How to Make Cannabutter: A Step-by-Step Guide for Medical Marijuana Patients

Edibles are one of the safest delivery methods for medical cannabis — no smoke, no vapor, just a simple infused butter you can use in almost any food.

If you are a Missouri medical marijuana patient and you haven't explored edibles yet, it's worth your attention. Inhaling anything — whether it's smoke or vapor — puts unnecessary stress on your airways and lungs. Oral consumption sidesteps that entirely and tends to offer longer-lasting relief.

Cannabutter is about as practical as cannabis edibles get. Once you have a batch, you can use it anywhere you'd use regular butter: on toast, in cookies, on popcorn, in a pan sauce. One recipe opens up a lot of options.

That said, edibles hit harder and last longer than most people expect. Start small, wait long enough to feel the effect (at least 90 minutes), and work up from there.

What You'll Need

Before you start, gather the following:

• ½ ounce of cannabis
• Scissors or a hand grinder
• Glass baking dish or cookie sheet
• Oven
• Medium saucepan
• 1½ cups water
• 8 ounces of butter or oil
• Strainer
• Heat-tolerant storage container

Step 1: Decarboxylate the Cannabis

This step is non-negotiable. Raw cannabis does not contain active THC or CBD in significant amounts — it contains THCA and CBDA, which are the acidic precursors. Heat converts those into the active compounds you're after. Skip this step and your butter won't do much.

Preheat your oven to 220°F.

Break the cannabis apart by hand or with scissors into small, coarse pieces. You want them small enough to bake evenly but not so fine that they'll slip through your strainer later.

Spread the pieces evenly on a baking dish and place it on the center rack. Bake time depends on how fresh and cured the material is:

• Older, drier cannabis: about 20 minutes
• Well-cured, quality cannabis: 35–45 minutes
• Freshly harvested cannabis: 60 minutes or more

Turn the pieces every 10 minutes to prevent the edges from scorching. You're looking for a deep, toasted green color — that's your signal it's ready.

Step 2: Infuse the Butter

Add your 8 oz of butter (or oil) and 1½ cups of water to a medium saucepan over **low heat**. The water serves as a temperature buffer — it helps prevent the butter from scorching and makes it easier to maintain a safe temperature.

Once the butter has melted, add the decarbed cannabis and stir well. Cover the pan and let it simmer for **4 hours**, stirring occasionally. Keep the temperature below **180°F** throughout. This is important — too much heat can degrade the cannabinoids you just worked to activate.

After 4 hours, strain the mixture through a fine strainer into a heat-tolerant container. Press the plant material gently to get the last of the infused butter out, then discard the solids.

Let the butter cool to room temperature before using. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for short-term use, or freeze it for longer storage.

Dosing: A Little Goes a Long Way

This is where a lot of first-timers make mistakes. Edibles have a delayed onset — typically 30 to 90 minutes depending on your metabolism, what you've eaten, and other factors. It's easy to think nothing is happening and eat more, then have both doses hit at once.

Start with a small amount — a teaspoon or less in your first use — and give it at least two hours before reconsidering your dose. The strength of your cannabutter will also vary depending on the potency of the cannabis you started with, so there's no universal dose to work from.

Cannabutter on popcorn is a low-effort way to start. It's easy to portion, easy to prepare, and easy to enjoy at home.

Per Missouri State Law, medical marijuana may only be possessed by caregivers and registered patients, and may only be consumed by the intended medical marijuana patient.

The Simple Version

Cannabutter is made in two steps: decarboxylate the cannabis in the oven first, then simmer it in butter and water on low heat for four hours. The decarb step is what activates the cannabinoids — don't skip it. Strain, cool, store, and use in small amounts. Edibles are effective but slower to hit than inhaled cannabis, so give yourself time before assuming a dose isn't working.

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