At Honest Marijuana, we love edibles. From chocolate, to weed tea, to salad dressing, to butter, to oil—we’ve literally tried them all. We’ve even popped a few CBD strips and THC strips (a quasi-food if there ever was one).
Throughout all that delicious experimentation, one edible has occupied the top of our list for a long time: cannabis infused honey.
Cannabis infused honey is super easy to make, super easy to use, and can be added to everything from cookies and tarts to coffee and tea.
In this article, the experts at Honest Marijuana reveal everything you need to know to create your own batch of this tasty treat. We’ve also included a simple recipe that even cooking noobs like us can’t mess up.
But before you break out the mixing bowls, it’s important to understand a few details about the chemistry of the cannabis plant. Specifically, terpenes, cannabinoids, and decarboxylation. Don’t worry, it won’t be as bad as it sounds.
Let’s Talk Terpenes & Cannabinoids
If you’ve spent any time around canna enthusiasts, you’ve probably heard the terms “cannabinoids” and “terpenes” at least once. If not, here’s your introduction.
Cannabinoids
Cannabinoids are chemicals that give marijuana its “get-up-and-go” (be it psychoactive or medicinal). As the name suggests, these unique molecules are only found in the various varieties of the Cannabis plant (whether sativa, indica, or ruderalis).
Common cannabinoids include:
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
Cannabidiol (CBD)
Cannabigerol (CBG)
Cannabichromene (CBC)
Cannabinol (CBN)
All told, there are over 110 different cannabinoids, and more are being isolated every day.
Terpenes
Terpenes are oils secreted by the glands of the pot plant that affect the flavor, aroma, and medicinal properties of the bud you burn or bake with. As you can see in the picture above, there are over 100 terpenes to satisfy any preference and taste.
Common terpenes include:
- Limonene.
- Delta 3 Carene.
- Linalool.
- Borneol.
- Eucalyptol.
At this point, you may be wondering why all this is important. What you came here for was the cannabis infused honey recipe, right?
Think about this for a moment: if you’re brewing a batch of honey and your strain of choice has cut grass terpenes (see it just to the left of the bottom of the image), how do you think that’s going to taste? You might love it, but it wouldn’t be our first choice of flavors.
When you understand what terpenes do, you gain more control over the flavor of your cannabis infused honey.
Now that you understand the building blocks of marijuana, let’s discuss how you can make the plant itself ready for consumption.
Decarboxylation—It’s Important
Here’s something you may not know: raw weed is not psychoactive. That’s right. The ganja you get at your local dispensary will not get you high if you swallow it whole.
So if you just dump a baggie of bud into a jar of honey (or any food for that matter), at best, it will be just like eating spinach. At worst, you may experience vomiting, diarrhea, and other stomach distress. Don’t do it, man!
To make the marijuana useful as a recreational product or a medicine, you first need to activate the cannabinoids through a process called decarboxylation. Decarboxylation is just a fancy term for removing an acid molecule from the chemical makeup of the plant.
Pot plants in their raw form contain very little THC but tons of THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid). Drying the weed after it’s harvested converts a small percentage of THCA into THC, but it’s still not enough to feel any results (except maybe stomach cramps).
To transform as much of the THCA into THC as possible, add more heat. Essentially, you need to bake before you get baked.
If you’re a long time Mary Jane smoker, you’re probably thinking, “Wait a minute! I’ve never decar-whatchacallit before and I still get plenty high.” To that, we say, “You’re right!”
Smoking or dabbing (or burning of any type), is, in fact, the simplest form of decarboxylation.
So in the process of lighting a big fat doobie or sparking up a bong, you’re instantaneously transforming the THCA in the raw bud into THC. The THC is floating around in the smoke you then inhale into your lungs. Cool, huh?
Unfortunately, flicking a Bic won’t work for decarboxylating the marijuana you need for your cannabis infused honey recipe. The temperatures are too high. The bud is destroyed because of the high heat. It literally goes up in smoke.
To decarboxylate your marijuana for inclusion in edibles, you need considerably less heat for a longer period of time.
Decarboxylation In Two Steps
1. Preheat your oven to 240 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven’s heating up, spread your plant material in a single layer on the baking sheet. One with sides works best.
Note: We suggest a low temperature, like 240 degrees, because terpenes begin to vaporize at 320 degrees. It might take less time to decarboxylate at higher temperatures, but you lose the valuable terpenes in the process. Be patient.
2. Bake the cannabis for 40 minutes. Be sure to rotate the sheet and stir the cannabis a couple of times so that all the marijuana is cooked evenly.
Now that you’ve got your reefer ready for consumption, we can turn our attention to the main event: the recipe for cannabis infused honey.
