Coconut Oil Medicinal Cannabis Chocolate (for Legal States)

Many states have legalized cannabis for medical use as well as personal use. I believe this is an important step in self-care. People often mention the opioid crisis, not only for the aging, but for people of many ages. The alternatives to strong pharmaceuticals may have health-threatening side effects; it is well documented, for example, that OTC medicines such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen have negative effects on the kidneys and liver, respectively. Many of us seek safe, effective pain relief, but we don't necessarily want to smoke or vape the medicine. This Instructable shows you how to easily extract the medicine into coconut oil and turn it into a pleasant, easy-to-use, small-dose chocolate.

...if you live in one of the states in the U.S. that have legalized cannabis for medical and/or so-called recreational use. I say "so-called" because many people who need and use the herb are not doing it for fun. The fastest-growing group of cannabis users in the United States is senior citizens, those experiencing health problems including serious pain who do not want to become addicted to pain medicines such as opioids, or who do not want the negative side effects of various pain medications.

You can use the small (and larger) leaves from cannabis plants to make edible medicine. Marijuana flowers have little leaves projecting all around. When these are cut off to produce "bud," they are called trim. They are full of useful medicine. You can use larger leaves and even stems, too.

How do you get trim? I hope that you will eventually grow a couple of plants for yourself, but if not, see if your friends have some trim you can use. Sometimes you can get it from your dispensary, too.

Place the trim in your blender and tamp down. Push the Pulse button repeatedly. From time to time, open the blender and redistribute the contents till the leaves are all ground. The result should be coarse, not powdery, as shown.

You can use cannabis flowers, too, the same flowers or "buds" that you buy from a dispensary. Grind them in a blender the same as you would grind the trim.

Use a rice cooker or crockpot made of ceramic. Avoid aluminum.

Organic ingredients are always best for making medicine. Add coconut oil, as shown. Other oils are fine for extracting oil, but you can make edibles that are semi-solid at room temperature, solid when kept in fridge, for easier use.

Melt the oil till the liquid, melted layer of oil is about 1-1/2 inches above the plant (for trim) OR 2 to 2-1/2 inches above plant material (for flowers). Why the difference? Flowers contain more medicine so the oil can absorb more. Adjust your amounts for a combination of trim and flower.

Do you need careful, scientific measurement here? Not in my opinion. For one thing, you're going to learn how much to take anyway, and for another thing, these are natural materials. Plants all differ in medicinal content. The important thing is to extract the medicine and then find out how best to calibrate your dose (explained later).

If you can grow your own medicine, see if you can find some plants high in CBD. Most high-CBD plants have some THC in them, but higher CBD content is ideal for pain and inflammation. However, THC varieties are also excellent pain remedies, so whatever flower you can get will work great. Ask for high-CBD flowers at your dispensary if you cannot grow your own medicine.

Change the setting on your rice cooker or crockpot to WARM. Allow to set overnight or all day. A long, not-too-hot extraction retains all the medicinal factors, including terpenes, which are the scented factors of (all) plants and are highly medicinal. If you are interested in the fascinating and well-documented research on terpenes, check out my book, Terpenes, The Healing Connection Between Essential Oils and Cannabis.

Turn off the heat and allow the material to cool a bit. While it is still warm, strain through nylon or stainless steel strainer into a glass container. Allow to drip well. Discard the remains (though some people like to put them in a muslin cloth, warm slightly, and apply to painful areas of the body...messy).

Store your medicine in glass container in the fridge. When you want to use it to make edible medicine, place in a pan of water on the stove and heat slowly. The solid oil will quickly melt.

While the oil is still warm, pour about 3/4 cup into a bowl.

Add 1-2 little spoons of stevia. Avoid sugar, since it contributes to inflammation in the body. Some people add some pure maple syrup, while others forego sweetening altogether. Please avoid artificial sweeteners.

Add 2 heaping tablespoons of cacao powder or cocoa powder. Stir till well-blended.

You can purchase candy making molds online or in a local store. If you do not have molds, use a paper bowl, as shown. It is easier to use a flexible bowl rather than a hard one, since you will be popping the medicine out. Refrigerate for an hour or so.

When your medicine is cold, pop it out of your mold or bowl. If you use a bowl, break it into pieces.

Store in the fridge in a covered glass container.

How much should you use?

One of my friends with chronic pain put it this way: "When I use one bite of the medicine, I don't feel any emotional or psychoactive effects, but I feel less anxious and my pain is gone."

Start with a nibble. It usually takes 1-1/2 to 2 hours for the medicine to work. Observe the effects. If you are still in pain, take a couple of nibbles. This is called titration, and soon you will know just how much you need to remain comfortable.

This is friendly, safe medicine, but please be aware that eating too much can cause discomfort. I recommend the above method of titration, also called micro-dosing. You can find your ideal dose and enjoy a life with less pain and more fun!

I hope that more and more states legalize this helpful medicine, and that people will give up the unfortunate stigma that attaches to this valuable resource. If you live in a legal state, make this medicine and if you can, grow some plants. You will find that your medicine is affordable and always available, an empowering way to take care of yourself!