Cannabis, better known as marijuana or weed, is still not legal in most parts of the world. However, it is legal mostly throughout Europe, and in most states in America. More conservative countries, like the Philippines, are even in the process of trying to legalize medical marijuana for those who really need it.
Aside from being a recreational drug or something that you can just get high off of, marijuana actually has a lot of medicinal and anti-pain and anti-inflammatory properties. However, for this piece, we’ll be discussing marijuana use in a less-covered aspect – marijuana in cooking.
Infusing marijuana with food has been popular since the 1950s ever since Alice B. Toklas introduced pot brownies to mainstream America through her cookbook, The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook. The recipe was then called “Haschich Fudge.”
Since the legalization of cannabis in some states in America, a lot of chefs and cooks have also taken on the challenge of infusing marijuana with the delicious food that they prepare. Cooking with cannabis is now seen as a better option of using the herb, whether for recreational or medicinal purposes.
Most people opt to ingest it instead of smoking it as commonly done. Eating foods laced with cannabis helps eliminate mouth and throat irritation, the strong odor associated with weed, and the risks of smoking towards health in general. But there are still ongoing studies that are looking into proof that smoking marijuana has the same effects of smoking cigarettes for our lungs).
A word of caution: When consuming and ingesting food cooked with cannabis, always remember not to eat too much as this could result in a very intense high experience. Portioning the weed when you cook is crucial as well.
When you infuse your marijuana with butter or oil, cooking with marijuana becomes an exciting adventure. Even some very mundane French toast could be an entirely different experience once tried with cannabutter, and your favorite paste recipe cooked with canna-oil could blow your mind.
As exciting as all of this may sound, please do check if marijuana is legal in your area. Keep in mind that the possession and use of pot is still illegal in most countries, and could result in long-term imprisonment and heavy fines.
I've posted this on a cannabis forum before as well and it got a lot of love so enjoy :)