Here’s an easy method for making an infused cannabis oil using equipment found in most home kitchens. For the flower we used a half ounce Bullfrog Bag from Life Arises Farm. These are value priced buds ($64 per half ounce) that are smaller, a little less trimmed but just as potent as the top shelf stuff. (We recently sold out of this product as it proved to be a hot item! We are looking forward to it being back in stock after this fall’s harvest.)
Algae Cooking Oil from the Algae Cooking Club is quickly becoming one our favorite pantry items. It’s got a super high smoke point so it’s great for frying. It also has more “good” monounsaturated fats than olive or avocado oil and algae uses far less water and land to cultivate than most oil-producing crops do. All of these factors, plus it’s neutral or even slightly buttery taste make it a perfect choice for infusing with cannabis to make your own full spectrum oil.
The cultivar we used is about 17% THC, which with two cups of oil will create an infused oil that will have about 22 mg of THC per teaspoon. We used this handy dose calculator to do the THC math then reduced that number by 13% to account for mass lost during decarboxylation. This is an estimate, not an exact science. Potency will vary based on a variety of factors.
To make the oil you’ll need:
- 3.5 to 14 grams of cannabis flower (you choose based on desired potency of finished oil)
- 1 x 16-ounce bottle of Algae Cooking Oil
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Medium saucepan
- Instant read thermometer
- Strainer
- Several measuring cups
Directions:
The first step is to decarboxylate the cannabis. In plain terms this means baking it at in this case 240F degrees for 45 minutes to activate the cannabinoids, otherwise it won’t have any euphoric effect. This is normally what happens when you smoke or vaporize cannabis.
1. Preheat your oven to 240F degrees and place a rack in the middle.
2. Break the flowers into pea-sized pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet.
3. Bake the cannabis for 40 to 45 minutes stirring halfway through, until it is golden-brown and smells toasty.
4. Transfer the cannabis to a medium saucepan and cover with the Algae oil. Stir.
5. Simmer the oil for 4 hours over low heat so that the oil temperature is around 180F degrees on an instant read thermometer.
6. Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.
7. Strain the oil through a strainer and then a second time through a coffee filter to remove any fine sediment.
8. Transfer to clean glass jars or bottles and store in a cool, dark place.
Uses:
As with any THC product go low and slow at first by starting with only a few drops. You can definitely use this oil solely as a supplement but it’s toasty, buttery flavor will make you want to use it in food as well. It would be a delicious addition to baked goods but also a drizzle on roasted vegetables, meat or seafood and, of course, right onto your tongue.
