Making Canna-Oil: Math Included

If you have ever tried to find a definitive answer to a dosage question on the internet, you were out of luck, until now that is. 

As a Medical Cannabis Partaker (and a busy parent) I need to know what my results are going to be before I make my oil. I also need to know that my results can be reproduced. But how do I do that with kief instead of bud was my dilemma.

I understand the typical ratios for bud to butter to use for baking. I didn't know how to measure and account for the dosage using kief, or how many pills to take instead of food. So I had a few questions that were nearly impossible to find consistent answers to. Not one source I checked out agreed with the next as to how much kief to use. There is apparently no Bud To Kief Ratio "rule of thumb" out there either, though I'm proposing one here.    

And I've done all the math.  It was confusing at first, but I've figured it out. There will be diagrams, or at least pictures. With all the guess work now gone we can happily medicate knowing our results should be the same every time and increasing our dosage as our tolerance increases will be easy as well.

The Bud to Butter Ratio

For making Canna Budder, or Canna Oil for baking or cooking you will get consistent results using these ratios.

My Cheat-sheet 

 Kief, which is basically the tiny resin particles that have fallen off the bud, weighs much less than bud. So 1oz. of bud is not equal to 1oz. of kief when it comes to strength of dosage! One ounce of kief would be much stronger.

That was the challenge! Sadly, every "weed authority" I searched online did not discuss the topic at all of how much kief to use instead of bud. Oh, there are more than a few kief recipes out there, just nobody but me is apparently looking for this exact information.

Except, this is exactly what is needed in the industry; a standard to use that will deliver the same results every time for edibles, tinctures, and other blends. Listening to The Cannabist has taught me that the industry in Calorado has (and still is) suffered lots of different growing pains,  inconsistency of product was one of those major issues!
About to give up, I finally found a reliable source! Big shout out to MFT. If you have never heard of them, please check them out. These bunch of guys might look rough, but they are a bunch of sweeties! Marijuana For Trauma in Oromocto, New Brunswick. A few good people there have been cooking with Cannabis for a long time and so the information was passed down to me verbally.

Here's the ratio I finally found and would like to propose that this become the...

Golden Ratio of Bud to Kief

1oz Bud  =  4g Kief

14g Bud  =  2g Kief  

7g Bud  =  1g Kief  

3.5g Bud  = 0.5g Kief 

Keeping to this ratio will generally give you the same results as the Bud to Butter Ratio above, all other things being equal, of course. Consistency is as important at home as it is from the edibles you purchase at your local or favourite dispensary.


Quick note about the kind of oil or fat you are using to absorb the cannabinoids while it is decarboxing. Butter, olive oil, coconut oil are all fats, but not all fats are the same. One might absorb less cannabiniods than another, even with all else the same. I'm not a scientist, but I know that this area needs research to take all the guess work out of making the most potent oil infusion. Until that happens take time to learn about what you are putting into your body.


Decarboxylating: Don't forget about it!

Decarb the kief the same as Bud; in oil or dry but make sure you cook it at no higher a temperature than 285'F, for no less than 30 minutes. This time around I personally used my Crockpot on low, than high, than low again. I used a candy thermometer to test the temp of the oil over the 5 hour process. It never when over 275'F. Important to note, a temp higher than 285'F will cause the THC to evaporate off, losing some of your high. So a lower temp, but a longer time should give you better results.There are lots of methods out there, find yourself a favourite and get to it; as long as it follows these general rules above for temp and time it should work.


Note: I've been informed that though adding lecithin to the process of infusing your chosen oil with Cannibis is a suggestion and not necessary, it does increase the potency. And a real quick Google search of Lecithin tells me there are varying qualities and sources of it to pay attention to when purchasing. 

