Making Your Own Marijuana Infusions At Home

So, you’re thinking about creating your own marijuana infusions and are wondering just how complicated the process might be. Though it sounds like a fair amount of work, it’s actually not that difficult to make your own infusions at home after you do a bit of leg work mentally. That’s right—the most difficult part of the entire process is figuring out how your body will react to the marijuana infusion that you plan to make.

Eating versus smoking marijuana

There is a fairly common misconception out there that consuming marijuana by eating it will have the same, or very similar, effects to smoking or vaping it. That is simply not true. When marijuana is eaten, it enters the body via the stomach, after which it gets metabolized within the liver. During this process, THC gets converted into 11-hydroxy-THC, which is a different chemical altogether than the one produced by marijuana being smoked or vaped. 

When marijuana gets processed in the liver, as it does when that marijuana is eaten, the effects of marijuana that are psychoactive can be up to ten times greater than when marijuana is inhaled—yes, TEN times. 

And, its effects usually take much longer to make themselves known–as long as one to two hours. This time frame can vary, depending on each individual’s metabolism and other things that they have consumed, so it is of utmost importance that marijuana users who plan to make their own infusions have patience. Consuming a large amount of edible marijuana can have effects that last upwards of eight hours.

Starting slow

Because the experience of consuming edible marijuana is so vastly different from that of vaping or smoking it, it is highly recommended that those who are new to the process take it very slow and start with small dosages. Overeating marijuana is not a pleasant experience, which is why it is important to plan ahead to find the marijuana infusion that is right for you. Here are some of the most important things to consider when figuring out your best marijuana infusions…

Be mindful of your metabolism

As mentioned, edible marijuana infusions can have vastly different effects on two people who consume the same amount, simply due to the differences in the ways that our bodies metabolize. It’s much better to start slow and gradually add more marijuana into your infusion than the other way around. It is advised that those who are new to marijuana start with an amount ranging between one and five milligrams, and gradually work their way up with subsequent infusions.

Put some thought into the strain

Don’t just throw the first marijuana you see into your cannabutter. You can make or break a marijuana infusion by the thought that you put into how you want the infusion to make you feel! Pacific Seed Bank is a great place to start to learn more about the different types of marijuana and to find the strain that is ideal for your concoction.

Consider the THC level

Another aspect of choosing the best strain for your marijuana infusions is how much THC is in the marijuana that you select. It might be wise to find an online calculator that can tell you exactly how much THC you can expect in each serving of your infusion, which is definitely important knowledge to have on hand before you consume (or share) your marijuana infusion.

Prepping the marijuana for cooking

Make sure to take the time to properly clean your marijuana buds before adding them into your mixing bowl. It’s best to boil the dry flowers for about five minutes in water, then quickly submerge them in ice water, effectively blanching the marijuana flower. This process will also do wonders for the taste of your marijuana.

Activate the cannabinoids

In order to activate the cannabinoids in the marijuana, you plan to infuse with, you’ll need to decarboxylate it by heating it at around 250-300 degrees Fahrenheit (depending on the strain). You’ll want to complete this step prior to adding the marijuana in with your other ingredients.

Infuse with purpose

You don’t need any fancy equipment to make effective and tasty marijuana infusions. If you have a slow cooker in your kitchen, you can quickly and easily whip up a cannabis-infused oil or butter. Some people even use French press coffee makers to whip up infusions. And, once you’ve infused butter or oil with marijuana, you can go beyond spreading cannabutter on toast by incorporating these items into other recipes.

Once you’ve figured out the basics of how to make an effective, safe, and tasty cannabis-infusion, the possibilities of how to use that infusion are almost endless! For more information on what marijuana strains might work best in your personal perfect infusion, or for access to a huge range of high-quality feminized marijuana seeds, be sure to check out Pacific Seed Bank.