Making Cannabis-Infused Oils

by Ghislaine Ball, CG

The uses and benefits of cannabis-infused coconut oil are legion. Put it in, on, around, and under everything. I take a quarter teaspoon at night for a more restorative sleep. And topically, I put it everywhere. With that said, if you are currently taking medicines of any kind, talk with your prescribing doctor or herbalist before including cannabis. Cannabis is a powerful potentiator for a parade of chemical compounds and needs to be respected as such.

As always, start low and go slow, especially if you are new to cannabis. Even if you’re not new, whole plant ‘hits’ differently than those gummies you’ve been getting (due to the Entourage Effect). Start lower than you’re used to. Just trust me.

Cannabis-infused coconut oil, or hippy Lube, is astonishingly messy and seriously fun. Effects will vary, but, generally speaking, cannabis heightens sensitivity to touch, which facilitates the speed and intensity of orgasm. For entirely different reasons, this can be specifically beneficial for post-menopausal women or women with ADHD who have difficulties climaxing.

And everything is edible.

INFUSED COCONUT OIL

Yield: about 3 oz. (you will lose some oil in the cooking process)

Ingredients
1/2 cup MCT coconut oil
0.25 oz. (7g) dry cannabis flower

Instructions

1. To decarboxylate your flower:
   Grind your flower into small pieces. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 250° F for 45 minutes. Decarboxylating your flower (aka ‘decarbing’) is necessary to activate the THC, the psychoactive compound.
2. Infuse the oil: Combine the (decarbed) flower with your oil in a 8oz glass jar. Secure the lid and submerge the jar in a pot of water on your stovetop. Cook covered over low heat for three hours, adding boiling water as needed.
3. Strain: After three hours, remove the jar from the water bath and use cheesecloth to strain the plant material from the oil. Store in a clean jar.
4. To store: Keeps in the fridge for up to six months.

INFUSED CHOCOLATE GANACHE

This recipe is for those of us who measure love by weight in chocolate, Strawberries are iconic, but you can dip anything in this ganache (fresh or dried fruit, bacon, your fingers).
Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients
8 oz. chocolate, finely chopped
6 oz. heavy cream; coconut cream is suitable for vegans
2 T cannabis-infused MCT coconut oil
About 24 pieces of fruit

Instructions

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream and oil in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk gently until combined. Do not let it come to a boil.
2. Pour the cream mixture while still warm over the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and let it sit for a few minutes to soften the chocolate. Gently whisk the mixture until thoroughly combined.
3. Cool to room temperature to thicken. Use 2 tsp per piece of fruit to coat.

NOTES
Do not use coconut oil with latex condoms. Oil-based lubricants degrade latex, making condoms more likely to break. Testing is the only way to determine accurate dosage. If you can’t test, estimate. Using 7 grams of flower (at approximately 20% THC) infused into a 1/2 MCT oil yields 967mg of THC. Therefore, each piece of fruit, using 2 tsp of ganache, is approximately 4 mg of THC.