Why more people are choosing to cook with cannabis (and how they do it)

This post is featured on Daily Hive with expertise provided by 420 Premium Market -a cannabis company that will be opening up several retail locations across Alberta come legalization. 

It’s not uncommon for medicinal cannabis users to experiment and start cooking with cannabis as an alternative way to get pain relief.

But this method isn’t just limited to the stereotypical brownies and cookies often seen at cannabis markets (although you can still make delicious brownies). Today, cooking with cannabis is so much more versatile, and you can make everything from a watermelon smoothie to an Italian dressing, delicious pasta dishes, French toast, and pretty much anything else you can think of.

Why would people opt for canna-cooking over smoking or vaping? Well, hemp seeds are found in the cannabis sativa plant, and these seeds are incredibly nutritious and rich in healthy fats, minerals, and proteins, according to Healthline.

This means cooking with cannabis can help medicinal users get fast-acting pain relief as well as a great source of vitamin E, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, and zinc. All while enjoying a home-cooked meal.

So if you’ve got half a mind to start researching the best way to become a cannabis chef in the future, here are four tips you need to know.

Find the right strain

Your experience of cooking with cannabis could be a lot different than you expect it to be if you don’t know the strain you’re using. That’s why it’s important to have knowledge about the specific strain you’re buying and the recommended amount you should use.

Less is more

When you’re planning to canna-cook, it’s crucial to know that less is always more. You don’t want to use the full dosage that you normally would when vaporizing. The effects of ingesting cannabis also last longer than vaping; depending on the dose, food cooked with cannabis could effect you for as long as eight hours.

Know the oils

If you’re searching for cannabis cooking recipes online, you’ll notice that almost every cooking recipe will using a canna-butter or some infused-oil. Calgary’s 420 Clinic has a number of recipes for canna-butter and cannabis coconut oil that can help you get the basics down.

Exact measurements

It’s important to always measure everything exactly as what’s listed in the recipe you’re working with, especially when it comes to the cannabis. You don’t want to overdo it too much on one ingredient and not use enough of another as you may not get the full health benefits of the oil or butter. This is not the time or place to get casual with your measurements; this is (delicious) science!

To explore a wide range of cannabis cooking recipes, visit the clinic’s recipe page.

Disclaimer: these tips and recipe links are for general inspiration, and are not created specifically for patient needs. In saying that, always stick to the amount of cannabis you are prescribed, despite what a recipe may reference.