At some point, you may want stronger edibles. That starts with stronger cannabutter! Learn how to make stronger cannabutter using this guide to get more THC into your edibles.
When striving to make your cannabutter stronger, evaluate your ratio of butter to cannabis. The easiest way to strengthen the potency of your cannabutter is to take your typical recipe and simply add more cannabis. Since you are familiar with the process, this methodology results in the goal of stronger cannabutter without the risk of mistakes and wasted cannabis. Many resources call a “standard” dose while making cannabutter 1 oz of bud to 1 lb of butter or 3 oz of trim to 1 lb of butter; our cannabutter recipe is a little more potent than this suggested guideline. Again, for a stronger cannabutter, increase the amount of cannabis used and maintain the amount of butter or vice versa. To estimate the potency of your new cannabutter, use our potency calculator before you start the process to ensure your calculations will help you reach your goal.
Other Tips for Stronger Cannabutter
- Make sure to decarboxylate your weed; this will convert THCA to THC providing the psychoactive effects recreational users are seeking from higher potent edibles.
- Use a higher potency strand; if your cannabis starts with more potential THC you’ll get stronger butter for your efforts.
- Substitute buds for trim; flower tends to have more THC potential so you could use the same amount of bud as trim but get more kick.
- Note: Using water while making your cannabutter will not affect the potency, it is helpful to reduce the weedy taste and smell of your end-product and prevent the butter from burning.
Another tip to make stronger cannabutter is to prevent the degradation of THC in the cannabis you’re using to make your butter. There are many factors to keeping your weed as potent as possible but most importantly is the way you store it and activate it. While storing your cannabis you’ll want to watch the amount of light and air that gets to it and the temperature and humidity that it is exposed to.
Preventing THC Degredation
- Store your unprocessed cannabis in an opaque container (not translucent); when cannabis is exposed to light for long durations of time it can kick-start the process of THCA to THC.
- Store your unprocessed cannabis in an airtight container; when cannabis is exposed to oxygen it changes the cannabinoids at a molecular level, converting THC to CBN (cannabinol) which is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid.
- Store your unprocessed cannabis in a location with cool temperatures, 70°F or less; when cannabis is exposed to higher temperatures it can change the flavor and smell of your weed as well as prematurely start the decarboxylation process.
- Store your unprocessed cannabis in a location with 59-63% humidity; when cannabis is exposed to too much moisture it can cause mold or an ammoniated flavor while being stored in an airtight container. When cannabis is exposed to conditions that are too dry it can dehydrate the herb to the point of being brittle and fragile.
- Don’t overgrind your weed; the stems and hairs in your trim have THC that you want to keep intact while cooking (when you’re finished grinding it should resemble the consistency of dried oregano).
- Be careful to cook your cannabutter at the right temperature; if you cook cannabutter at too high of a temperature (250°F or higher) the THC will degrade.