How to Make Cannabis-Infused EVOO
Equipment Needed
- Decarboxylation method such as the Ardent FX, Mini or Nova (you'll get the absolute most out of your THC or CBD and save money on each trip to the dispensary).
- Ardent Infusion Press, Frainer, cheesecloth, or other strainer.
- Infusion Sleeve or tempered glass jar (if decarbing wax/concentrates), plus the Lifter of your choosing to make placing materials into and out of the device a breeze. We like the Double Lifter because it allows us the space for two decarb, infusion, or bake cycles at once.
- Airtight container for storage like the Ardent Vessel or Ardent Infusion Mold.
Cannabis-Infused EVOO Ingredient List
- 1 gram cannabis flower*, (or 1/4 gram cannabis concentrate, a bit of kief, or handfuls of stems and sugar leaf)
- 1 ounce of Ardent Extra Virgin Olive Oil**
*The amount of plant material and olive oil can be scaled up or down based on personal preference.
**You can also use another olive oil that you have on hand! We’re partial to our Koroneiki Varietal olive oil because it’s made using freshly harvested olives grown in sand on a private estate in Greece. Because of its high antioxidant content, it has a delicious flavor and high smoke point, making it a solid choice for all types of cuisine, including sauteing and pan frying.
Tips to Getting Started
Decide on Dosage
Check the label on your cannabis or hemp material to find out the percentage of THCA or CBDA that it contains. Let’s say your starting material tests at 23% THCA. After precision decarb in the Ardent FX, Mini or Nova, the material will contain roughly 200 mgs of activated THC; however, if you’re using an oven, toaster oven or crockpot, you will be losing about 30-40% of the final THC or CBD in your material by either failing to fully activate, or burning off the remaining cannabinoids.
Decarboxylation is a precise function of heat and time: because ovens and crockpots weren’t created for decarb, and environmental factors like temperature fluctuation often gets in the way during the activation process, the results usually leave much to be desired. The only way to achieve over 97-100% activation each time, is through precision decarboxylation with Ardent.
Though dispensaries usually divide edible portions into 10 mg pieces, many brands are also making microdosed foods at around 1 or 2 mgs a piece, so you can munch on a full portion with mild to moderate euphoria, or achieve very light on-the-go dosing with just a slight shift in mood. Some folks, however, need extremely high doses to touch their high tolerances, or for relief from various ailments including PTSD and chronic pain. It all comes down to preference.
When planning your dose, keep in mind how many pieces or portions your recipe will yield. If you’re making 12 biscuits and are using extra virgin olive oil infused with 200 mgs of THC, each cookie will come out to roughly 16 mgs.
During decarboxylation, you’re removing the acid molecule from the THCA to convert it into THC (or in the case of CBD, decarboxylation turns CBDA to CBD, or in the case of CBG, decarboxylation turns CBGA into CBG – also by removing the acid molecule.) Calculate the amount of THC, CBD, or CBG in your olive oil by multiplying the amount of THCA, CBDA, or CBGA by .87%. Just move the decimal over two places to the right. For example, with starting material at 23% THCA, you move the decimal over to 230. Multiply by .87% and you get 2.00. Move the decimal over two spaces again and you get your final dosage: your oil will yield about 200 mgs of THC per gram of cannabis used. Factor in 30-40% loss if you’re using another method of decarboxylation such as the oven, crockpot, or toaster oven.
We tested the infusion rate of extra virgin olive oil at the lab, and found EVOO has an infusion rate of over 90%! In your final calculations, account for a little under 10% loss due to infusion. You can avoid this loss entirely by skipping the infuse step and turning your food into an instant edible (just tossing the activated bud into the recipe itself, or on top of your food like a spice.)
If you have strongly dosed cannabis or hemp-infused EVOO on hand, feel free to use just a portion of the oil, replacing the rest of what the recipe calls for in unmedicated olive oil. If you want to make your infusion stronger, check out our blog on Infusion Boosting.
Easy Cannabis Olive Oil Recipe
- Decarboxylate your cannabis. Place your plant material inside the unit and begin the cycle by pressing the activation button. Use the A1 setting to activate THC or CBG-rich material, and the A2 setting to activate CBD-rich material.
- Infuse your cannabis. Insert olive oil into the unit over the decarbed material and allow it to run on the Infuse setting.
- Strain plant material out of the extra virgin olive oil using the Ardent Frainer, or if you have the FX, using the Infusion Press.
- Pour your mixture into an airtight container such as the Ardent Vessel, or Ardent Infusion Mold, and refrigerate (or freeze) until use.
Uses for Cannabis-Infused EVOO
- Foccacia
- Olive Oil Cake
- Tabbouleh
- Infused Spicy Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil Dip
- Hasselback Potatoes
- Salad Dressing
- Pizza
- Hummus
- And so much more!
How to Store Cannabis-Infused EVOO Once Made
As long as you keep your cannabis-infused oil in an airtight container, it should last a little while. In the refrigerator, your properly stored cannabis oil should last a few weeks, in the freezer, up to around 6 months. Try to fill the oil close to the top of whichever container you use to keep out any extra air.
How to Make Cannabis-Infused Olive Oil Stronger
If your cannabis olive oil infusion isn’t as strong as you like, you can always run another infusion cycle to boost your infusion strength in the Nova or FX with more decarbed bud to increase its potency.
If you’re a more experienced consumer, you should consider using cannabis concentrates to make your final product stronger. You can infuse hundreds of milligrams at a time into olive oil with each gram of decarbed material.
Concentrate usually lies somewhere between 80-90% THCA, yielding a whopping 800 - 900 mgs of THC once activated. You can also add a bit of decarbed concentrate to a previously infused cannabis oil mixture to “infusion boost” it further. When infusing with concentrates, there’s zero loss of potency, as there’s nothing actually being strained out.