Lydia K
Honey is a superfood, and pot-infused honey is a heavenly treat.
Honey is one food that doesn’t go bad, not even when stored for years. It’s also one food that is consumed in almost every part of the world. We love honey for the taste, as we say it, “as sweet as honey.” We also love honey for its medicinal properties. It’s interesting to know that pot-infused honey has all this goodness plus some more.
Why pot-infused Honey?
Honey makes a good base for different foods and ingredients. The strong taste is good at masking other tastes that may not be so appealing. Cannabis is not just good for relaxation; it also conveys healing properties akin to those of honey, as scientists are now discovering. Actually, cannabis has been used for thousands of years to treat various conditions. It is reported that Queen Victoria’s physician used cannabis to treat the queen’s migraines. Science is just catching up with anecdotal evidence.
Also, both cannabis and honey are able to keep for long. With this, pot-infused honey has a lot to offer in terms of versatility, taste and healing benefits. This is a tasty meal that’s nourishing and healing in equal measure.
Cannabis has Numerous Benefits
The cannabis plant is rich in phytonutrients which include the following:
- Cannabinoids
- Terpenes
- Flavanoids
Most people have heard of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) which is responsible for causing the “marijuana high.” It’s the same compound that can make you fail a drug test, should you test positive for it. The other popular cannabinoid is CBD (cannabidiol). CBD offers relaxation as well as other therapeutic benefits, but it won’t make you high. Because of this, CBD is fast becoming the poster child of medicinal cannabis, especially in countries where recreational cannabis is prohibited. THC and CBD are cannabinoids, among other 100 plus cannabinoids.
What Happens When Pot Is Infused With Cannabis?
Magic happens when pot is infused with cannabis, everything from the taste to the effects on the body is whimsical.
The aroma may not be all that, depending on the strain of weed that you will lay your hands on. Most cannabis strains have a potent dank smell that’s unappealing. If you are fortunate enough to get some linalool loaded strains then perhaps you will enjoy sniffing into your pot-infused honey. Linalool has that sweet smell of lavenders and strains that are lucky enough to have sufficient amounts of it don’t smell as earthy as the rest. Honey, on the other hand, doesn’t have much to offer in terms of smell.
The taste of honey is overpowering and you are likely to enjoy this part of your treat. Anyway, you will be infusing a small amount of herb into your honey, so the honey taste has to be dominant.
A scoop of your pot-infused honey combines the nourishing benefits of honey with the healing properties of CBD.
A Little History Of Cannabis-infused Honey
A francophone beekeeper by the name Nicolas “Trainerbees” claims that he has trained his bees to make cannabis honey. He does this by making the bees pollinate the cannabis plant and use its resin to make honey. Quite an easy way to come up with pot-infused honey, if it works that is.
Image credits Unsplash
Naturally, the cannabis plant is wind-pollinated. However, in an experiment, Nicolas trained bees to pollinate the cannabis plant. The bees collected the resin and took it back to their hives where they turned it into honey. Cannabis-infused honey, if you may call it that way.
When tested, the honey produced by these bees contained activated cannabis which is psychoactive. The bees, however, did not get intoxicated by cannabis because they lack an endocannabinoid system. The results obtained by Nicolas have been corroborated by the director of public affairs at the British Beekeepers Association, Tim Lovett.
It would be ideal if we could all lay our hands on some bee manufactured pot-infused honey. But since this is not possible, here is a simple recipe that can get you similar results.
DIY Cannabis-infused Honey
A few points to take into consideration:
- Honey is best worked with at room temperatures
- The cannabis buds need to be decarboxylated to convert the cannabinoids to their active forms. Decarboxylation happens when the buds are exposed to high temperatures like in an oven. A temperature of 240 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 hours will work well. Do not exceed 320 degrees F; terpenes begin to vaporize at this temperature.
What you will need for your pot-infused honey
- 15 grams of decarboxylated cannabis bud.
- 2 cups honey
- Cheesecloth and string
- Slow cooker
- A jar
How to make cannabis-infused honey
Image credits Unsplash
1. Place the decarboxylated buds in your cheesecloth and tie with string. Now place the cheesecloth in your jar.
2. Pour the honey over the cheesecloth and place the jar in the slow cooker. Cover the lid.
3. Pour water into the slow cooker to a level above the honey.
4. Let it simmer on low heat for 7-8 hours.
5. Remove from the heat and allow cooling.
6. After it has cooled, remove the cheesecloth from the jar and squeeze out the goey fluid on the cheesecloth.
7. Take a spatula and stir the jar.
8. There you have your pot-infused honey in seven simple steps.
Last Question, Will Pot-infused Honey Make You High?
Nicolas’ bees did not get high, but that was because they do not have an endocannabinoid system, remember?
Cannabis-infused honey will make you high if it contains significant amounts of THC. Anything above 1% THC will give you a mild level of intoxication. 10%-20% THC will make you lose touch with reality. Anything above 20% THC and you will transpose to outer space in a short while.
However, some cannabis strains intended for medicinal use contain CBD purely. Such strains will afford you all the benefits of Cannabis-infused honey without causing any psychedelic effects.
