Disclaimer: Remember to consult your healthcare practitioner when establishing your optimal dose, as it will be highly dependent on the strain of cannabis and your individual needs. If you find your edible is stronger than you’re used to, consider consuming less or reducing the ratio of cannabis to non-cannabis ingredients. For example, it may be advisable to use only half infused and half non-infused butter when making edibles. Keep all cannabis products away from children and pets; make sure they are safely stored and clearly marked. Always ‘start low and go slow.’

This week we sat down with Aurora’s very own Sandy Nguyen, who offers her two cents on the best way to consume responsibly when experimenting in the kitchen, along with one of her favourite cannabis-infused recipes.

Position: Registration Lead

Joined: November 2016

Role in one sentence: I make sure all documents and information submitted by clinics, practitioners, and clients comply with Health Canada regulations, ACMPR, and internal Aurora policies.

Favourite part about working at Aurora: Being able to help people from all walks of life and hearing their success stories from using medical cannabis.

Q: What drew you to the cannabis industry initially?

SN: I grew up around the industry, so cannabis has been a big part of my life for a long time. My friends and colleagues have been highly involved in the industry for years, and all of us are advocates of the potential medical benefits of cannabis.

Q: Why did you become interested in edibles?

SN: I’ve always had a passion for baking. After working in the industry for a few years, I realized there was this huge demographic that was consuming cannabis for medical purposes only through edible forms. It occurred to me that cooking with cannabis is incredibly versatile, and that cannabis-infused ingredients could be easily incorporated into almost any recipe.

Tip: One of Sandy’s favourite edibles is cannabis butter. She has substituted cooking oil with cannabis butter in many different recipes, and also uses it when she bakes.  

Q: Do you have any suggestions for those trying edibles for the first time?

SN: Always keep a journal or a log when using edibles; this will allow you to keep track of how much you consume each time. Start at a very small dose, and monitor closely how your body reacts to the cannabis. As a general rule of thumb, give your body between one and three hours to see how you feel at the maximum effect. Your ability to digest the edible will depend on your metabolism: similar to alcohol, you may find you react differently depending on the time of day you choose to consume (i.e. after a large meal vs. a couple hours before a meal).

CANNABUTTER IN SEVEN EASY STEPS

Edibles should be consumed in a slow and gradual fashion. Those with no prior experience with cannabis or cannabinoids are advised to begin at a very low dose. We recommend that you follow the dosage prescribed by your practitioner.

Ingredients

¼ ounce lightly ground cannabis

½ cup (one stick) unsalted butter

Special Equipment

Cheesecloth or metal/mesh strainer

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the stick of butter on a low heat. Stir until all the butter has melted.
2. Pour the liquid butter into a glass container and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until it becomes solid.
3. Once the butter has solidified, a liquefied product will have formed underneath. Separate and discard the liquid.
4. Decarboxylate* your cannabis by baking the ground cannabis on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet at 250°F/120°C for about 30-45 minutes. (Be warned, it’ll get smelly in your kitchen!)
5. Melt the solidified butter on a low heat and add the decarboxylated cannabis. Stir occasionally. If there are any larger chunks of cannabis, break them up first before adding.
6. Simmer on a low heat for 45 min, stirring often. You should start to see small bubbles forming, but the mixture shouldn’t be boiling.
7. Strain the butter mixture into a glass container using a cheesecloth or strainer. If you opt for a strainer, use the back of a spoon to squeeze out all the remaining cannabutter.

Keep your cannabutter in a glass container with a lid and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or store in the freezer for a few months.

You are now ready to create some delicious cannabis-infused edibles; just follow recipes as directed, substituting butter or oil with your own homemade cannabutter. Enjoy!

*Decarboxylation is a heating process applied to dried flower cannabis to convert THCa to THC. Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid found in raw and live cannabis. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is produced after decarboxylation and is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis.