The passing of the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill and the countrywide cannabis legalization in Canada have made the world of weed a bit more mainstream. Most newbies have tried CBD tinctures, premade gummies, and other edibles, but high-CBD hemp flower remains a mystery for many novices.

Above all, new consumers may be unaware of hemp flower’s many advantages, such as:

Purity

Selecting high-quality CBD tinctures and edibles can be a difficult task. Unfortunately, the popularity of CBD after the passing of the Farm Bill has led to a tidal wave of products flooding the market. Some unscrupulous CBD manufacturers cut costs with subpar extraction methods, resulting in tinctures and edibles containing residual solvents or questionable additives.

CBD hemp flower must go through rigorous lab testing to be authorized as legal hemp. And since it’s not processed further, you won’t need to worry about contamination from extraction methods.

Versatility

You can use CBD hemp flower in a variety of ways, including:

• Smoking
• Vaping
• Making your own tinctures
• Creating homemade topicals
• Cooking

Affordability

With homemade hemp flower edibles, you process the CBD. You won’t be paying extra for expensive extraction procedures and other production costs.

Preparing Hemp Flowers for Cooking

Before you can make edibles with hemp flower, you need to activate the CBD through a process called decarboxylation. Decarboxylation, or decarbing, transforms CBDA into CBD, making it easier for the body to use. Despite the extra-long name, decarboxylation is a quick and easy process.

Decarbing hemp flowers:

1. Preheat your oven to 225 degrees F.
2. Break 1/8 or 1/4 ounce of hemp flower into small chunks, and spread the buds on a cookie sheet or glass baking dish. Some cooks prefer to loosely grind the buds first.
3. Bake the cannabis for about 45 minutes.
4. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the hemp flower to cool for 20 minutes.

That’s it! You’ve successfully decarbed your hemp flower. Now you’re ready to use it to make extractions.

Making Cannabutter with Hemp Flower

Hemp-infused butter is an extremely useful ingredient for making CBD edibles. You can use it for cooking and baking, spread it on toast, or even stir a teaspoonful into your tea or coffee.

Materials:

• 2 sticks of unsalted butter
• 1/8 to 1/4 ounce of decarbed hemp flower
• Glass Mason jar or Pyrex measuring cup
• Cheesecloth and butcher’s string (Alternatively, you can strain the hemp flower through a wire mesh sieve.)

Procedure:

Making cannabutter usually starts with decarbing the flowers and clarifying the butter. Clarifying removes the milk solids, which allows you to use your hemp-infused butter in recipes that call for higher temperatures.

Clarifying the butter:

1. Heat the butter on the stovetop or in a crockpot on a low setting.
2. Once the butter melts, carefully pour it into the glass container.
3. Store the butter in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until it becomes visibly separated into two layers.
4. Use a knife to cut around the solid top layer of the butter. Pop the solid butterfat out and discard the liquid below. Congratulations! You’ve made clarified butter, or ghee, as it’s called in India.

Making CBD hemp flower-infused butter:

1. Wrap your decarbed hemp flowers in a small piece of cheesecloth, and secure it with the butcher’s string. You’ll be able to remove the package easily when your hemp butter finishes cooking. If you don’t have any cheesecloth on hand, you can strain out the plant matter with a wire-mesh sieve at the end.
2. Place the hemp flower into the melted butter and heat the mixture for several hours, stirring occasionally. An electric crockpot is ideal because you can maintain a more consistent temperature. However, it’s perfectly fine to use an electric or gas stovetop. Just make sure that you keep the heat as low as possible and stir it frequently so it doesn’t burn.
3. After about 3–6 hours, remove the hemp flower package or strain your butter. Pour the hemp-infused butter into a glass Mason jar.

Store your CBD hemp cannabutter for several weeks in the refrigerator or up to six months in the freezer.

Hemp Flower-Infused Cooking Oil

You can use CBD-infused cooking oil for salad dressings and as a vegan alternative for any recipe that calls for butter. High-quality canola oil and coconut oil work best for cooking at higher temperatures. Both extra-virgin olive oil and coconut oil are excellent for dressings and can double for topical use.

Crockpots are ideal for making oil because you can put them on a low setting for up to 12 hours to get a thorough infusion. If you’re using a double-boiler, make sure you keep an eye on your mixture and add more water as necessary.

Materials:

• 1/4 ounce of hemp flower
• 2 cups of your preferred cooking oil
• Crockpot or double-boiler
• Coffee grinder
• Fine-mesh strainer
• Cheesecloth
• Glass jar with a lid

Procedure:

1. Fill your crockpot or double boiler with cooking oil and set the heat on the lowest setting possible.
2. Grind your hemp flower until it resembles a fine powder.
3. Add the ground hemp flower to the oil. If you sift the hemp powder through a tea strainer over the oil, you’ll get a nice even distribution.
4. Gently stir the mixture and cook in the crockpot for 6–12 hours, stirring occasionally. If you’re using a double boiler, cook on low for 3–6 hours. Stir the mixture frequently and add water as needed.
5. After you turn off the heat, line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth. Let the oil cool, and then strain out the plant matter.
6. If you store your CBD hemp oil in a glass container in a dark location, it should last for months.

Tips for Using Hemp Flower

• Go low and slow. CBD edibles take a while to kick in, but the effects last for hours. It’s a good idea to make weaker extractions at first. Begin by eating a small amount and wait at least two hours before consuming more.
• If you find yourself feeling dizzy or unusually tired, cut back on the dose next time.
• Make sure your hemp flower is certified organic, especially if you plan on using it for vaping as well.
• Ask your local budtender or online dispensary to help you decide which strains would be best for your needs. In general, sativa-dominant hemp strains work well for daytime energy, and indica-dominant varieties are ideal for relaxing in the evenings. Balanced hybrids can be excellent all-purpose hemp flower strains.
• If you’re taking prescription medications, contact your doctor before adding CBD or CBG flower to your diet. Cannabinoids can interact with certain pharmaceuticals, making them stronger.

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Written by Cat Winske

Photo by Add Weed from Unsplash