How To Make Weed Butter | Weed Butter Recipe & Ratios

Weed Butter Recipe

How to make weed butter is a common question that comes up from our patients at Releaf Medical. In this article we will go through the most common techniques and important steps that need to be followed in order to make a successful batch of weed butter. Patients may be interested in making weed butter on their own as a way to infuse cannabis into their foods or drinks which allows them to get the same relief without having to smoke or vape their cannabis. Learning how to make weed butter can seem complicated, but we will try to break it down as simply as possible to make it easy to follow. The typical weed to butter ratio is 1 oz of cannabis for every 1 lb of butter. The weed to butter ratio can be adjusted based on how potent you want your specific weed butter to be.

Step 1: Decarboxylation Or Decarbing

The first step in making weed butter is going to be decarboxylating your cannabis. This is also known as decarbing, simply stated it is the process of heating your cannabis flower up allowing the cannabinoids to activate. There are a couple of different ways to decarb your cannabis that we have listed below. The main compound that you are trying to activate is the THC. THC is not naturally produced in the cannabis plant. When we smoke or vaporize cannabis we heat up the cannabis enough to instantly create this transfer of THCA to THC as it is inhaled, giving users the psychoactive “high” effect. When making weed butter you want to decarb your cannabis first so that you activate the THC (heat breaks down the naturally occurring THCA into THC) This also allows the butter to more easily bind to the flower. There are a couple different ways to decarb your cannabis flower. The most common techniques are described below.

Option 1 – In The Oven

The oven method of how to make weed butter allows you to decarb your cannabis using common household utensils so it is probably the easiest method to attempt without having to purchase extra items.

Ingredients & Equipment:

1. Preheat your oven to around 220 degrees F (typically a lower temperature range is recommended between 220-245 degrees so you don’t burn the cannabis compounds).
2. Use cannabis flower that is broken up into smaller buds, this can be done by hand or with scissors. You do not want to make your buds to fine, typically no finer than for a joint.
3. Cover a glass baking dish or a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread your buds out evenly. A typical weed butter recipe calls for covering the top of your buds also with parchment paper, tin foil, or using an oven-safe silicone bag. Keep in mind that because you are heating up your cannabis this can result in a strong odor as it decarboxylates.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes and gently mix every 10 minutes so you don’t burn the buds. It is Important to use a low temperature over a longer period of time because you don’t want to burn off the vital components of the buds. You will be looking for a change of your buds from a relatively bright greenish color to a deep brownish green.
5. Grind down your decarboxylated flower after it has cooled down. It should be medium coarse not to fine because you want to be able to strain the buds out after mixing.

Option 2 – Sous Vide Method

The sous vide method is the method of decarbing your cannabis in a heated water bath. The drawback of this option is it does require an immersion circulator which most people don’t have as a standard household item. The immersion circulator heats the water to a precise temperature and pushes it back out simultaneously heating and circulating the water, ensuring you don’t burn off any of the cannabis compounds or flavours.

Ingredients & Equipment:

1. Use a pot or large tub and prepare your water bath by filling it up with warm water. Place your immersion circulator in the pot or tub and heat the water to 203 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. With this method you don’t have to be concerned with overheating so you can grind your cannabis more finely to start than if you used the oven. After grinding your cannabis, place it in a vacuum sealed bag or place it in a zip lock bag and use the water displacement method to remove the air. You want to maximize the surface area so spread your buds out before sealing.
3. You will want to take your sealed bag of cannabis and place it in the heated water bath for 90 minutes. Clip your bag to the side or your pot or tub and make sure the cannabis stays submerged in the water bath. A trick to keeping the bag submerged is to add a paperclip on the bottom of the bag and place a heavier item in the clip which will weigh down the bag.
4. Remove the bag and let it cool down for 15 – 20 minutes at room temperature. Dry off your bag and remove your decarboxylated cannabis. You are now ready to mix your cannabis into your butter.

Option 3 – On The Stove Using A Mason Jar

Another way to decarboxylate your cannabis discreetly when learning how to make weed butter is to place your cannabis in a mason jar and place the jar in a pot of water on the stove. This method requires you to pay attention to your cannabis since you are using a glass jar that can crack or explode if the water is heated too high.