The Set-It-And-Forget-It Recipe For Cannabis Infused Honey
Supplies:
- Slow cooker (Crockpot).
- 15 grams of your favorite marijuana (decarboxylated, of course).
- 2 cups of honey (local, if possible).
- Cheesecloth (10” x 10” or larger).
- String.
- Quart canning jar with lid.
If you want to make less or more cannabis infused honey, mix with a ratio of 7-7.5 grams of cannabis for every cup of honey.
Recipe:
- Wrap the 15 grams of decarboxylated cannabis in cheesecloth and tie it closed with a small piece of string.
- Place the cheesecloth in the quart jar.
- Pour 2 cups of local honey into the quart jar.
- Place the quart jar in your slow cooker.
- Pour enough water into the slow cooker so that all the honey in the jar is surrounded.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker.
- Set the slow cooker to LOW and cook for 8 hours.
- Check back every 2 or 3 hours to make sure the pressure in the jar isn’t building. Crack the lid slightly and then tighten it back down.
- After 8 hours, turn the slow cooker off and let the honey cool. You can leave the jar in the slow cooker or take it out (watch out, it’s hot!).
- When the honey is cool enough to touch, remove the cheesecloth from the jar and squeeze out as much of the golden goo as possible.
- Don’t discard that cheesecloth! Use it to steep some tea.
- Put the lid back on, and store the jar in your refrigerator or in a cool, dark place.
That’s it! See, we told you it would be easy.
Will Cannabis Infused Honey Get You High?
The short answer is maybe. We know that’s not what you were looking for, but allow us to explain. Notice that the question asks, “Will cannabis infused honey get you high?”
There are so many different strains of cannabis these days, and each has their own unique combination of THC and CBD. So we really can’t tell you if your cannabis infused honey will get you high without knowing a bit more about it.
Here are some general rules for assessing the risk of getting high off your honey.
- If the cannabis you use in your infused honey contains one percent THC or less (known as hemp), you won’t feel a thing.
- If the cannabis you use in your infused honey contains one percent to five percent THC, you’ll start to feel something (depending on your pot experience).
- If the cannabis you use in your infused honey contains five percent to 10 percent THC, you’ll probably hear a shape or two.
- If the cannabis you use in your infused honey contains 10 percent to 15 percent THC, you’ll be well on your way to high town.
- If the cannabis you use in your infused honey contains anything above 15 percent THC, kiss reality goodbye.
- If the cannabis you use in your infused honey is a CBD-dominant strain used for medicinal purposes, you will not get high.
Psychoactive high aside, there are still numerous benefits you can enjoy whether you use THC-dominant, CBD-dominant, or balanced cannabis in your infused honey.
The Benefits Of Cannabis Infused Honey
Cannabis infused honey is an easy, healthy way to get the benefits of THC or CBD without the drawbacks of inhaling smoke into your lungs. Consuming your THC or CBD in edible form is also much more discreet than firing up a blunt, joint, or thai stick during your break.
A great many factors go into determining the benefits of cannabis infused honey. Chief amongst those factors is what strain you choose (e.g., Sour Diesel, Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies, Chemdawg, Yoda OG).
Each strain has a different concentration of the two primary cannabinoids, CBD and THC. And each cannabinoid provides different benefits. Here is a list of benefits based on the prominent cannabinoid in your honey.
THC
- Psychoactive (will take you on a righteous trip).
- Distorts time.
- Increases receptivity to stimuli
- Causes euphoria.
- Increases drowsiness.
- Relieves pain.
- Reduces nausea.
- Suppresses vomiting.
- Relaxes muscles.
- Enhances mood.
- Stimulates appetite.
- Contributes to memory loss (hey, that could be a good thing).
CBD
- Non-psychoactive (will not take you anywhere).
- Reduces paranoia.
- Mitigates anxiety.
- Fights tumors.
- Prevents cancer cell growth.
- Combats depression.
- Mediates psychotic disorders.
- Slows neurodegenerative disorders.
- Reduces inflammation.
- Counteracts the intoxicating effects of THC.
- Prevents seizures.
New benefits for both THC and CBD are being discovered every day, but as you can see, the list is still long and impressive. There’s a benefit for everyone.
But how can you harness those benefits? Read on to learn about the myriad uses for cannabis infused honey.
Uses For Cannabis Infused Honey
Cannabis infused honey, like cannabutter, can be used for a wide variety of cooking purposes. For example, your cannabis infused honey can be:
- Used as a sweetener instead of sugar in any recipe.
- Stirred into hot beverages.
- Used as a glaze during grilling.
- Drizzled on toast or biscuits for a tasty snack.
The sky’s pretty much the limit when it comes to putting your cannabis infused honey to use. Use your imagination, get creative, and try new things. You may just create something delicious.
For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100-percent all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.
