How to Make Cannabis Infused Honey

Weed edibles have become a very big deal.

One study found that 30% of people who’ve tried cannabis have used edibles, and “past month” consumption of edibles among regular users had reached almost 20%. And that was six years ago before growing legalization made dispensary-sold edibles available to a much greater number of Americans.

Of course, bakery goods immediately come to mind when discussing weed-infused foods and drinks. You might also think about gummies or the infused drinks that are now widely sold in legal dispensaries.

Those are far from the only alternatives, though. For example, what about cannabis-infused honey?

You may not be familiar with it, but “cannahoney” is one of the newest trends in weed cooking, with more and more artisanal honeys (with that “special” added ingredient) being sold in legal outlets. Perhaps even better, it’s not difficult to make cannabis-infused honey at home.

And there’s a lot you can do with it. Let’s learn more.

Honey, Cannabis, and Health

Weed and honey are a match made in medicinal heaven.

There’s no need to go into huge detail about the health and wellness benefits of cannabis. They’re the reasons why well over two-thirds of American states have legalized medical marijuana.

The medical establishment has used THC to treat glaucoma and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting for years, and there’s little argument that weed can benefit many patients suffering from chronic and severe pain, neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease, and other issues including multiple sclerosis and depression.

Honey’s no slouch either when it comes to health benefits. It’s a potent source of antioxidants that help the body fight cellular damage and disease, and it has strong anti-inflammatory properties as well. There’s also evidence that the sweet stuff can help reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.

Honey is an antibacterial and antifungal agent, it’s rich in nutrients, and it can help with gastrointestinal issues — not to mention sore throats, of course. (Important note: raw honey provides the highest level of health benefits. When it’s refined, it loses many of its beneficial properties.)

Even if you put aside the sheer deliciousness of honey, it’s easy to understand why combining it with cannabis makes complete sense.

There’s an intermediate step that’s required first, though. Mixing weed and honey isn’t difficult, but you have to do it the right way.

Why You Can’t Mix Raw Weed into Honey

It might seem that if you grind your flower fine enough, you could simply mix it into honey and wind up with a delicious health powerhouse that would also get you high.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Here’s why.

Cannabis plants don’t contain very much THC (or CBD, for that matter). Instead, they contain what are called the “precursors” to the cannabinoids that weed is known for.

Cannabinoid acids like THCA and CBDA are naturally present in the plant when it’s harvested; they have to be converted into THC and CBD before they can provide their psychoactive and/or medical benefits.

That conversion occurs when the precursors in marijuana are exposed to heat — and it happens automatically when you smoke, vape, or dab weed. Otherwise, you have to manually convert THCA to THC before you’re able to enjoy the benefits you expect.

That’s why you have to activate the cannabinoids in weed before you’re able to make weed edibles — and you have to do the same thing in order to infuse honey with cannabis. It’s done through a process called decarboxylation, or decarbing for short.

And that’s where our recipe for cannabis-infused honey begins.

How to Make Cannabis-Infused Honey

Once we’ve decarbed our weed, we’ll be able to infuse it into the sweet, golden stuff.

Decarbing the Cannabis

The amount of flower you use for the recipe depends largely on how strong you want your cannabis-infused honey to be. You can use the amounts we suggest as a starting point and adjust as desired.

1. Grind 3½ grams of cannabis into pieces about the same size as rice grains. You can break the bud up with your hands if you prefer.
2. Crumple a piece of tin foil and spread it out on a baking sheet.
3. Place the weed onto the foil in a single layer, and cover it with another piece of tin foil.
4. Bake at 225°-230° for 30-45 minutes until the flower is golden brown. Cool.

Infusing the Honey

There are several methods you can use for this step. We’ll start with the one that doesn’t require “special” equipment.

1. Heat water in the bottom half of a double boiler, and then combine the decarbed weed with one cup of honey in the top half.
2. Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes, stirring regularly and ensuring the mixture never comes to a full boil.
3. Cool the infused honey, and then strain it through cheesecloth to remove the plant material. Don’t squeeze the cheesecloth to get all of the honey out; that will force some residual plant material into the final product and harm its taste.

If you have a slow cooker, here’s another way to do it.

1. Wrap the decarbed weed in cheesecloth and tie it shut.
2. Place the wrapped weed and the honey into a glass Mason jar. Screw the top closed.
3. Put the Mason jar into your slow cooker. Then add enough water to the cooker so it reaches the same level as the honey in the Mason jar.
4. Cover the cooker and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Every two hours relieve the pressure in the Mason jar by briefly removing its lid and replacing it.
5. Cool, remove the jar from the slow cooker, and then remove the cheesecloth.

That’s all there is to it. The infused honey can be stored for a month or two at room temperature. Keep it in a dark, cool environment.

Your honey can be used in recipes, added to tea or other beverages, or simply drizzled over your favorite breakfast foods or desserts. Just remember that (as with any edible) it can take 60 minutes or even longer for the THC to kick in because the honey has to be digested before the psychoactive cannabinoid is available to be used by the body.

The universal advice for dosing and consuming edibles is just as true for honey as it is for pot brownies or gummies: start low, go slow.

Cannabis-Infused Honey: FAQ

Q: Does it matter what type of weed and honey you use for the infusion?
A: Raw honey will provide the greatest number of health benefits, but you can infuse processed honey just as easily. You can also use any strain of weed you’d like; the taste of some strains may not meld as well with honey’s sweet flavor, but none will be objectionable — and they’ll all provide the effects you’re after.

Q: How high will you get from eating cannabis-infused honey?
A: It depends on two factors: how potent your weed is, and how much you use to infuse the honey. Trial and error is the key to dosing with any type of edible, and honey is no different.

References

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