Introduction to Edibles: Effects and Butter Recipe

Everyone's familiar with the concept of edibles, even if you don't consume cannabis. If there's a stoner movie, there's bound to be edibles in it. What's so great about them? To start, they are great for those that need cannabis to medicate but cannot smoke it, they can be VERY potent, and they can be quite delicious if made correctly. Edibles can come in the form of capsules, baked goods, butter, candies, mixed with any kind of food or in alcohol or vegetable glycerine tinctures. Edibles are powerful and it is recommended to start out with small amounts and increase every half hour to an hour until desired effect is achieved.

Pros: Slow approaching, steady high, and powerful high when dosed properly.

Cons: Slow approaching, creates strong odor throughout house/apartment while cooking, time consuming, varying effectiveness when homemade. Easy to have TOO much.


THC is fat and alcohol soluble which makes it a great medium for cooking. Edibles can be made in an infinite amount of ways but they all stem from the same initial process. In order to make proper edibles you cannot just put cannabis into a batch of brownie mix and get "baked". You can grind up fresh cannabis and lightly toast it in the oven at 325°F for 5 minutes until it is very lightly toasted. This is called "decarbing" and is simply the process of activating the THC. You don't have to do this step but it definitely helps make it more potent. Once your cannabis is activated you can now make your oil, butter or tincture. Alternatively you can use previously vaporized cannabis or as I call it, "Vapor Poo". Using vaporized cannabis will create a much less potent butter and will give you more of a body buzz/high due to the activation of other chemicals present in the plant.

Left: 4-dose chocolate chip cannabis cookie Right: Cannabis Indica tincture to treat insomnia 

Cannabutter Recipe

What You Need:

• A large saucepan or double boiler/crock pot (crock pot is the best)
• Spoon
• Butter (Its about 1lb. of butter to every ounce of cannabis so make sure you do the math).
• Cannabis 
• Cheesecloth
• Rubber bands
• Tupperware/storage containers (for finished product)

Crock Pot Directions:

Step 1: Add Cannabis and butter to Crock Pot. Set on low setting and cook for 4-8 hours

Step 2: Follow Stove Top Cooking Steps 5 and 6

Stove Top Directions:

Step 1: In a saucepan add water until about 1-2 inches deep and bring to a boil

Step 2:
Add desired amount of butter and heat until melted. Then put heat to low

Step 3:
Add your cannabis and keep on low setting. Stir occasionally and let simmer for 3 hours

Step 4:
Prepare your tupperware containers by folding your cheesecloth over several times (may need 2 cheesecloths) and placing it over the top of the tupperware and securing it with rubber bands.

Step 5:
When the water has turned glossy and thick on top you are now ready to strain the cannabis out of the butter. Slowly pour the contents through the cheesecloth. Once you're done pouring, carefully tie up the cheesecloth and squeeze out the remaining butter. Remaining plant material can be put into a meatloaf/food or capsules to get further use from your cannabis. CONTENTS MAY BE HOT! USE CAUTION!

Step 6:
Place the normal tupperware lid on the container and store in the refrigerator until the butter has solidified

Step 7:
Now that the butter has solidified, the water we used must be drained. Poke around the edges of the container with a butter knife to loosen it from the sides and allow the water to drain out. Now enjoy!

**NOTE** When making cookies or similar foods, weigh out portions to make sure each cookie/item is the same "dosage"

Edibles do not have to be limited to sweets. There are many great foods cannabis can be added to. It pairs well with other herb rich recipes like pastas and sauces. It could also be as simple as a slice of toast with a little bit of cannabutter. The sky is the limit or at least your pantry is *giggles*

Indica vs. Sativa: What's the Difference?

Sorry for the recent disappearing act. This "Polar Vortex" and insane amount of snow has had my time taken up. Not to worry readers, I'm back on track and will continue to share my knowledge and tips with you all. Today's topic is the differences between Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Sativa. These two species of cannabis both have the ability to create a "high" we all enjoy but each one has different effects.

Sativas are typically a very cerebral high that makes you more energetic and creative. It's a wonderful choice for daytime use and for those that need to lift their mood. A very good sativa will put you at one with yourself and elevate your mood and have you giggling and smiling. It really gets your brain going and helps you focus as well. I know, "weed makes you focus?" Yes it actually can, if you smoke the correct strains. Generally any sativa or sativa dominant hybrid strain will help you focus immensely. It really helps get your creative juices flowing. Some of the best music *cough*anything Pink Floyd *cough* has been the result of a few good hits of sativas. If you feel wound up and stressed or just "out of it", this is the stuff for you.