The Big Math: How to know your dosage

The big complicated math...well not really. The trick is having the formula!
And I'm giving it to you right here.
As medical marijauna users managing a chronic condition know, it is important to know your dosages. We keep track of how much or how often we dose, so consistency, quality, and potency are imperative. 
To know what dosage your baked goods are when making cookies or brownies fill in the blanks as best you can. I realize, if your medicating illegally you might not have the ability to know what percent your bud's THC is, so you will have to guess. I think I've read that most street side weed is around the 15 -16%THC. At least it's a good ballpark figure to guesstimate with.

The formula is:

 g x 1000 x THC% divided by #pieces = THC dose per piece.

So in Real life my last brownie batch I measured the dose like this:

4.09grams (bud) x 1000 = 4,090mgs

4090mg x 13.3%THC = 543.97mg

543.97mg divided by 24 pieces

= 22.66mgs per piece.

So my tolerance level for edibles right now is just over two doses, according to Colorado's term "Dose" which is 10mg (other States list a "dose" as 5 mg). Perhaps that is not a big deal to know now if you are not in a place where edibles are available, but it is good to know what constitutes a dose so you are aware and don't have to guess or even be in fear of over doing it. 

With the Kief in Coconut oil to put into pills the math got a little more complicated, because there were two different formulas I ended up needing to use. I can't describe this math. But I wrote it out nice and took a picture...

One last time, I'm not a scientist or professional anything. I'm a medical marijuana user. And I like to know what I'm putting in my body. I like consistency, I like predictability. I do not like to be in the position of being over medicated and suddenly incapable of getting my chores or errands done, or visa-versa, haven't medicated enough and in too much pain to be as active as I wish.                                                               This formula can be used to determine how much bud (or kief) to use for your right dosage, as well as say,  how many pieces to eat or divid the recipe into.                                                                                       

The bonus is, if you know how potent your cookies or brownies are you can wisely introduce a newbie with a low first dose of 3 or 5mg. There's nothing more sad than turning someone off Mother Natures best medicine by over dosing them on their first time like I did with my daughter...

but that's another story.

P.S. If you know for a fact that I am incorrect in this proposal that 28g of bud = 4g of kief, please comment below. I'm still learning and willing to be corrected.

I Could Have You Eating Edibles for Your Next Meal. Interested?

I ran out of 'Med'ibles last week and my stash is the lowest its been in a year. I placed my order, but it didn't make it here before the weekend. Canada Post for ya. Less reliable that a local dealer. But it's what I got. So I make due until I pick it up this aft. (yay!)

Making due but really missing the place my edibles take me to every day. That's why I love this
recipe! It is very simple. And don't assume that because this is not a space brownie or a pot cookie that the high will be less! Who said your first edible had to be a sweet made from a big batch of butter made in a crockpot?!?

Best part? You don't need a lot of weed to make it! Not everyone buys a months supply at once. Not everyone can bake! But if you know how to make eggs already you too can make this healthy breakfast! (Eggs aren't just for breakfast anymore). Just takes a bit of time. Ready?

Green Eggs and Toast
I admit I have stolen this recipe from Water Melon. And for a change I didn't change it. Just made it like I learned it.

Ingredients:
Two Eggs
(Splash of milk)
Two slices of bread for toast
Butter (I suggest at least a Tbsp)
Fresh Bud
Salt and Pepper to taste

The only thing not explained is how much bud to use. In another of her videos she explains that 0.7g per person is a good rule. Especially if you haven't had edibles before. It might seem like a small amount but when you eat Cannabis your body processes it differently than when you smoke it, so a little is all you need! REALLY! And feel free to lessen or increase the amount if you medicate methodically and know how much you take. I for instance know that I need less than 0.7g of bud, being a Newbie and all.

I measured out 0.02oz, which translates into 0.57grams. The 0.7g would be close to the same as a loose and level tablespoon of busted up bud.

Add butter to a fry pan and melt, adding the measured Bud after its melted.
*Important! leave fry pan on low or 2 and stir the bud into the butter every few minutes. This will bubble slightly. It's what you want to see. The bubbles indicate that the THC, Cannabidiol and Terpenes are being released from the plant and absorbed into the butter. Too high, too fast and you burn the butter, and the medicine gets burned off too = No high and No feel good medicine!

Let your butter absorb as much medicine as possible, so let it sit over Low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. The longer the better of course. It means more medicine will be usable. So, if you have the time, let it bubble longer than ten minutes. The result is brownish or greenish butter. Pour most of this off into a small bowl to butter your toast with. Bud and all.

Replace pan on heat and turn up to cook eggs as you normally would. The pan is greased with High Butter and probably some cooked bud. I made scrambled eggs so added a splash of milk, salt and pepper. This way the left over oil and bud on the pan got mixed into the whole meal and added flavour, colour and texture....I know, you just want to get high! Who the fuck cares about texture! ME actually. Cuz I love good, well made food.

When eggs are cooked as to your preference, butter the toast you remembered to make while the eggs were cooking. I literally just spooned the High butter, buds and all as evenly as I could across my toast. I don't like to see dry spots on my toast so when the bowl was drained and scraped out I did add a tiny bit more normal butter to fully cover it.

Plate your finished product. Looks good, smells good and tasted AMAZING!

I had two surprises. The first surprise was how right I was on the amount of medicine I choose to use. About the second paragraph in to writing this and I was happy, dancing in my seat and not really interesting in writing anymore. The Clash was on 105.3 The Fox so I cranked it and danced instead. LOVE that place! The place my edibles take me. Love it.

The second surprise was the taste! The Bud I had on hand was a Sativa called Luminarium, a small amount of Indica called Remissio (Headband) and my high CBD called Avidekel, all from MedReleaf. The flavours were earthy and slightly salty, making it a great addition to eggs and toast. I don't think I could actually enjoy eggs without that flavour now.

In case you are concerned about eating the actual plant material. It was not too much that I felt like my mouth was full of plant matter. Nor did it dissolve into nothing. It was there. But it really did add to the full experience of the meal. It did not detract from the overall enjoyment, in fact it was barely noticeable because the flavour was so overly enjoyable!

Bon Appetite!
Happy Medicating!

And if this is your first try at edibles, You're welcome.

Edibles: Getting Baked, While Baking

After my successful experience a few weeks ago with my first edible, a gift of Peanut CannaButter Cookies from a friend, I strongly expressed to Sensei that I had to do that again! So we planned for a couple weeks and saved our money. Then Sensei made the purchase of a full Ounce which we went halfsies on so we could bake. Sensei choose to make the butter, already having had experience with it. I was given the Cannabutter and baked cookies at my place the following day. We each choose a recipe for me to bake and split. This is what happened that day.

The Cannabutter was made by Sensei, and from the description it was done differently this time compared to the other times Sensei made it. This time the Crock-pot method was employed, for 24 hrs. I found out from Sensei that the finished product turned out stronger than the usual stove top method. Of course, why Sensei had to change things to make them more potent when this was my first bake I’m not sure, but whatev’s. I can limit my intake knowing it is stronger.

The first thing I did when I got home was scrap a very small amount off the top of the Cannabutter and stir it into my coffee. Then I discovered I misjudged how many chocolate chips I had and ended up running to the store for a big bag. While out I noticed the butter was starting to take effect as I began to feel a slight warming in my abdomen. I recalled this feeling from the first time. It was a light effect given how little I had ingested, it just made me feel a slight euphoria. I was nervous that I was out when I started to feel it, but I was able to drive home to begin the baking process again without any trouble.

Sensei choose the first recipe for The Best Cannabis Chocolate-Chip Cookies found on EMarijuanaRecipes.com. I have to say, the butter mixture stank really strong so incense was burned to counter the smell. Thank you Sensei for making the butter at your place! Baking with Cannabutter I learned that one should always use glass, or metal baking implements so as not to have wood or plastic infused with the smell. So glad I read and heeded that information before taking on this endeavour. 

