Cannabis Wellness
My Special Holiday Cookies
by Jay Richardson , contributing writer
December has arrived and winter approaches , which can mean only one thing — it ’ s time to make cannabisinfused holiday cookies . We will use an old favorite family recipe from my mother ’ s 1960 Betty Crocker Cookbook . Before we do that , we must do a few other things .
First , you need to decide if making your own THC-infused edibles is feasible or economical . You will need access to kitchen space and some basic utensils : a mixer , rolling pin , measuring cups and spoons , etc . You get it — basic kitchen stuff . You will also need some marijuana . Unless you are like me , a licensed cultivator , access to free or inexpensive flower may not be an option . In this case , it might be more economical to purchase your goodies from the local dispensary . You won ’ t have the fun of making and consuming your own treats , so you will have to come to your own conclusion .
Let ’ s assume that you do have some available cannabis . I prefer to use the trim from my buds and the small popcorn buds as opposed to my premium flowers . When making edibles , you can infuse cooking oil , grain alcohol , or in our case today , butter . To infuse means to join with or mix . One of my main goals as a writer of this magazine is to include as little science as possible . When I first learned to grow buds in the 1980s , one of the most important lessons I learned was that you do not need to know why something works to know that it does . I don ’ t know how the computer I ’ m using to write this works , but I know it does . I installed and repaired TV satellite dishes for sixteen years , and I still don ’ t have a clue about any of that technology , but if your dish is broken , I can fix it .
I am , of course , exaggerating . I do have at least a clue of the science behind the things I discuss in my articles . One of my main objectives is to simplify home cannabis production so that you can actually do it instead of just reading about it . Another goal is to make it affordable and convenient . Sometimes buying commercial equipment to grow flower or produce edibles has been my best choice . In other cases , I have found homemade alternatives to be less expensive and work better . I will try to save you a lot of trial and error by letting you learn from my mistakes , which are too numerous to fit in this publication .
Okay , now that we have the marijuana , we need to activate the THC , or Delta 8 tetrahydrocannabinol , which I am sure you are aware , is the main ingredient that produces marijuana ’ s medicinal effect . Cannabis in flower form contains THCA , which has no side effects . If you just eat a raw bud , nothing will happen ; trust me on this one . I told you we would cut science to a minimum , but sometimes it ’ s necessary . I could tell you that the THCA has one additional ring of carboxyl that THC doesn ’ t contain , but even though it ’ s true , I don ’ t know what a carboxyl is , and I ’ m guessing you don ’ t either . Even though we don ’ t understand that nasty little ring of carboxyl , we can remove it and turn the inactive THCA into very potent THC , and I will show you an easy way to do it .
44 December 2022
Decarboxylation or “ decarb ” is the process of activating THCA into its therapeutic counterpart . This is done with heat . Whether using fire to light and smoke a marijuana pipe or cigarette or preparing herbal materials to make some very special holiday cookies , we use heat . In the case of decarb , all we need is an oven and a cookie sheet to make edibles . The key is to heat the flower to a very specific temperature for a very specific amount of time . The magic numbers are 27 minutes at 252 degrees . Different times and temperatures will activate the THC , but for it to achieve its most potent levels , stick to the magic numbers . You are encouraged to do your own research to verify my information .
Varying from the proper time and temperature will lower your potency greatly , so pay attention when setting your the temp and kitchen timer . Although 300 degrees for seven minutes will produce a slightly stronger product , you will need to be careful , or you will scorch and ruin your cannabis . We don ’ t want to do that , so go with 252 degrees for 27 minutes . Setting your timer to exactly 27 minutes is easy ; preheating the oven to exactly 252 degrees , not so much . Simply set the knob to just a hair past 250 and put the oven on preheat .
The next step is to place the selected herb on a cookie sheet . The amount you use will depend on how strong you want your cookies and how many cookies we will bake . You will decide this based on your preference . I like mine strong because I am highly experienced with edibles , but you will have different levels of tolerance and medical need than I do . Your potency will also be affected by the strength of the cannabis you use . Edibles are definitely not one size fits all , so always start by consuming a small amount until you determine how strong the goodies are . Remember , you can always eat more , but you can never eat less .
Now that the flower is spread evenly and the oven is preheated , put the pan on the center rack for 27 minutes . After the bud comes out , it will usually be slightly browned . Let it cool and then break it into small pieces . You can use your fingers , but I prefer a simple strainer or a flour sifter . Now you can make marijuana-infused butter or cannabutter . There are as many methods as there are readers . When