Sativas:
Sativa plants are taller, take longer to mature, have less chlorophyll and more accessory pigments (accessory pigments protect the plant from excessive sunlight). As Sativa strains have less chlorophyll than Indica they take longer to grow, mature, and require more light.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/mzd4x5e

Indicas are more of a body high that is more physical and sedated. That's not to say your head doesn't get fuzzy when yo consume it. When you see stoners in movies that just lay on the couch the whole time and zone out, that's typical of an Indica high. Your entire body feels very relaxed and you often experience what is commonly referred to as, "couch lock." It usually makes you really sleepy, so this would be great for those with sleeping problems. That's also why it is ideal for nighttime use.

Indica plants are short, bushy, mature early, have more chlorophyll and less accessory pigments (accessory pigments protect the plant from excessive sunlight). As Indica strains have more chlorophyll than sativa they grow and mature faster.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/mzd4x5e

Sativa Uses:

• Energy
• Pain Relief
• Headaches
• Mood Elevation
• Increases Focus
• Stimulates Appetite
• Helps Lower Depression
• Useful PTSD Treatment

Indica Uses:

• Anxiety Relief
• Sleep Aid
• Muscle Relaxant
• Pain Relief
• IBS/IBD/Crohn’s treatment
• Anti-inflammation
• Reduces intra-ocular pressure
• Reduces nausea
• Reduces seizures
• Relaxation/Sedation
• Relives headaches and migraines

The "High Scale": How High Are You?

This scale is to be taken humorously as well as give you a relative idea of what you would feel on a certain scale. Remember, everyone’s tolerance varies and this is to be taken mostly as a joke. Enjoy!

 [0]
Sober still. No “funny feelings” yet. Smoke up, man.

[1]
Beginning of “funny feelings”. Mild muscle and mind relaxation

 
 [2]
It’s kicking in, man. Random thoughts may surface. Seeking comfort, increased relaxation












[3]
It’s working man. Random thoughts become common. Increased appreciation of comfort, food, music and more.

[4]
Still rising, man. Weird muscle feeling may appear. For some, couch lock may set in already at this point. Music will start to sound much better. Thought patterns may start to transform. Mind images will start to clarify. Very mild closed eye visuals. Newcomers are blown away already at this point, they probably didn’t expect anything like this. But it’s good man. Relax.

[5]
Good shit, man. Couch lock may become common if smoking an indica but sativas will be causing energy and euphoria. Thought patterns have changed quite a lot. Weird muscle feelings become common. Everything is amplified. Concentration is starting to be affected. You may experience zooming out into somewhere only you inhabit for small periods of time. Newcomers may start to freak out but it’s all good man. Chill. Relax.


[6]
Thought patterns change radically. All feelings, thoughts, and senses are amplified, extended, deepened. Concentration is difficult for advanced tasks. Couch lock is almost a rule with indicas, but experienced smokers can still operate, which means getting food. Sativas will have your mind racing with ideas and creativity. Psychedelic feelings begin.

[7]
At this point, you’re pretty fucking smashed, dude. Dissociation may kick in for longer periods of time. Even experienced smokers probably just lie down at this point. Losing yourself in thought becomes easy. Some people may feel very tired. Radically transformed thought flow, starting to feel like a psychedelic experience. Newcomers more likely to freak out unless they have a strong sense of self control.

[8]
Well now, you’re starting to be very dissociated and may find keeping your eyes open difficult. Closed eye visuals are very common and may be intense, you may find yourself lost in them easily. Hearing sounds becomes slightly common

[9]
You’re gone, lost in thought. Falling asleep becomes very easy. Concentration is almost impossible to muster up, even for very simple tasks such as opening your mouth. Everything that your senses receive is put through a million amplifiers and distortion pedals, what you receive is probably not your friends saying, “let’s stick a carrot up his ass”, more like, “HURR DURR DERP”

[10]
The level of highness becomes so mother fucking that most people fall asleep, those who stay conscious may not remember much of their trip. What you experience can be compared to a good deal of strong psychedelics. Good shit man!

[Holy Mother Fucking High]
The rarest and most sacred of all highs, achieved only by a select few grand-masters across the millennia. The specific effects of such a high are unknown, but it is said that achievers may never return to the local galactic cluster again.

What It's All About

You can call me Mrs. FeelGood. I'm just your everyday gal that just so happens to be a cannabis enthusiast. My goal is to share some helpful tips that may help you during your time consuming cannabis. My posts will range from helpful to funny to serious topics.

Almost anyone who has consumed cannabis in one way or another can tell you how great it feels, however please smoke responsibly. Know your limits and remember, it’s not a contest to see who can get higher first. It’s about feeling good and being at peace with yourself and everything around you. Do not operate a vehicle while very high. Do not travel with cannabis in open view in your car. Avoid smoking in public places that outlaw cannabis and most of all, respect others especially while you consume cannabis.

To my readers, spark up and enjoy!