Cannabis cooking oil is versatile and easy to make. You can infuse any type of oil, such as canola, vegetable, olive, peanut, sesame oil, and others—all you need is some weed, cheesecloth, and a sauce pan or slow cooker.
Consuming food made with cannabis cooking oil is similar to consuming edibles or anything made with cannabutter—compared to inhalation methods, effects will take longer to kick in, and they will usually last longer and be stronger.
As will all cannabis edibles, we recommend to “start low and go slow”: Eat a little bit and wait at least 45-60 minutes until effects kick in, and only eat more if you want stronger effects.
Benefits of using cannabis cooking oil
The great thing about using cannabis-infused oil is that you can add it to anything: sauté some veggies, fry up some morning eggs, mix it in a salad dressing, or whatever else you can think of.
Keep in mind that it’s difficult to calculate the potency of homemade edibles. However, compared to other cannabis infusions, such as making cannabutter to add to a batch of brownies, cannabis cooking oil is easier to measure out. You can add a lot to a salad dressing or just drop a little bit in a skillet to cook in with your whole meal.
Types of cooking oils to infuse with cannabis
There are many types of oils you can infuse with cannabis:
- Canola
- Vegetable
- Coconut
- Olive
- Avocado
- Sesame
- Peanut
When picking a base cooking oil, consider how you’ll use it and what foods you’ll cook with it. You can use a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil, or something with a specific flavor, like sesame or peanut oil. It all depends on your flavor preferences and the dishes you plan on cooking.
Additionally, oils have different consistencies at room temperature, so consider how you’ll be storing the oil.
If you’re looking for an oil that can be used in a stir fry as well as a pie crust, coconut oil is a great option—it adds great flavor to veggies and remains solid enough at room temperature to hold up as a pie crust.
Vegetable and canola oil are great options if you want something with a mild flavor. They are also versatile and work with most recipes that call for oil.
For something a little more robust in flavor, infuse olive or avocado oil with cannabis. Both stand up well to the cannabis flavor and can be stored in your pantry.
Recipe for cannabis cooking oil
Materials
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Oven
- Saucepan, stock pot, double-boiler, or slow cooker
- Mesh strainer or cheesecloth
- Container for cannabis oil
- Cannabis grinder (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooking oil of your choice
- 1 cup (7-10 grams) of ground cannabis, decarboxylated
When making cannabis cooking oil, we recommend a 1:1 ratio of cannabis to oil. If you want milder effects, use less cannabis.
Directions
- Decarb the cannabis. We recommend decarboxylating your weed first, and then putting it in oil. Decarbing turns THCA in the plant into THC, the psychoactive compound that will get you high. Set your oven to 245ºF and put buds on parchment paper on a baking pan. Heat for 30-40 minutes.
- Grind or break up the cannabis. Grinders break weed down to the same consistency and will save you time, but you can just as easily break up the weed with your hands. Keep in mind that anything small enough to fit through the mesh strainer or cheesecloth will end up in your finished product, so don’t grind the weed into a fine powder.
- Heat oil and decarbed cannabis. Add oil and decarbed cannabis to double-boiler, slow cooker, or saucepan, and simmer on low for 2-3 hours. Make sure the temperature of the oil stays between 160-200ºF.
- Strain and store the oil. Put mesh strainer or cheesecloth over container for oil and pour the oil/cannabis mixture through it. Do not squeeze it out—this will add more chlorophyll to your oil and make it taste more vegetal. Discard the plant material. The oil will have a shelf life of at least two months and can be extended with refrigeration.
Tips for reducing odor when making cannabis oil
As it takes hours to infuse coconut oil, a weed odor may build up in your kitchen.
Turn on a vent or fan while infusing the oil to keep the smell down, or open a window. If you’re concerned about the neighbors smelling it, stick to the fan or vent.
How to cook with cannabis cooking oil
After you have your cannabis-infused oil of choice, be sure to try a little before you make an entire meal to get a sense of how potent it is. This will give you a good sense of how much to use when cooking.
Also, be sure not to heat the infused oil too hot when cooking a dish, which can burn out the THC, leaving you with plain cooking oil.
Kayla Williams and Pat Goggins contributed to this article.
Kayla Williams
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