Cannabis works well with many different products. Most of the time, people consume cannabis through smoking or vaping. Times are changing, and there are many ways to enjoy cannabis without having to inhale them. For one, you can find that many people enjoy eating food that is infused with cannabis. You can even do cooking with cannabis oil and get high as you finish your dinner.
While some people use it for recreational purposes, there are also a lot of people who use cannabis for its many medicinal properties. This is why cooking with cannabis oil has shot to popularity in the past few years. Not only do we get to enjoy weed without having to smoke it, but we can also now eat and get high along the way.
What You Should Know When Cooking With Cannabis Oil
Before you go ahead and start cooking all of your food using cannabis oil, there are things that you need to know first. These are the reminders that will help optimize the way you prepare your food and how you can enjoy using cannabis oil better.
1. Pick the right strain
If you are not fond of getting high with marijuana, choose a specific strain that does not have a lot of THC. It is much better that you choose a strain that has high in CBD to promote the health benefits that will help you relax instead of getting high. CBD counteracts the effects of THC, so you do not have to worry about getting high. For those who want to enjoy getting high, choose a strain with high potency instead.
Another reminder when picking the right strain is to choose the flavor and aroma profile. Some strains have the most pungent aroma and flavor, which can interact with your food and produce a different smell. This can be off-putting for many, especially those that want their food to be full of flavors apart from cannabis. Pick a strain that has less flavor and aroma, or if you want to infuse your food with an intense flavor, then pick a strain with a unique flavor.
2. Check for solvents and other chemicals
Cooking with cannabis oil might seem an all-natural approach to preparing food; however, there are different ways to create cannabis concentrates that are present in cannabis oil. Some producers use specific techniques and methods of extracting the compounds from the cannabis plant to produce concentrated forms of cannabis oil. Most of the time, there are solvents and other unknown harmful chemicals that are not fully distilled.
These harmful chemicals can be detrimental to your health, especially for those who are immunocompromised. Solvents are toxic materials and can affect the way your food tastes. Make sure to check the label of the cannabis oil you’ve purchased and always buy from reputable stores. If you are producing your cannabis oil, ensure that the proper technique is employed, and there are no solvents involved in the creation of cannabis oil.
3. Cannabis oil can be very bitter
Most of us would think that cannabis oil is a sweet and savory oil that would make our food tasty. The truth is, it can be, but there is a lot of cannabis oil that is very bitter. This is the reason why cannabis is often infused with oil-based substances such as butter, shortening, and oils. You can also dilute a certain amount of cannabis into spirits such as vodka and rum and then use it for cooking or making cocktail drinks.
If you are making desserts, make sure to adjust the level of sweetness of the food you are about to make as the cannabis oil can be very bitter. This way, you get to enjoy the dessert without having trouble with the bitter taste of cannabis oil.
4. Be careful with heat
In the process of making cannabis oil, cannabis is initially subjected to a specific level of heat to release the cannabinoids and transform them into a readily absorbed compound. Heat is both a friend and a foe with cannabis. It can activate the compounds used to make us high or relaxed, but it can also be detrimental to the potency of the compounds.
Heat reduces the potency of the strain, so it always best to be careful with heat. Make sure that you do not go beyond the 250 degrees Fahrenheit mark. In preparing cannabis oil, always use low heat. Those who want to cook with cannabis oil should avoid using it in direct or high heat. Make sure to use low or medium heat as it will only slightly diminish the potency of the weed. With that said, this will limit the kind of food that you will be preparing with cannabis oil.
5. Read the label
If you are buying cannabis oil from your local cannabis store, make sure to read the label. There can be active ingredients in cannabis oil that will largely affect the potency and the overall volume of the food that you want to prepare. Check out the label and see what other additives they’ve used for the cannabis oil. If you want, you can always make your cannabis oil.
6. Use small portions
The first thing that you need to understand when it comes to cooking with cannabis oil is to use small portions at first. Always start low with your first few tries at cooking with the oil. Cannabis oil takes a while to take effect in humans, and the potency is very different from when you smoke weed. To control the effects and avoid a drastic adverse reaction, start low and then work your way up to your desired dose.
Conclusion
If you are fond of preparing food or simply want to try out something new and healthy, try cooking with cannabis oil. It promotes health and wellness. The use of cannabis oil allows you to relax and get high while enjoying the benefits of weed without inhaling the smoke like you used to do.
