Recipes

Canna Care NJ Recipes

Canna Care NJ RecipesGone are the days of making pot brownies, and hoping they taste good and have the effect you are looking to have. When you are using medical marijuana to help with your pain, anxiety, nausea, or other symptoms it is important that you make the most of the product you have and so you can have the desired results. The first step in any good recipe is to prep your cooking ingredients. In order to make canna infused edibles, you first need to process your cannabis so you have the most effective form of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). This process is called Decarboxylation.

Here is a very brief basic science lesson about cannabis. It has two distinct properties when the plant it grown and initially processed. These are THCA and CBDA. In order to convert these to the widely known THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), you need to release the CO2 (Carbon Dioxide). When you smoke marijuana this happens naturally, because you are heating the marijuana. When you want to turn it into medibles (medical edibles), salves or tinctures, you need to follow the steps to decarb your cannabis for this chemical reaction to happen.

For more information on the topic and greater depth about the process please check out this helpful article: https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/what-is-decarboxylation.

Here are some of our favorites:

How to Decarboxylate Cannabis

Forewarning: There will be a very strong odor of cannabis during this process.

  1. Preheat oven to 225° F / 110° C.
  2. Line an oven-safe dish (or a rimmed baking sheet) with parchment paper.
  3. Breaking up cannabis buds into smaller pieces by hand, place the material in the dish close together but not stacked on one another (the less unused space the better).
  4. When oven is pre-heated, bake for about 20 minutes to remove the moisture (depending on the freshness of the material). Watch for the plant color to get darker (a light to medium brown shade). When it is time to remove from the oven, the material should be crumbly looking.
  5. Set plant material aside and wait until it is cool enough to handle. Turn oven up to 240° F / 115° C and wait for it to preheat again.
  6. When the cannabis is cooled, lightly crumble by hand and distribute evenly over the bottom of the dish.
  7. Cover dish with aluminum foil, crimping the edges tight to seal and return to the oven. Continue baking for another 45-60 minutes for higher THC and 60-90 minutes for higher CBD.
  8. Remove from oven and allow to cool fully before removing the foil. Depending on the material you use, it may be fine enough and require no further processing. If not, you can place the material in a food processor or blender, pulsing the cannabis until it is coarsely ground. Be careful not to over grind the material, as you do not want a super fine powder.
  9. Place in an airtight container (glass preferred) and store in a cool, dry place.

DECARBING your cannabis

 Cook Time 50 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • Dried cannabis bud or shake

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat your oven to 225 degrees F. 
  2. Grind up your cannabis bud.
  3. Distribute your ground cannabis into a very thin layer in a glass dish an aluminum-lined baking pan.
  4. Seal the dish tightly with aluminum foil so it stays self contained.
  5. Bake for 40 minutes. 
  6. Remove from oven and allow to cool. DO NOT take off the foil until it is cooled.
  7. If not using immediately, store your cannabis in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.

Potent Cannabis Oil (Slow Cooker/Crockpot method)

Supplies:

  • Crock pot
  • Decarbed cannabis
  • Water
  • 2-3 Mason jars (12oz or 16 oz jars are the perfect size, but bigger ones also get the job done)
  • Coconut oil
  • Lecithin granules

For every 1 /4 ounces of ground herb you will want to use 1/2 cups of your preferred oil (*see note) in the Crock. Add both in and stir until your cannabis is completely soaked, and not clinging to the walls above the oil.

  1. Place decarbed cannabis in mason jar with ½ cup of oil and 1 teaspoon lecithin granules, you can place cap on. You must check the caps and burp the jars every 45 mins.
  2. Add water to crock pot, you only need enough water to cover the amount of oil in your jar. You can break it into multiple jars when you cook. Put crock pot on high, place jar in crock pot, put top on crock pot.
  3. Heat the mixture for a minimum of 2 hours, ideally at least 4 hours. The longer you heat it the more potent it will be.
  4. Cool off mixture and strain herb from mixture using a fine mesh strainer or very fine nut bag. Or you can let it settle in the bottom and use the oil from the top.
  5. Store in refrigerator for use.

*Note: The higher the fat content in your oil, the better it will absorb the cannabinoids and terpenes of your herb. Fat also helps your body absorb the constituents of cannabis, so choose the best oil for your needs. Coconut oil is a great choice, but other oils can also work well and might be more versatile for recipes.

Cannabis bath soak (makes 4 1 cup servings):

  • 2 tablespoons cannaoil
  • 20 drops essential oils (blends) see recipes for blends
  • 3 cups epsom salt
  • 1 cup baking soda
  1. In small saucepan, softent the canna-oil over low heat until just melted. Remove from heat
  2. Add essential oil blend to melted oil, stir.
  3. In a mixing bowl combine, salt, baking soda, and the oil mixture. Stir until combined
  4. Store in mason jar (or glass jar until needed.

**Note: This is for external use only, do not ingest. Works best in warm water., not hot water.

Oil Blends:

Sleep/relaxation:
Lavender 12 drops
Chamomile 8 drops

Anxiety:
Frankincense – 10 drops
Lavender – 5 drops
Bergamot – 5 drops

Muscle aches/sore body:
Lavender oil – 10 drops
Peppermint oil – 5 drops
Citrus oil – 5 drops
Clove oil – 2 drop

Decongestant:
8 drops frankincense essential oil
8 drops orange essential oil
4 drop eucalyptus essential oil