Extraction

Regardless if you’re ready to use waxes, growing your own bud, or buying your favorite strain  and wanting to turn it into wax, it’s important to understand how wax is extracted from your weed. 

The extraction process is placed into two major categories, solvent-free extractions and solvent extractions known as hydrocarbons. Technically speaking, waxes are a stronger extract taken with hydrocarbons, while pressing for home use would be considered a rosin, but it’s important to understand your at-home potential. 

Solvent extractions use a chemical to break down the pores of the cannabis bud, ultimately deteriorating the wax compound within the flower. The solvent is then removed leaving you with a pure substance, but these methods can be dangerous for at-home use since the solvents are flammable. Many of these methods also use pressurized chambers, and if a metal container being pressurized wasn’t dangerous enough, gasses being pressurized allows them to no longer be flammable, but instead be explosive. 

So, as you can guess, we’ll stick with explaining the solvent-free extraction for your in-home use: 

• The first step is to change your bud’s THCA to THC. You’ll need a baking sheet and some baking parchment paper. Carboxylic acid is known to release somewhere between 180 and 220 degrees Fahrenheit, so to be safe you can set your oven to 240 degrees. 
• Get a piece of parchment paper larger than your baking sheet, and crinkle it into a ball. Spread that piece back out and lay it on your baking sheet. The metal sheet will get hotter than the oven temperature, so this will help lift your bud so it doesn’t overheat.
• Break your flower down into smaller pieces and lay them out across the paper, and place it into the oven on the top rack for about 40 minutes. Just enough time to pack a bowl and take a break. It’s good to stir your bud every once in a while, too. 
• Once you’ve reached 40 minutes, turn the oven off and allow everything to cool. That’s it, your THCA has been converted to THC and can be used with cold applications. 

For the next step in creating wax for edibles, you’re going to need a specialized press for making extracts. 

• First you will place your bud into 120 micron bags specifically made for rosin. This will allow the thick liquids to flow while holding all actual bud solids inside. 
• Place inside a folded piece of parchment paper and place in a press set to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, at a pressure of 700 material PSI. This will be pressed for 120 seconds, and you will literally be able to see the rosin seep out. 
• Once the pressure lifts, remove the bag and using a scraper spoon, remove the rosin from the paper.

Cooking with wax

In each process of extracting wax, heat will be used because when the wax is cold it becomes more of a solid, and as it begins to heat up it becomes more of a liquid. This will be important for how you use your concentrates.

It’s also important to remember that wax is just a name derived from how it looks, in reality it’s a concentrate that can be mixed in and used to add THC or CBD to nearly anything. 

Consider the potential of making cannabis butter or oil. 

To make canna-butter, warm butter up to around 200 degrees Fahrenheit and measure the temperature with a probe. Allowing the heat of the butter to heat up the wax, continue to stir until it is fully mixed. If the butter begins to harden too early, add warm water to the mix. Placing the bowl in the fridge, the butter and water will separate as the butter cools, making it easy to remove. 

To make cannabis oil, follow the same steps using any oil you would like, being warmed on a double boiler. 

Concentrates such as waxes tend to have a very strong weed aroma and flavor. 

They become a great replacement for other herbs you may be using in your cooking such as Basil or Oregano. This natural earthy flavor is a refreshing addition to meats, pastas, and really any other meal where a depth of flavor is important. Be sure you want this flavor in your wax edibles before adding a large amount. 

When you add concentrates into your cooking, you want to add them to your wet ingredients and mix them in fully. 

If possible, add this into your cooking a bit warm, around 200 degrees at most, as it will be easier to mix in. Wax is extremely sticky, and you may find it hard to get off your utensils. If this happens, consider mixing it in with a bit of oil or butter, as the fats help bond to the wax and allow it to soften. A bit of heat can also help the wax become more liquified, but heat with caution and overheating could cause bitter flavor or a loss of THC as it vaporizes.

Concentrates are known for having extremely high levels of THC or CBD. With levels up to 90% THC, it’s important to build up your use within your meals. This will also give you a chance to better understand how much you enjoy within a meal. 

Wax can also be added to any drink — well, any non-alcoholic drink. Generally waxes don’t dissolve well mixed into alcohol and may leave you with a glob of wax in the bottom of your cup. They do pair really well with a morning cup of hot tea or coffee, and can be mixed into a cold drink as well with a lot of stirring. If you’re set on the alcohol THC mix, consider looking into distillates and other canna oils.

As much as you want and know you’ll enjoy cannabis added to your meal, remember it is a pretty potent psychoactive drug, so make sure to double check that everyone eating your meal knows what’s in their meal and wants to ride the wave with you. 

Time to eat!

If you’re interested in your body’s overall health, chances are you are exploring the health benefits of CBD. With the option to add CBD into your daily diet, you may find a relief of pain and anxiety, allowing you to better concentrate on your day’s tasks. 

For those chasing THC, adding a reasonable dose to your meal may allow you to be more alert and open minded throughout the day, while also giving you the health benefits and relief of CBD in many strains. 

It’s time to open your mind up to the potentials of weed — it’s more than just a joint or a bowl. Try a variety of different wax edibles, concentrates, and wellness products from Emjay and get it delivered right to your door.