It’s September, so you know what that means! ...I don’t know, I’ve got nothing. I find September to be a weird month. It’s nice outside and I’m still in summer mode but everyone else seems to be getting ready for back to school. Whether they’re teachers, parents or students, everyone I know gets into this intense school mode when September starts, which always leaves me looking for stuff to do. 

This year though, I’m getting into making my own edibles and tinctures. I’ve wanted to do this for awhile now but it honestly sounded like too much work so I always pushed it to the back burner (pun intended). That all changed a few weeks ago though when I found the Magical Butter Machine at the Peace Pipe in Peterborough. The machine has made making my own tinctures and edibles a very fun and simple process; it’s like a crock pot for cannabis …but way cooler.

If you’ve never seen a Magical Butter Machine, you definitely need to look it up when you’re done reading this. It’s compact, sleek and looks just like any other household appliance on your counter …but again, it’s way cooler. 

I’m pretty new to the Magical Butter Machine scene but so far it appears to be pretty straight forward and dummy proof; two things I always like to see in my cannabis equipment (not for me of course, but just in case one of my dummy friends comes over and starts to mess around with it).

Alright, so we’re unboxed, plugged in and ready to start making stuff; now what? Well, now we just need to pick up a few supplies. This will vary though, depending on what you’re planning to make. For tinctures, you just need some grain alcohol, but if you’re making edibles, you need to pick a solid or liquid fat to infuse it with. Butter is a great solid for infusion while coconut oil seems to work best for a liquid fat (yes, the butter does melt down and turn into a liquid, but it’s still considered a solid fat …I don’t know why; ask Bill Nye).

Next, you’re going to pour your fat into the machine. Let’s pretend we’re making cookies today, so we’re going to throw in some butter. Never use margarine or a butter substitute; THC and CBD are fat-soluble which means you need the fat from real butter in order to make the cannabinoids available to your system. THC and CBD won’t circulate throughout your brain or body without a fat present to extract them; they’ll just simply break down in your digestive tract and become waste, which is the exact opposite of what we want here.

Now, we’re almost set to start baking (another pun intended), we just need to add some cannabis. You know, some weed, ganja, herbs, bud, green, the loud stuff, that sticky icky; whatever you like to call it, we need some of that stuff. Take about 3-5 grams of whole buds, no need to grind, and add that into your Magical Butter Machine.

Before we go that far though, there’s one major and extremely important step that we must complete first before we can add any green to this machine and that’s making sure your cannabis has been decarbed. Decarbing your cannabis is an easy and very necessary step for making any cannabis edibles or infusions; the THC is essentially non existent until you do this.

Not to get off track here but have you ever looked at a package of cannabis? It shows two different THC numbers on the label. For example, you might see THC 4.20 mg/g along with Total THC 210 mg/g. The 4.20 is the THC before decarb while the 210 (21% THC) is the THC that you will get after decarb (ie. after you light it up to smoke or heat it up a bit in your oven). Decarbing your weed is essential if you want to reap any of its benefits or effects; that’s why you don’t get high from eating cannabis straight from the package; the THC hasn’t’ been fully activated yet.

To decarb your cannabis for edibles, just put a piece of tinfoil across a baking sheet, spread out your cannabis evenly and then put it on the middle oven rack for about 45 minutes at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Let it cool completely before you even think about putting it in the Magical Butter Machine.

Fast forward to when your weed has cooled down and we’re ready to make some cannabutter. Throw your weed in the butter machine (again, no need to grind it) and then add your stick of butter. Push the “butter” option on the display screen and you’re good to go; that’s it. The machine will grind your bud, melt your butter and over the next few hours they will brew together nicely, creating your tasty infusion.

Just like a slow cooker, you are not needed for the next few hours and you’re free to go about your day. When it is ready, you simply place the provided butter tray underneath (just like placing a mug for a Keurig machine), then hit the button and watch it pour. The Magical Butter Machine has a built-in screen to catch all the plant matter so all that pours out is pure liquid butter. Once the butter tray is full, you’re ready to go with two options. You can immediately use that infused, already melted, butter in your favourite recipe, or you can put it in the fridge (or freezer) to use later. Whatever you want!

I used my first stick of cannabutter in several things. I used it as the butter in my Kraft Dinner, I put it on my pancakes and I made some cookies; but my favourite thing to make with it so far has been grilled cheese sandwiches slathered in cannabutter …those messed me up nicely and made me feel really high. Not uncomfortably or anything, but I was definitely riding the border line with that buzz.

This machine is perfect for the chef in your family, for someone looking for a smoking alternative or for anyone looking for a fun, new, DIY, way to consume their cannabis. It’s also the perfect purchase for any growers out there, especially now that we’re nearing harvest season …as that usually means there’s going to be a lot of disposable cannabis just laying around; might as well put it to good use!

I feel like I’m only scratching the surface here though, in terms of what all the Magical Butter Machine can actually do. Every day I seem to find a new use or recipe for it which has been awesome and exciting. I love it. I should wrap this up here though, while I’m still somewhat functional; I ate a big cannabutter grilled cheese sandwich just before I started typing this blog and I honestly didn’t expect the effects to kick in so quickly.

Big Larry, out.