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Liquid Marijuana Recipe; All You Need to Know about the Process.
Liquid marijuana recipes have always been a prominent aspect of cannabis culture. With recent legalization efforts, liquid cannabis is becoming increasingly popular.
Marijuana consumption has steadily been on the rise since 2012 when Colorado and Washington became the first states to fully legalize its use. With these landmark moments, different products, methods of extractions, liquid marijuana recipes, and new methods of consumption came to light. However, potency is a persistent issue and the public is always on the lookout for more potent strains. Cannabis in the 60s and 70s had about 5-10% THC. By today’s standards, this can be considered to be next to nothing. The desire for high-quality marijuana is what initially led to people coming up with liquid marijuana drink recipes.
Over time, strains have been bred extensively to contain higher amounts of THC. Today, some have up to 30%, however, cannabis connoisseurs are always on the lookout for new methods and more potent varieties. One of the reasons for this is that traditional smoking methods cannot deliver the full amount of THC into the bloodstream. It is here where the liquid marijuana recipes come in. Liquid marijuana, also called liquid THC is basically a cannabis concentrate that contains THC levels of up to 90% in a consumable fluid. Liquid marijuana has dramatically risen in popularity in recent years, thanks to the legalization efforts and the widespread use of vape pens.
Liquid marijuana is often contained in a tincture and delivered directly under the tongue. It is extracted from leaves by soaking them in alcohol to obtain its active ingredient, THC. Most liquid marijuana recipes recommend that it should be extracted from more potent strains e.g, Royal Gorilla and Death Star. However, these liquid marijuana recipes are used only if you desire to obtain high THC tinctures. If you desire to make high CBD or low THC concentrate, you should use less potent strains like Sour Tsunami. You can make different types of liquid marijuana drink recipes by using different plant combinations, materials, and alcohols of different potency.
What Liquid marijuana looks like
Depending on the liquid marijuana recipe and plant matter you use, the result is always some shade of green. The stronger concentrations range from light green to dark green. The end result can also be greenish brown. If the liquid appears to be bright green, it means there was insufficient decarboxylation and the resulting beverage is usually weak. It should also smell like bud or have a floral aroma. If it smells like grass, it will probably be weaker. If you consider purchasing already made liquid marijuana, you should pay close attention to the color and smell.
Liquid Marijuana Drink Recipe
There are a lot of methods that you can you use to extract liquid marijuana depending on the amount of time you have.
THC – the active ingredient in marijuana occurs naturally as an acid, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Although it has been found to have beneficial health effects, it is not always the ingredient sought by smokers and other users who are after a high. This is why the plant must be dried and cured to have a psychoactive effect. This is called decarboxylation and is key to ensure the potency of the liquid marijuana drink recipe.
Decarboxylation for liquid marijuana’s recipe process
To ensure a high-quality product, it is better to do the process in two separate steps. In the first step, the plant material should be broken up to the smallest size possible. This increases the particles’ surface area, meaning the moisture is more exposed to air circulation and heat during the liquid marijuana’s drink recipe dehydration process. The smaller the pieces, the more efficient the heating process will be. However, proper dehydration must be ensured without burning or scorching or burning the plant matter. Warm it to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes or until it is totally dry. Presence of moisture means that the water can boil and damage the cells.
For the second step, the plant matter is totally dry and there is less risk in letting the temperatures rise above the boiling point. Raise the temperature to about 240 degrees Fahrenheit and the let plant sit for up to an hour. This accelerates the decarboxylation and the conversion of THCA to THC. Ensure the plant is not scorched or burned.
Liquid marijuana’s recipe
There are three liquid marijuana recipes that you can use to provide the best results; room temperature method, the cold method or the hot method (more dangerous but accelerated). Here are the details:
The room- temperature liquid marijuana’s recipe
This is a more traditional method that does not rely on technology but still extracts all THC molecules from the plant. The only problem with the room-temperature liquid marijuana’s recipe is that it takes longer.
Liquid marijuana’s recipe procedure
- Put the decarboxylated marijuana in a mason jar
- Add 32 ounces of alcohol (must be of high proof). Don’t use isopropyl alcohol as it contains toxic compounds compared to ethanol. Cover the jar and tighten the lid and shake.
- Place the jar in a black bag and store away from sunlight. Ensure the location is not hot, it should be warm or at least room temperature.
- Let the jar sit for about 30-60 days
- Strain the contents through a cheesecloth to remove the remaining plant matter.
- Store in an opaque bottle away from sunlight to preserve its potency.
Liquid Marijuana Drink Recipe by Freezing (the cold method)
This method speeds up the process by freezing.
- Crush the cannabis, put it in a Ziploc bag and freeze for about three hours. Put your alcohol into the freezer for the same amount of time.
- The cannabis should be frozen or stiff, mix the 1 ounce of cannabis with 32 ounces of alcohol in the mason jar, cover tightly and shake well.
- Put the mason jar in the freezer.
- Take the mason jar from the freezer and shake it every 2-3 hours, continue alternating the storing and freezing for 48 hours.
- Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth to remove the solid matter.
- Store the concentrate in a dark bottle and store away from sunlight.
Liquid Marijuana’s Drink Recipe by Heating.
This is the fastest method by far, heat is added to speed up the process instead of letting the mixture sit for weeks. However, it is also the most dangerous method as there is a risk of the alcohol catching fire. If you can’t wait for 30 days, then this is the best method for you. It’s recommendable to start with 2 ounces of alcohol and a ⅛ ounce of cannabis and double the quantities as you gain experience.
- Chop up the marijuana plant matter into small pieces using a grinder
- Put the chopped cannabis plant matter in a 1-pint jar and add 2 ounces of high proof alcohol.
- Place at least 1-inch water in a saucepan and low simmer the water.
- Put the thermometer in the jar, put the jar in the simmering water.
- Observe the liquid and bring its temperature to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, ethanol’s boiling 173 degrees Fahrenheit, the liquid should stay below the boiling point.
- Simmer the liquid for around 20 minutes at 170 degrees, then separate the solid from the liquid.
- Store in a dark bottle away from the sunlight.
The concentrate made using this liquid marijuana’s drink recipe can be consumed orally by administering drops under the tongue. Start with 2 or three drops as the absorption is quite fast. Liquid marijuana’s drink recipe resulting products can also be added to tea, sprayed into the mouth or sprayed on food. Spraying on food is not as effective as administering through the mouth. Liquid marijuana can also be smoked in vape pens.