Cannabis Cooking 101: A Guide for First-Timers

Purchasing cannabis in Ontario has been far easy over the last few years because of the legalization.  The number of medicinal and recreational pot dispensaries in Ontario like Sativa Bliss made buying and selling in an instant.  Aside from the traditional smokable flower and cannabis concentrates, the birth of edibles brought more attention to cannabis.  Many variations have been made but as many consumers sought cannabis for medical purposes, some didn’t rely on it directly because of the sugar and fructose content.  One remedy they did was to prepare their cannabis treat.  If you are new to cannabis cooking, let’s delve deeper into how it is done.

It starts with decarboxylation…

Before you get to enjoy any of the cannabis edibles,  it needs to undergo decarboxylation.  For those who haven’t heard of the term, decarboxylation is the process of heating the cannabis plant.  Sounds simple? But it’s actually heated at a specific temperature that the human digestive tract will not be able to do.  This process is done to produce two main components.  We’ve known that the two dominant compounds found in cannabis are THCA and CBDA. Even though both are naturally occurring in the cannabis plant, they are still not in their neutral form.  Once decarboxylation takes place, THCA can be converted to THC and CBDA to CBD.  Although some claim the medical benefits of CBD to various conditions, it is still debated up to this day.  So, how do you do the decarboxylation at home?  Here’s a quick step-by-step.

1.   Set the oven at 225 0F / 110 0C to preheat.
2.   Put an oven-safe dish (can be a casserole or bowl) with a parchment paper.
3.   Before placing the buds, break them up to smaller.  Try to consume all the spaces in the dish but the buds should not be on top of each other.
4.   After preheating, you can bake it for about 20 minutes.  The cannabis plant should turn to a light to medium brown color.  A crumbled cannabis means it’s time to remove it from the oven.
5.   Once removed, wait for it to cool down.  Preheat the oven again at 240 0F / 115 0C.
6.   After the cannabis has been cooled down, you may crumble it by hand and place it evenly in the dish.  Cover it with aluminum foil and bake it for 45-60 minutes to attain more of the THC compound and 60-90 minutes for CBD.
7.   Once done, you may remove it from the oven to cool it fully.  There are circumstances that the cannabis you used may need further processing with the help of a blender or any food processor to attain the texture you want. 
8.   If you are content with the texture, you may place it in a sealed glass container and store it in a cool dry place to avoid moisture. 

This process is only a pre-step action towards infusion.  One can create an infused cooking oil or known as the canna-oil.  Another is the creation of an infused butter called canna-butter.  If you are heading towards cooking, there is a lot you can do.  Some of the recipes are infused sweet potatoes, rice crispy treats, and infused chocolate ice cream topping. 

Although having a DIY goodie can be helpful for those who want to avoid too much sugar content, there’s still an advantage in opting for a cannabis dispensary in Ontario.  Simply call Sativa Bliss for a pre-order.  You can pick it up at their location or just choose to deliver the order.  You decide!