It’s a common misconception – even among Canadians themselves – that marijuana edibles are legal. But even though recreational cannabis has been officially legal since October 2018, edibles have yet to be legalized. So if you head into a recreational dispensary in Toronto or Vancouver and see edible cannabis treats on the shelves, this dispensary is actually operating illegally. 

You would never find potent edibles in a legal government-run cannabis dispensary, at least not yet. However, medical edibles have been legal for a while. Candians with ACMPR licenses to grow are some of the only people in the entire country who can legally indulge in cannabis edibles. If full access to cannabis edibles is something you’re interested, you can learn more about it right here. 

Canadians with licenses through the government’s medical marijuana program – the ACMPR – can indulge edibles whenever the please. Heck, they can even make their own from their homegrown cannabis plants. But making edibles is tricky, so ACMPR-license holders around the country offer this helpful advice on creating potent edibles the right way. 

Choose the Right Strain

First of all, if you aren’t familiar with strains and how a sativa is different from an indica, you shouldn’t even be thinking about consuming cannabis edibles. Edibles can be powerful, so it’s important to have some familiarity with cannabis before chowing down on it. 

If you have a long history with cannabis and know that edibles are right for you, you already understand the importance of choosing the proper strain. Choosing the proper strain is the very first step in creating an edible that you actually want to eat. Consider the high you’re looking for, whether it is for extreme mind-numbing relaxation or for a boost in energy. Because yes, cannabis has the power to do both. 

Edibles for medical purposes can help to alleviate pain, induce sleep, or treat anxiety. If you are making this for medical reasons, what treatment are you looking for? Strains that treat anxiety are unique from strains to treat pain, so consider your strain of choice before anything else. 

This Isn’t a Guessing Game

There is an exact science to edible creation, and it should never be treated as a guessing game. In other words, when creating a cannabis infusion you should never just guess on the ratio of cannabis to butter/oil. Exact measurements are an absolute must. 

The Cannabist says that “every 1 gram of cannabis bud has 1,000mg of dry weight. If a strain has about 10 percent THC, 10 percent of 1,000mg would be 100mg. So for cooking or baking at home, it’s safe to assume that a gram of cannabis contains at least 100mg of THC.” Determining the gram amount will ultimately determine the edible’s potency. 

It’s All About Low and Slow

When infusing butter or oil for creating cannabis edibles, the “low and slow” rule always applies. This means you need to be infusing on a very low heat and do so slowly. Patience is a virtue when it comes to edibles, and the biggest mistake is not having enough of this virtue. So just remember, low heat and slow simmer.