Making Hash Butter: Is it Better than Cannabutter

My husband ordered some hash several months ago, put it away and forgot about it. He knows I make cannabis (weed) butter, but he asked if I could make hash butter. Of course, I said, “Sure, why not?” Easier said than done! But before I get into how I made hash butter, let me give you a little background.

We both have our medical marijuana license, and we regularly buy CBD oil, both of us for pain management—for his lower back and shoulders, for my hip and knee pain. Sometimes, though, he will buy gummy bears with a little THC, which his body can tolerate more than mine, so I am quite content sticking to my quality CBD oil.

However, I am happy to make some of his favourite edibles, such as My Special Brownies, Hash Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cups.

Note: Both medical and recreational cannabis are legal in Canada, with approval given to recreational in October 2018. You must check your area of residence about the possession, growing, and consumption of cannabis and hash.

If you live in the U.S. or other countries, it is advisable to read up on the laws that govern the use of marijuana in your area.

Difference Between Hash and Cannabis

• HASH

Hash (or hashish) comes from the resin of the cannabis plant. You typically smoke a small piece in a pipe, bong, vaporizer, or joint, or orally after decarboxylation. Pure hash will not burn if rolled alone in a joint, so it is mixed with herbal cannabis, tobacco, or another type of herb.

Hash can be solid or resinous, and depends on preparation and room temperature. Pressed hash is usually solid; water-purified hash (or bubble hash) is a paste-like substance that can vary in hardness or pliability. Its colour depends upon the process and amount of leftover plant material and can range from light to dark brown, transparent to yellow, tan, black, or red (ours was black Moroccan hash).

Did you know that hash was the primary form of cannabis consumed in Europe in 2008? (Source)

Note: Be aware that the effects of the hash will be much stronger than smoking cannabis because the concentration of cannabinoids is much greater.

• CANNABIS

Cannabis is the same as marijuana, weed, or pot and refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from Cannabis indica or Cannabis sativa plants. We use the cannabis plant either medically or recreationally. The main chemical compound found in cannabis that causes the ‘high’ or euphoric state is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol—say that ten times!!). It is in the resin produced by the leaves and buds, primarily from the female cannabis plant.

When smoking marijuana, the THC passes quickly from the lungs into the bloodstream, and the blood carries it to the brain and other organs. However, ingesting it in foods or beverages can take 30 minutes to an hour to feel the effects.

Note: Although we use it medically, the FDA does not approve or recognize the plant as a medicine.

OK, now let’s get into the fun stuff!

Making Butter

For the sake of this article, we won’t go into the different types of hash and how to make it. Instead, we will talk about making butter and using it for baking (from my experiences) and the differences I found between hash butter and cannabutter.

CANNABUTTER

My favourite way of making cannabutter is in the slow cooker. No muss, no fuss, and no need to babysit. (I’m a busy person!)

Decarboxylation:

I start with an ounce of marijuana and decarboxylate it in the oven at a low temperature of 225 degrees (110 Celsius) for approximately 20–40 minutes (I once had to use a propane stove, and the temperature did not go below 275 degrees (140 Celsius). I checked it every 10 minutes to make sure it wasn’t burning! Although this video recommends 240, I prefer the lower temperature.

Decarboxylation is the process of activating the THC by heating it.

Note: You can use a coffee or small grinder to break the weed, but do not over-grind. If you don’t have a grinder, don’t worry; you can still go ahead. Some people don’t use the grinder at all.

I place the weed on a cookie tray (if it is a new pan or in good shape, I place it directly on the tray). If the plan is old and not in good condition, I will line it with parchment paper (we travel a lot, so we never know what will be at our disposal) and pop it in the preheated oven.

I will check it halfway through to make sure all is well. After the time is up, I remove the tray and let the weed cool. I either make the butter immediately or store the weed in a tightly covered jar in a cool place until I am ready to use it.

TO MAKE THE BUTTER

• I place one pound (2 cups) of good-quality unsalted butter*, 1 cup of water and 1 ounce of the weed in a slow cooker on the lowest setting and let it cook for anywhere from 8 to 16 hours (depending on the time of day, whether I have to be away, etc.) I check it every few hours to make sure there is still plenty of water. If I feel I should add more water, I do!

Note: Nowadays a lot of people are watching their salt intake plus a lot of recipes call for unsalted butter. You can always add salt to whatever you are making. Also, I have let the slow cooker go as long as 24 hours. It depends on your time.

