Treats with a Trick: Twice as Fun

Halloween: costumes, treats, and the freedom to exercise a few tricks, too. In the autumn, I feel that joy, that same giddiness when I have the fun of vaping a great herb from the new harvest. I love the treat of the great taste, without the combustion and smoke that I know are hard on my lungs. Consider me lucky, but I know the best tricks to use this vaporizer and I get the fantastic job of sharing that with others. Do you know the very best tricks for vaping dry herb? No need to say, “Trick or Treat” – I'll just gift them to you here.

Vape it Good: The Tricks, and.... wait for it...

Many of you know this -- a quality vaporizer that allows for controlling the temperature is essential, but using it well and maintaining it are equally important. Once you have the right vaporizer (and if you have an AirVape, you do!) follow these general tricks (1-3) and the ones you may not know (4 and 5):

1. Grind your herb – this allows a nicely packed chamber and surface area is increased for heating and producing a full-bodied vapor.

2. Pack the chamber “just so” – too tight isn't great for heating, not enough and there is more chance of combustion, which is something we avoid.

3. Clean and maintaining your vaporizor – like a coffee pot or other kitchen appliance, taste and function depend on cleanliness. Brushing out the spent herb and cleaning screens ensures that each hit tastes wonderful and delivers the best results.

4. Save your “Already Been Vaped” herb – in an airtight container until you have about an ounce, because the final treat, (or trick) is about to come!

5. Use your “Already Been Vaped” (ABV) herb in edibles – and you can have your treat and eat it, too!

The Treats: Cannabutter, Baby!

Often made from fresh, dried marijuana buds and leaf, cannabutter is a versatile carrier for the fat-soluble components of cannabis that are used for health and recreation. Already Been Vaped (ABV) cannabis is an often overlooked resource that can be further enjoyed in this format. Now, be aware, eating marijuana may produce different effects in each individual, so be clear that when you are creating cannabutter for edibles, starting off small is a very fine thing. Since ABV cannabis is lower in THC because most of it has been consumed through the vaporization process, the cannabutter that you make is also going to be much lower in THC and other active ingredients in fresh marijuana.Still, it can have quite an effect, so take your time in getting used to the dose.

Because ABV cannabis has been heated already, decarboxylation has already occurred, unlocking the THC and CBD goodness that produces the desired effects. That is, your ABV cannabis is ready as ever to eat. You could even sprinkle it right over a peanut butter sandwhich, or into the brownie batter – but the grittiness and flavor of the plant material may get in the way of your enjoyment. So, in comes something that everyone seems to like: butter.

You could elect to use olive oil or coconut oil, if you choose – both would work, but cannabutter is the “tried and true” method for many people, and so we'll start there.

My favorite recipe recommends 2 oz of ABV cannabis to one pound of butter. If you have less ABV cannabis, you can make half a recipe. Knowing the amount of each ingredient at the start is useful when determining the strength of your cannabutter, and helps if you want to adjust things in future recipes. The proceedure is simple: melt the butter over a very low light and pour in the ABV cannabis. Use a thermometer to keep the temperature at about 200°F for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour through cheesecloth, into a glass butter dish (one with decent sides and a cover), and using tongs, squeeze out the last of the butter from the bundle of herb you have collected in the cheesecloth. A great set of directions, complete with photos, is available on “TheChillBud” website, here.

Cooking with your cannabutter is simple – substitute cannabutter for regular old butter in any recipe. If you find that your cannabutter is quite strong, you can use part regular butter to cut the strength. Dosing can be difficult, so be careful. In order to ensure that your treat is pleasurable, start slowly. Understand what a serving is (no, you don't want to eat more than one brownie to start, no matter how yummy they may be...) and have some other foods that are NOT medicated for further snacking. After eating one serving, wait 1-2 hours to see how you feel.

Don't let cannabutter treats get the best of you. The most common problems stem from ingesting too much of a good thing, because the effects can “creep up” (yes, in a Halloween fashion) on a person, making for an uncomfortable, if not truly scary, experience. Don't drive after consuming cannabutter treats, and beware – pets and others can have dangerous consequences if they eat cannabutter treats – so always keep your edibles safely contained and labelled.