interchangeably referred to as cannabutter) is regular butter infused with a THC concentrate. Since THC concentrates contain the pure forms of the active ingredients in cannabis, THC butter makes for quite a potent edible. It has a smooth taste and a subtle aroma because a large percentage of the fragrant terpenes naturally present in cannabis buds are preserved in concentrates.
Fats and cannabinoids make for the perfect duo because cannabinoids are lipophilic and they need fats to bind to in order to be absorbed better in the body.
THC butter is a versatile edible that can be used in many different ways. You can make brownies, chocolate chip cookies, or mac n’ cheese with it, or even add it to spice up some beverages like tea and coffee.
If you like dabbing THC concentrates and sometimes end up with leftovers, or you find yourself wanting to use them in other ways than dabbing, then keep reading for the recipe. THC butter is very easy to make provided that you’re being careful with the concentrate and the dosing. This method uses semi-solid THC concentrates like wax, budder, sugar, hash, keef, and others similar to these.
How to Make THC Butter With Weed Concentrates
Due to the way THC concentrates are made, they contain large amounts of THCA, which is the precursor of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). In other words, THCA is the inactive cannabinoid that’s present in fresh weed. Normally, when you dab a concentrate, the high heat would convert the THCA from its inactive, non-psychoactive form into THC (which gets you high). This chemical reaction is otherwise known as decarboxylation.
Similarly, to make cannabis edibles that will be able to produce psychoactive effects, you will need to decarboxylate the concentrate before you make the butter infusion.
Decarbing the concentrate is simple – all you need to do is heat the concentrate at a high temperature. Here are the details:
- Heat your oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit;
- Line a baking tray with a baking sheet and put the concentrate in the middle. The concentrate will become liquid once you heat it, so to prevent spilling, it would help to leave some extra baking sheet on the sides and fold them inwards;
- Put the tray in the oven and let it decarb for about 20 minutes. It’s important to keep a diligent watch over the concentrate and take it out immediately if you notice it has started burning;
- After a while, you’ll notice some small bubbles appearing on the surface – this means that the decarbing process is working. Towards the end, the bubbles will become slightly bigger;
- When it’s done, set it to cool to room temperature before proceeding. You can place it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to make the removal easier.
Infusing the Butter
Now that the concentrate has been decarboxylated, it’s time to infuse the butter with the THC. This recipe uses 1gr of THC concentrate per 1 cup of unsalted butter. For a vegan version, you can use vegan butter or coconut oil.
All you have to do is melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan on low heat. This will require some patience on your part as it will take a while for it to melt. Don’t increase the heat because you’ll not only risk burning the butter but the high temperature can also destroy the THC and terpenes in the concentrate (when you add it later). Chopping the butter in smaller cubes can speed up the process.
When the butter has completely melted, add the concentrate and stir until it’s combined. Give the mixture about 20-30 minutes to fully combine – after 10 minutes it may look like it’s done, but the active ingredients won’t be fully incorporated into the fat. Therefore, stir frequently and don’t increase the temperature.
Finally, when it’s done, leave it to cool a little and transfer it into an airtight container (like a mason jar). THC butter can be stored in the fridge for about 3 weeks, but you can also freeze it for up to 6 months.
How to Dose THC Butter
Dosing THC butter is the same as dosing any other homemade edible, but with extra caution, because concentrates are very, very powerful. Therefore, always start with a small dose. It’s best to sample your freshly made edible so you can test its potency. Afterward, you can dose it according to your own tolerance, but we recommend you lean on the lower dose end.
How Is THC Butter Different From Cannabis Butter?
The term cannabis butter or weed butter is commonly used to refer to any type of cannabis-infused butter, whether made with dry herbs or concentrates.
Although they produce the same effects, there are some differences that can make one or the other the preferred version of cannabutter for users.
Weed butter is made with dry herbs, most commonly with cannabis flowers (but trim can also be used for making cannabutter instead of throwing it into the trash). Since weed butter is made with the plant material itself, it ends up having a more herbal, grassy flavor. Some people don’t enjoy this flavor, but for some, it’s not a problem.
THC Butter Is More Potent
However, despite the obvious difference in the type of cannabis product used, the main difference is the potency. Cannabis concentrates are much more powerful than cannabis flowers. Concentrates can go from 60-90% THC, while the largest THC percent for buds is around 30 at the very best. Most average strains go from 15-22% THC.
Therefore, despite the herbal flavor, cannabutter is better for users who don’t have a high tolerance to THC or who want a milder high. THC butter, on the other hand, may be preferred by those who want a stronger high.
The Cannabutter Recipe, Just in Case
Let’s see the recipe for cannabutter with dry herbs so you can compare it with THC butter. This recipe uses 1 cup of cannabis flowers to 1 cup of butter.
Cannabutter is made in a very similar way to THC butter. The plant material, whatever you’re using, still needs to be decarboxylated because it contains the inactive versions of both THC and CBD – THCA and CBDA respectively.
The decarboxylation process is exactly the same, but the temperature of the oven should be higher (220-235 degrees Fahrenheit) because fresh weed contains more moisture than concentrates. For the same reason, you should also decarb it for longer, about 30-40 minutes.
It’s best to stir the weed from time to time to allow it to decarb evenly. It’s done when the color has changed from green to yellowish-brown.
Next, use a grinder to grind the decarboxylated cannabis into smaller pieces, but don’t grind it too fine. It should be coarsely ground.
Make the Cannabis Infusion
Then, the infusion process can begin. Again, melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan at low temperature and add two cups of water. You will be making the infusion for longer, so the water will prevent the butter from burning. It will all evaporate by the end of the process. When the butter has melted, add the decarbed weed and stir.
The mixture should simmer at a low temperature for about 3 hours and you should be stirring it frequently to prevent burning. This can be tedious, but try to have patience and don’t increase the temperature. The mixture is done when it looks thick and a little glossy.
Finally, leave it to cool a little before straining it through a cheesecloth or a strainer and storing it in an airtight container. The storage rules for THC butter apply to weed butter as well.
The Takeaway – A Potent and Versatile Edible
THC butter is another way of using the cannabis plant creatively. It’s a very versatile cannabis edible that can be used to amp up many different dishes and desserts. THC butter is a little more potent than traditional cannabutter made with dry herbs, but it’s equally effective. It’s relatively easy to make, so if you have some concentrate to spare, you should try it.