• To strain the mixture (which is a dark brown so don’t panic), some people use cheesecloth but I use a tightly meshed strainer over a glass bowl. The mixture will be hot at this point so I let it sit in the bowl until it has cooled a bit and then I use either a wooden spoon or clean gloves to strain the rest of the mixture into the bowl. Then I discard the residue.

Note: The smell will permeate through the house so if you are having company over, maybe you should wait if that is an issue.

• I usually pour the mixture out of the bowl, scraping it all, into a small square glass container (with a lid) and place it in the fridge. I only do this to store the butter once it is ready. You can use the same bowl and cover it with saran wrap if it doesn’t have a cover.

• After several hours (or overnight), your butter will harden and separate from the water. It should be light green or yellow. Once set, I take a sharp knife and cut around the edge to lift the butter out, set it wet side up on a cutting board, scrape off any remaining residue, pat it with a paper towel and put it back in the same container (after discarding the water and washing it), cover with the lid and store back in the fridge.

Now you have butter and can use it the way you want.

Note: If you have difficulty figuring out some great strains of cannabis to use, check out this article for some inspiration. Or, if you would like to grow your own, here are some easy-growing strains.

HASH BUTTER

My experience making hash butter was a bit different. First, I couldn’t find any clear information on how to decarboxylate the hash – lots of information to make the butter though. Since I made the butter, I have seen more articles, but this is how I made it.

The hash came in little round containers, each holding 1 gram of hash making 6 grams. Since everything I read said hash was stronger than the weed, I was happy to go ahead and make the butter. Besides, my husband didn’t want to get stoned, just mellowed out.

To decarboxylate it, I used parchment paper, broke each gram into smaller pieces and then followed the same procedure as above, except I only cooked it for approximately 20-25 minutes (I was working with unknowns here and didn’t want to run the risk of burning it).

After I removed it from the oven, I set up the slow cooker doing everything the same except every few hours I took a wooden spoon and mashed the pieces against the side of the cooker to distribute it more evenly throughout the mixture.

You also don’t have to strain it. I just poured it into the covered container, placed it in the fridge, and let it set. I then drained the water off, as I do for the cannabutter, and kept it in the fridge, tightly covered until I was ready to use it.

Note: When using butter in recipes that call for melted butter, it is advisable to melt butter on low heat on the stove and not in the microwave. If the recipe doesn’t specify melted butter, let it sit at room temperature before using.

Some Considerations

• If you are new to baked edible goods, start small—¼ to ½ of the portion size (it is better to have too little than too much!). If you don’t feel any effects, wait 24 hours and try a slightly larger portion.
• Don’t eat on an empty stomach.
• If you are not making your own, trust the person giving them to you.
• Never drive under the influence (no different than consuming alcohol)
• If you want to use edibles for medical purposes, the Government of Canada has given some clear guidelines under the Cannabis Act.

Final Thoughts

Both procedures were fairly easy. There is, of course, less mess with the hash and no straining, but I find the weed cooks up better. I usually make about one batch of brownies (16 each) and a batch or two of cookies with the cannabutter. But this will vary for different people depending on how strong you want your edibles to be.

If the recipe calls for one-half cup of regular butter, substitute it with one-half cup of cannabis or hash butter. You may have to experiment. I am still experimenting with the hash butter.

Sometimes my husband pitches in by stirring the batter (of course he knows he gets to lick the spoon afterward, which is the best part!).

Recipes

I want to share two recipes with you: one with weed butter and my newest one with hash butter. By the way, hubby liked the hash edibles and watching him, I could tell he was getting a bit of a buzz. Being the responsible person he is, he only takes it at night or if he knows he won’t be driving during the day. I strongly urge you to do the same.

I make My Special Brownies with the cannabutter and the Hash Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cups with Hash.

By the way, hubby is my tester and gave a thumbs up to the crunchy peanut butter I used in the Peanut Butter Cups (see notes at the end of the recipe).

CBD Oil (no THC) Cupcakes

Some people have very little tolerance for THC. I am one of them. I can handle a little, but that’s it.

This information is from one of my CBD Oil suppliers.

Once the batter is made and distributed in your muffin tins, use a clean syringe and fill it to your prescribed dosage (what you normally consume daily). Empty the syringe into each cupcake, stirring the batter with a knife or large toothpick to distribute the CBD oil evenly. Bake, following the instructions in your recipe.

DISCLAIMER: I always urge you to check out the laws in your area of residence about possession of cannabis hash and CBD oil, whether in Canada, the US, or other parts of the world, as laws do vary from place to place.

The Government of Canada has published an article full of facts on cannabis and your health.

Medical Disclaimer

Do you make your own butter? What has been your experience?