Cannabis syrup recipe
Cannabis syrup is a sugar and water base infused with decarboxylated cannabis. The process has three steps. Decarb the flower, move the THC into a fat or solvent, then blend that extract into syrup. Two problems control the result. THC content varies by plant, and water-based syrup separates from oil-based extract.
How to Make Cannabis Syrup: Recipe, Dosing, and Storage
Step 1: Decarboxylation
Fresh cannabis holds THCA. THCA is not psychoactive. Heat converts THCA to THC. A common home method: break flower into 1 to 2 mm pieces, spread them on a sheet pan, and bake at 240°F for 40 minutes. THC boils near 315°F. Keep the oven under that number. Lower heat for a longer time keeps more terpenes.
Step 2: Extraction
Four carriers work: butter, coconut oil, glycerin, and high-proof alcohol. Alcohol pulls THC at room temperature in 1 to 3 hours with shaking. Oil needs 2 to 3 hours at 160 to 180°F. Extraction recovers about 70 to 80 percent of the THC in the plant. One gram of flower at 15 percent THC holds 150 mg. Expect 105 to 120 mg in the extract.
Buy Cannabis Syrup Online: What to Check Before You Pay
Step 3: Syrup base
Simple syrup uses 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water. Heat until the sugar dissolves. A 2 to 1 ratio lasts longer on the shelf. Cool the syrup below 120°F before adding extract. Higher heat degrades THC.
Add an emulsifier. Sunflower lecithin at 1/4 teaspoon per cup works. Food-grade polysorbate 80 also works. Without one, oil floats to the top and the THC per spoon varies.
Dosing
Divide total THC by total volume. A batch with 120 mg THC in 8 fl oz holds 48 teaspoons and 2.5 mg per teaspoon. A 5 mg dose is 2 teaspoons. State-licensed edible products often sell 5 mg and 10 mg units.
Onset runs 30 minutes to 2 hours. Peak effects arrive near 4 hours. Wait 2 hours before a second dose.
Storage
Refrigerate in a sealed jar. Discard after 2 to 4 weeks for sugar syrup, longer for alcohol-based batches. Mold grows when sugar content drops. Add 1 teaspoon of vodka or 1/8 teaspoon of citric acid per 8 fl oz as a preservative. Label the jar with the date and the mg per teaspoon.
Safety
Keep the jar away from children and pets. The FDA has approved one cannabis-derived drug, Epidiolex, for specific seizure disorders. It has not approved cannabis for other medical uses. State law on homemade cannabis products varies.