How To Make Cannabis Coconut Oil

Coconut oil can be used for stir-frying or sautéing, it can be used as a substitute for butter or oil when baking, it can be added to smoothies, coffee, tea, or other beverages, it can wake up salad dressings and sauces. It’s not only tasty, but it’s also versatile.

But we know why you’re here. You want to make edibles with it.

We’re happy to help.

Baking With Coconut Oil

These days, it’s easy to find coconut oil in most stores or online. But before infusing your coconut oil with cannabis to make potent and yummy edibles, let’s talk a little about the oil itself.

One of the properties of coconut oil that makes it ideal for baking — whether you’re making brownies for the kids or weed brownies for the adults — is that it’s easy to use. You simply replace the butter or oil in your recipe with an equivalent amount of coconut oil.

Another of coconut oil’s properties makes that simple. When it’s stored at room temperature (76° or below), it hardens into a solid. When the temperature is slightly higher, it turns into a liquid. That lets you measure coconut oil like butter when it’s in solid form, and measure it like oil when it’s heated a little. There’s no need to figure out how many tablespoons of liquid coconut oil would equal a quarter-pound of butter; just cool the oil down and make a 1:1 substitution.

You can also choose whether you want your baked goods to taste and smell like coconut. Unrefined (or virgin) coconut oil is made from fresh coconut meat, so the flavor and aroma of coconut will be retained in the oil and in your cookies, cake or brownies. Refined coconut oil is made from dried coconut meat that’s been processed at high temperatures, which removes the coconut taste and smell.

Finally, a little advice. When baking with coconut oil, bring your other ingredients to room temperature before using them. Otherwise, the oil may coagulate and develop crystals or a grainy texture.

Ready to put the good stuff into your coconut oil?

How to Make Cannabis-Infused Coconut Oil

There’s another terrific property of coconut oil we haven’t mentioned yet. It’s high in fatty acids, which you may call saturated fats. That’s why medical experts often call this oil “unhealthy,” because consuming too much saturated fat isn’t good for you.

However, oil with a high concentration of fatty acids is ideal when you want to add weed to it. Saturated fats are able to absorb and retain almost all of the flower’s cannabinoids, effectively acting as a strong binding agent to hold the blend together. Olive oil, by comparison, is a poor choice for cannabis infusion because it contains very little saturated fat.

There are three common ways to make cannabis coconut oil or canna oil as it’s often known. Before doing that, though, you have to decarb your weed.

How (and Why) to Decarb Weed

We know many readers already understand this, so we’ll make it quick.

When you grow or buy marijuana, the THC in it isn’t psychoactive. In fact, it isn’t even THC. It’s a precursor known as THCA, and it doesn’t turn into THC until it’s heated. If you smoke or vape the weed, that happens “automatically.” But if you’re going to be making edibles you have to activate the THC first, or you won’t get high when you eat them.

That process is called decarboxylation, or decarbing for short. And it’s easy to do:

1. Start by breaking the flower into small pieces. Don’t grind it too fine; if the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice, expect them to burn.
2. Crumple some aluminum foil and lay it on a baking sheet. You can use parchment paper instead if you have it. Spread the weed out on the foil in one layer and then put another sheet of foil on top.
3. Put the baking sheet into the oven at 225°-230° for 30-45 minutes; take it out when the flower is golden brown and let it cool.

Simple, right?

The Fastest Way to Make Cannabis Coconut Oil

This method is done on the stovetop. You can use a regular pot, but if you use a double boiler you’ll get better results.

Instructions:

1. Put a few inches of water into the bottom half of the double boiler (skip this step, of course, if you’re using a pot). Heat one cup of coconut oil to about 150° and then stir in a quarter-ounce of weed. A probe or quick-read thermometer will really help here; if the temperature approaches 200°, the THC will begin to break down.
2. Cook the mixture for about an hour. If you’re pressed for time, you can cook for 30-45 minutes, but the canna oil won’t be as strong. If you cook for longer than an hour, it will be even stronger.
3. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and pour the oil through it, into a glass bowl. When the oil is cool, you can store it or use it right away. Storing it in the refrigerator will keep it good for six months or so.

You can use this recipe to make different amounts of canna oil, but always keep the ratio of oil to weed the same.

Two Alternate Ways to Make Cannabis-Infused Coconut Oil

These methods also work just fine.

Oven Method

1. After you’ve decarbed the weed, melt your coconut oil and combine it with the flower, right on the baking sheet. Be sure they’re mixed well.
2. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 215° for 90 minutes, stirring the mixture every 30 minutes.
3. Cool, strain, and you’re done.

Crockpot Method

1. Fill the crockpot with water, heat the water to 185°, and then set the temperature to “low.”
2. Fill a glass mason jar almost completely with coconut oil, add the decarbed weed, and cover tightly. Put the mason jar into the water you’ve heated in the crockpot.
3. Cook for four hours, cool, and strain.

Now make your recipe with the canna oil, and enjoy. Just be sure to save a little for us!

How to Make Cannabis Coconut Oil FAQ

Q: Which is a better choice for edibles, canna oil, or cannabutter?
A: It’s mostly personal preference, but cannabis-infused coconut oil won’t retain much of the flower’s taste. Edibles made with cannabutter often taste somewhat like the plant does, which means they won’t be as tasty — unless you love the flavor of weed.

Q: Can you infuse coconut oil with CBD instead of marijuana, to make CBD edibles?
A: Absolutely. The process is exactly the same; just use CBD flower instead.