   

The Cannabutter melted very easily with very little heat, and mixed well with the two sugars and eggs. The dry ingredients were added to the wet, then the add ins. We choose to use both Chocolate chips and Nuts. I had on hand Pecans, so used them. Once the raw dough was made I found there to be a lot of chocolate chips. So many that at times I had to remove a chip or two for them to remain formed into balls. In order to keep a consistency in the size of the finished product I used a small scoop to pick up the dough. I hand roll them nice and round and baked an even amount to be able to divide them evenly. I was able to get 80 chocolate chip cookies from one cup of Cannabutter. 

  

I wanted to try them but could not until my oldest Son left the house, which I discovered he needed to at 1:15pm to catch a bus. The second he left I ate two cookies. Ten minutes later my son returned needing a ride as the bus had been missed! I was still ok enough to drive, so I did, without feeling any effects before I was home. 

As a side note, my son did wonder what the heck I was making when he got up. Dark green butter with a smell like that will tip anyone off, and there’s no way of hiding what it is. So I admitted that I was making pot cookies for a friend who offered to pay me to do it. I commented how baking and taking this friend cookies over the last few months had paid off and allowed me to do this for them. ‘Oh, and Mom could get arrested for this, so don’t say anything’….I’m hoping he bought it. (2 1/2 months later, I have told my son I'm legal and eventually found out he had no idea I was using at this point-whew!)

Back to my baking. By 2:24pm I was GONE! I had kids scheduled to arrive home from school in about an hour and I still had to finish making the second batch of cookies. These ones I was told to pick. So I found an Cannabis Compost Oatmeal Cookie recipe from Good and Baked website. Given that I was good and baked myself by this time I found the recipe hard to follow. It was not layed out in step by step instructions. I somehow managed to focus enough for short periods of time that I was able to finish mixing this batch. No pictures this time though. The add ins I used were Raisins, Cranberries, Cinnamon and Nutmeg. I don't know how they taste yet. So we shall see if I made a good stoned decision. It was torture baking them. I was feeling slightly paranoid and wanted to go to my room, but I was stuck making the last of the cookies and cleaning up after myself so none of my hungry children would come in from school and eat any not realizing what they were! So I stuck it out and waited 16 minutes as each batch cooked. This type of cookie was bigger due to the fact that they are made of lumpy oats, so we only got a total of 32 cookies out of this half pound. They sure look good though.

To describe my state after eating the two cookies I would have to say more stoned then I’ve ever been so far. While making and waiting for the last of the cookies to bake I was hippy dancing in the kitchen. I don’t know how else to describe it. If you see any of the old clips from the original Woodstock and see the girls dancing in long flowing skirts, headbands, and sunglasses….that was pretty much me. Nothing but the music existed in those moments, and minutes between oven and cookie change overs. AS soon as I finished washing up and bagging the cookies to hide in my room until I could count again and split them up I was next in my room hiding from my family. I was present, and then I was somewhere else, then here again, then elsewhere. I was able to communicate with people again 6 hours after the edibles took effect. But the half life of the stuff was still present. I was extremely relaxed for much of the night. I slept wonderfully! Didn’t wake up once, an unusual thing for me. This morning I no longer feel the half life but I do feel more laid back than usual and still more apt to dance to music. I did nothing in a rush today. 

I asked Sensei about the strength and taste of the cookies, given they have way more experience with edibles than I do. I was congratulated. The cookies tasted very good I was told, and the weed butter taste is minimal given how strong they are. Four cookies made Sensei’s eyes completely red and gave a very strong body high. This coming from someone who has had five years experience with Cannabis! I think the crock-pot method will be the method of choice from now on!

Then Sensei says, ‘if i didn’t have to go back to work tonight, i would eat a couple more and watch a movie. You can get to a certain high on edibles where it becomes psychedelic.’ 

this is NOT the real Sensei

Well! There’s another bucket list item! I’ll have to try that another day, when I don’t have to work for a couple days.