How To Make A Honey Infused Cannabis Tincture At Home

Honey and cannabis may seem an unusual combination, but these versatile substances share many similarities. Both have been used for centuries to support well-being, and both are enjoyed recreationally, albeit with somewhat different goals in mind.

So, what better way to make the most of these age-old ingredients than with a honey-infused tincture? Not only is it sweet and easy to consume, but it's packed with cannabinoids, making it a great way to add a much-needed buzz to your next session.

Why Mix Weed With Honey?

Creating “cannahoney” may seem like a strange suggestion initially, but there are plenty of reasons to try this sweet treat. First, there are honey's therapeutic qualities to consider. The earliest uses of honey date back to 7000 BCE, when it was used as a topical ointment among the Egyptians and, later, the ancient Greeks.

Since then, scientific research has also uncovered that honey has a wealth of health potential, linking the substance to dozens of crucial bodily functions. When you compare this to the traditional (and modern) uses of cannabis, suddenly the two don't seem so far removed.

Second is the recreational benefits of honey and cannabis. The former is a natural alternative to artificial sugars, while the latter is loved the world over for its euphoria-inducing high. Combine the two, and your taste buds won't be the only thing that's tingling.

Does Cannabis Honey Get You High?

In short, yes! Infuse honey with your favourite THC-loaded herb, and it'll capture all of the cannabinoid's buzz-inducing attributes. Once you've prepared the honey tincture, you can use it like any other cannabis edible, adding it to food and drink or simply eating a spoonful on its own.

Getting the exact ratio of THC in cannahoney right does require a little trial and error. It's difficult to pinpoint the exact infusion rate, and there are lots of variables when it comes to cannabis edibles in general, so we recommend making a few batches to see which ratio of herb to honey is right for you. You can read more about calculating the potency of cannabis edibles using our dedicated calculator.

Cannabis Honey: THC vs CBD

It's also worth considering that THC isn't the only cannabinoid on offer. Many people grow CBD-rich cannabis for its proposed influence on the mind and body. Now, you can put CBD to good use in edibles, infusing honey with the non-psychotropic effects of the cannabinoid.

You'll still need to follow the exact same steps to create your sweet tincture (including decarbing); you'll just be swapping out the THC-rich cannabis in the ingredients list for a high-CBD cultivar.

Preparing Your Cannabis

If you want to eat your cannabis, or the goodies you make from it, then you must put your herbs through a process called decarboxylation. Without getting all technical, the decarb process involves converting the non-psychoactive THCA into its psychoactive offspring, THC. It's not as hard as it sounds. All it takes is a little heat. In order to achieve this, you need to slightly cook your weed. As always we'd recommend a Pyrex dish, but a metal baking pan will do.

1. Set your oven to 120°C. Make sure to pre-heat your oven until the desired temperature is reached.

2. Evenly spread your cannabis around your pan. Depending on how potent you want your tincture, use at least one ounce or more. Make sure you are using shake or finely ground bud.

3. Cover your baking pan with aluminium foil

4. Place your baking sheet in the oven for 30 minutes.

That wasn't so hard, was it? Even you can be a cannabis chemist in your kitchen with having to get the degree. Since you are going to be using this newly decarboxylated cannabis for your tincture, you shouldn't have to worry about storing it. If you do decide to put some way for later, always use an airtight glass jar. Now that you have your cannabis ready to go, let's move on to making the tincture.

Infusing Your Honey With Cannabis

Ingredients and Equipment:

• Cheesecloth
• Slow cooker
• Honey (500g)
• Decarboxylated cannabis (4g)

Instructions

1. Take your decarb cannabis and wrap it in a thick or double wrapped cheesecloth. Fasten your cloth so as to keep your cannabis inside. You can do this by twisting or tying the ends. What you are really looking to do is make a large weed teabag.

2. Place your carefully fastened weed-bag into your slow cooker. Depending on how potent you are looking to make it, you can add anywhere from 500g to 2kg of honey. The less honey, the more potent.

3. Place your temperature dial to low. You don't want to cook your tincture too high as it will boil and burn, leaving you with a hot sticky mess.

4. Depending on how hot your slow cooker gets, you will want to let your honey and cannabis satchel simmer for anywhere from 4-8 hours. Stir occasionally to get good coverage. Check on it periodically to make sure it is not boiling. If it is, you can turn the slow cooker off for a short while.

5. After the tincture is done cooking it needs to cool. Feel free to leave your savoury creation overnight to ensure it is cool enough to handle.

6. After it has cooled, remove your cheesecloth bag of decarb cannabis. It is going to be fully saturated so you will want to squeeze the remaining honey back into your slow cooker.

7. Pour your tincture into as many airtight jars as it takes.

8. Once your tincture is complete and jarred up, be sure to refrigerate it for long term storage.

Now that your cannabis infused honey tincture is complete, you can add it to coffee or tea or any recipe that you like. You will enjoy the soothing effects of the tincture any way you consume it. For more information on cannabis home remedies, check out our article on cannabis tinctures.

Now that you’ve whipped up a fresh batch of cannabis-infused honey, it’s time to put it to use. Of course, you could always add it directly to warm drinks and food items—or you could create some honey sticks for long-term storage and easy administration! Cannabis honey sticks are super easy to craft, and make the sweet extract very portable and simple to use. Simply snip off the top of the packet and squeeze the extract into drinks or directly into the mouth when on the go.

Making Cannabis-Infused Honey Sticks

Making honey sticks really is simple. All you need is the following:

Ingredients/Hardware

• Cannabis-infused honey
• Air syringe
• Clear straws
• Heat sealer

Apart from the heat sealer, everything on this list is cheap and easy to come across. If you already have a heat sealer at home, that’s great! If not, you can purchase them for fairly cheap, and they have a whole bunch of other uses besides making honey sticks.

Instructions

1. To begin, you’ll need to turn on your heat sealer and remove several straws from the packaging. Place one end of each straw onto the element of the heat sealer and close the lid. Depending on the model you're using, the sealer may make a noise for several seconds that indicates the process is complete, or may require you to press a button once the lid is shut.

2. Next up is the filing process. This can be done using pipettes or a squeeze bottle, but using an air syringe will ensure an easy and far less-messy process. Poke the end of the syringe into your jar or bottle of cannabis-infused honey and extract the desired quantity. Inject the extract into the open end of each straw.

3. Now that your straws are full, you’ll need to seal the honey extract inside. Place the open end of each straw back onto the heating element and repeat the process detailed above.

All done! It’s as easy as that. Now you're prepared for rapid and sweet doses of THC and CBD at home or on the go!

Cannabis Honey Tincture and Sticks — Top Tips

One of the biggest advantages of cannabis-infused honey is its simplicity, in terms of both creation and consumption. Still, here are a few of our top tips to make sure your infusion goes off without a hitch.

• The perfect way to test your honey tincture is by adding a spoonful to a cup of hot tea. It's great for warming you up and kick-starting the day.
• Honey is a diverse substance with countless variations. Each type has a slightly different smell, colour, and taste, so feel free to experiment with the honey you like the most. Two popular options are acacia and manuka, but we also recommend trying local honey.
• If honey really isn't your thing, then agave nectar or maple syrup are suitable alternatives. The tincture-making process remains the same, but remember that it may not have the same therapeutic benefits as a honey tincture.
• It may not look potent, but cannahoney can pack a punch, so be cautious! We recommend starting with a single tablespoon and waiting at least 45 mins to see how it makes you feel. Once you're comfortable with the dose, you can increase or decrease it accordingly.

All done! It's as easy as that. Now you're prepared for rapid and sweet doses of THC and CBD at home or on the go!