Learning How to Cook with Medical Marijuana

Over the last few years, the demand for cannabis edibles has skyrocketed, with a large number of consumers choosing to eat their herbs as a way of experiencing the medicinal benefits. These benefits can range from chronic pain relief to a better night’s sleep. Based on the statistics published in an Arcview Report, cannabis edibles sales will soar to $5.8 billion by the year 2021.

The rate at which consumers are gobbling up weed-infused treats from medical marijuana dispensaries is a reflection of the ever-growing CBD oil extraction market and even more so, an indication of the health-enhancing potential that medical-grade cannabis products possess. If you want a discreet way of using medical marijuana, why not bake your own edibles using buds and oils from local San Francisco dispensaries? 

The Rise in Popularity of Cannabis Edibles 

Back in 2016, the residents of California ate their way through an immense amount of cannabis-infused foods and drinks, totaling to over $180 million. This accounted for 10 percent of cannabis sales in the state. Even seasoned smokers are giving up their joints for marijuana edibles, with Arcview Market Research revealing how the adult cannabis smoking rate dropped to 16.8 percent in 2014 from 20.6 percent in 2009.

As more medical patients are being prescribed the herb, these figures are anticipated to evolve with the industry. There are plenty of positives associated with eating medical cannabis products, from the fact that this method of consumption is smoke-free, to the convenience, discretion and potency offered by cannabis edibles.

As opposed to alternative medical marijuana products, edibles are generally stronger and will deliver a more powerful effect for the user. This is perfect for people who suffer from neurological conditions that may cause the patient to suffer from fits, such as epilepsy. The user need not get high, either. Most types of medical cannabis will be rich in CBD (Cannabidiol) – the non-psychoactive cannabis compound.

How Cannabis Edibles React with the Body

One of two things will happen when a medical marijuana patient chows down on some tasty edibles purchased from the best San Francisco dispensaries – the active cannabis compounds will enter the body via the bloodstream or the liver/small intestine. This depends on how the user eats their weed. For example, if it is a product that is primarily liquid in consistency, cannabinoids will release quickly into the bloodstream.

Should you be interested in snacking on edibles that must be digested by the body, the effects will not be noticeable so quickly. With that being said, the effects are typically longer lasting when the fats in the edible break down, releasing the herbaceous goodness into the bloodstream and around the entire body. Expect this to take 2-3 hours or less than half hour if you are ingesting a liquid.

Keep in mind that if you are making your own cannabis edibles with a high-THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) strain, the experience will be much more intense. A psychoactive cannabinoid, THC metabolizes and turns into 11-hydroxy-THC once ingested. The brain may receive 11-hydroxy-THC pretty quickly, too so it is not advisable to munch on THC-rich edibles if you will be driving or performing tasks that, well, shouldn’t be attempted whilst ‘high’.

Steps for Making Your Own Cannabis Edibles

You should first perform a little bit of research about the main types of cannabis strains sold at dispensaries. With a recommendation from your doctor, choosing a strain with the right balance of THC and CBD will be easy.

After picking a strain, it’s time to start the decarboxylation process. Don’t get perplexed about this term, because it is basically the word used to describe the process that ‘activates’ your pot’s healing powers. Raw cannabis is described as a “superfood” by many and since it is crammed with 400+ beneficial chemical compounds, including essential oils and vitamins, is it any wonder why?

Let’s begin with the steps for making your own scrumptious cannabis edibles:

  1. To accomplish decarboxylation, simply break up your buds, scatter them across a cooking tray and preheat your oven to 240 degrees or 115 degrees Celsius.
  2. Cook for half an hour (or slightly more until the cannabis has a toasted appearance, but not burnt) and remove from the oven.
  3. Allow to cool, grind using a food blender and get ready for the infusion process. Infusing cannabis is essential for making your own edibles, since it allows the active compounds to release into the mixture properly.
  4. To infuse the cannabis into your edibles, melt some ordinary butter in a cooking pan on a low heat and add the weed.
  5. Slowly cook for three hours and strain the remaining liquid with a cheesecloth.
  6. Now you are ready to really start cooking. Add your potent extract to whatever it is you want to cook, whether it is a soup, batch of cookies or even a salad dressing.
  7. Enjoy!

Don’t enjoy too much, though. The Cannabist claims that one gram of medical cannabis (when cooked at home) contains 100mg THC. Remember to seek your doctor’s advice about dosage to ensure your experience is a positive one.

Or take the easy way out. There is no need to cook your own edibles (unless you want to) because at San Francisco dispensaries, a wide range of medical cannabis edibles can be acquired. Nearly any dispensary you walk into nowadays will have edibles readily available for purchase.