Ingredients & Equipment:

1. Coarsely grind up your cannabis and place it in a mason jar making sure to tightly seal.
2. Fill the pot up about halfway with water and heat on low/medium temperature. It is recommended to use a cooking thermometer to ensure the water doesn’t go over 220 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Place your mason jar into the pot of simmering water and let sit for 90 minutes. Keep a close eye while the mason jar heats up to make sure it doesn’t get too hot. During this process make sure the water level remains consistent. You may need to add water to the pot as it slowly evaporates.
4. After 90 minutes remove your decarboxylated cannabis and let cool. You may want to grind down your cannabis depending on how course it was when you placed it in the mason jar. You are now ready to mix with butter.

Option 4 – Decarboxylating machine

For individuals that have learned how to make weed butter and plan on making and using cannabis butter or cannabis coconut oil often you may want to look into purchasing a machine that does all the work for you. These machines take all the guesswork out of the decarb and infusion process and allow cannabis users to perfect their weed butter recipe. Since each company specific decarbing machine works a little differently we have included some links to some specific sites that you may be interested in.

1. Ardent Cannabis
2. Levo
3. Hi Herbal Infuser

***Pro Tip*** Simplify The How To Make Weed Butter Process

The steps for decarbing your cannabis can be avoided if you want to purchase products available at your local medical marijuana dispensary. Although Florida does not sell cannabis butter, marijuana dispensaries do have products available for purchase that simplify the process of infusing your butter. Trulieve sells Truclear which is a CO2 extracted concentrate sold in the form of a syringe. Truclear can be used in place of decarboxylated cannabis to make weed butter. There are numerous benefits to buying a concentrate and mixing it into your butter, such as:

The Trulieve dispensary even has a page dedicated to recipes for mixing your Truclear into your choice of butter or oils. The steps for mixing Truclear into your butter are as simple as.

1. Heat up 2 sticks of butter on your stove in a saucepan at medium heat.
2. Once the butter has melted, lower the stove to low heat (some people like to skim the white substance from the top of the melted butter) and add in Truclear.
3. Stir butter to fully distribute Truclear until it is fully mixed in.
4. Remove from heat and let butter cool at room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator.

Step 2: Adding The Decarboxylated Cannabis To Butter

Ingredients & Equipment:

1. Place a medium saucepan or pot on the stove and add 2 cups of water and 1 lb of unsalted butter and bring to a simmer on low heat (Typical instructions call for a 1:1 ratio of water to butter) The water prevents the butter from burning.
2. As the butter begins to melt add in your decarboxylated cannabis. Mix with a wooden spoon.
3. You should let your pot simmer for roughly 3 hours. During this time you should be stirring at least every 30 minutes. Use a thermometer to check the temperature during the simmering process if you have one. You want to keep your temperature between 160 – 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t exceed 200 degrees Fahrenheit and don’t allow the mixture to come to a full boil. If needed you can add more water to the pot if it evaporates. (Adding water does not dilute the potency of your butter because you will be straining it out later. The compounds you are trying to extract from the cannabis don’t “stick” to the water).
4. After roughly 3 hours you are done cooking, your butter should now be thick and glossy. You will now want to strain the plant matter out of the butter. You can do this by using a cheesecloth, coffee filter, or a metal strainer. Make sure to secure your cheesecloth or coffee filter so that it doesn’t collapse into the jar,cup, or bowl you will be refrigerating in.
5. Refrigerate the butter after straining. Within a few hours after refrigerating you may have some leftover water at the bottom of the jar which will separate from the hardened butter. Remove the excess water as necessary and store your butter in an airtight container. The plant matter that has been removed from the butter can be discarded, all the compounds of the cannabis plant have now been removed.

Before Making A Weed Butter Recipe

At Releaf Medical we always recommend taste testing your weed butter before mixing it to your favorite food or drink. Taste testing to see how potent your butter is allows you to get an idea of the dosage you should use when mixing into your weed butter recipe. One method is to take 1 teaspoon of butter and wait at least 1-2 hours to feel the results. Marijuana enters the bloodstream slowly that is why you need to wait 1-2 hours to determine how potent your weed butter is. Using 1 teaspoon allows you to gauge how strong your batch is or the weed to butter ratio content. If you feel that the butter is potent enough consider the 1 teaspoon equal to 1 serving of whatever food or drink ingredient you will be mixing it with.