How to Make Cannabis Gummy Bears

Here’s how to make Cannabis Gummy Bears.

Cannabis gummy bears are an all-time favorite among cannabis consumers, even if they are a little more difficult to make than some other recipes such as firecrackers or cannabis brownies. In many ways they are a two in one as you can have the cannabis along with the snack. Many cannabis consumers are of the opinion that cannabis gummy bears make the best edibles. Just don’t leave them lying around if you happen to have any kids.

There is nothing stopping you from making your own delicious version of the popular treat. The following is a very easy recipe to make cannabis infused gummy bears. It uses hash oil and assumes you have already gone through the process of decarboxylating cannabis in order to activate the THC. This recipe is easy to make, but the finished cannabis gummies possess a considerable amount of THC, so beginners beware! You can halve the amount of hash oil and still have quite a potent cannabis edible.

Tools and Ingredients

Recipe Via: http://www.cannatrythat.com/

• 1/2 Cup Cold Filtered Water
• 1 3-OZ Package Jell-O Gelatin packet(Choose your favorite flavor, we went with strawberry)
• 4 packets Plain Gelatin
• 6 Grams of Decarboxylated Hash Oil
• 1-3 teaspoons Vegetable Glycerin
• Saucepan
• Gummy mold
• Turkey Baster

Instructions

The first step is to prepare the gummy molds, by spraying them with a nonstick spray. Mix the two forms of gelatin in a saucepan and add the half cup of cold filtered water. Stir over medium heat until the mixture becomes liquid.

Step two is to add in the hash oil and mix it thoroughly. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to help the oil and gelatin mixture blend. Use up to 3 tsp glycerin to help keep things blended. There’s enough glycerin when you see no separation of oil and Jell-O when standing for roughly 2 minutes.

Now you have your mix, you can use the Turkey baster to suck up the liquid gummies and pour them onto the plastic gummy mold. Viola! Leave the molds in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to cool. You can add some citric acid or some cornstarch to prevent the gummies from sticking together.

Read on below for how to calculate dose size, and self-titrate doses effectively.

The Facts on Cannabis Gummy Bears

Everyone loves gummies, especially cannabis-infused gummy bears. Out of the neverending buffet of possible edible options, gummies continually top the list as most popular. According to a market analysis from BDSAnalysics, infused gummies accounted for seventeen out of the twenty most purchased edibles in Oregon, Colorado, and California in 2019. The market share for these chewy candies in these same states was close to $115 million.

That’s a lot of gummy candy.

Why are cannabis gummy bears and other chewy treats so popular among cannabis consumers? Arguably it’s not just because they are delicious. Cannabis consumers cherish cannabis gummy bears because they are perfectly sized little doses. It only makes sense that people are starting to make them at home.

Pre-portioned, easy to control, and the best option for microdosing — cannabis gummy bears make self-titration easy and safe.

The Problem with Dosing Edibles

While edibles remain popular among medicinal and recreational consumers, they are not without controversy. Almost all cannabis enthusiasts will have a story about the one time they accidentally overdid it with a THC-packed brownie or cookie. Edibles, although valuable as a potent and long-lasting therapeutic option, can sometimes deliver too much ‘therapeutic’ value too fast.

“Tasty THC: Promises and Challenges of Cannabis Edibles,” published in Methods Report in 2014, noted survey data suggesting edibles were valued routes of administration among medical cannabis patients. Furthermore, the authors detail that almost a third of people who had ever tried cannabis had tried an edible. Given the expansion of legal access since 2014, it’s safe to assume this number has only increased.

But, despite their therapeutic value, experts have demonstrated a “strong association between edible use and overconsumption.” The cannabinoids contained in an edible end up in the digestive tract to metabolize via the liver, where they transform into new and more potent compounds. THC, the main intoxicating cannabinoid, turns into 11-hydroxytetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-THC) when ingested orally, and this is several times more intense than the original compound.

Getting the dose right with an edible is more challenging than for vaped or smoked products. Not only are people dealing with a different intoxicating compound, but the onset of experience is also greatly delayed. Even for experienced consumers, getting the dose size and timing wrong can impact the experience.

But that’s why cannabis gummy bears are so great. You can only pack so much THC into this small, bite-sized format. Most gummy bears available commercially contain less than ten milligrams of cannabinoids – making them safer for patients and much more predictable.

How to Safely and Effectively Self Titrate

Home-baked cannabis foods can be challenging to work with therapeutically, especially for patients who are new to medical cannabis or are sensitive to THC. Homemade edibles are notorious for being extremely potent, and they come with no warning label.

If you are experimenting with medical cannabis and prefer a digestible format, why not use cannabis gummy bears? Gummies are easy to make at home, and the portion size is small enough to reduce the risk of overdoing it.

Self-titration is about slowly experimenting with dose until you experience therapeutic benefits without adverse reaction. But how to do this if you make the edibles yourself and don’t have a label telling you much much THC is in each cannabis gummy bear?

Calculating Dose Size

There are methods to calculate edible dose size properly. Once you’ve determined how much THC each gummy bear contains, use the following points to safety self titrate.

Start with a dose of five milligrams of THC or lower. If that means cutting a cannabis gummy bear in half, so be it.

1. Take your first dose before bed, which will lower the risk of adverse reaction.
2. Maintain the initial dose, taken before bed, for two to three days.
3. If no therapeutic benefits breakthrough, increase the dose to ten milligrams daily. You can also divide the dose into two portions, an AM and a PM dose.
4. Maintain for two the three days.
5. Continue to increase the dose, following steps above, until therapeutic benefits are achieved.

Reference

[1] Barrus, D. G., Capogrossi, K. L., Cates, S. C., Gourdet, C. K., Peiper, N. C., Novak, S. P., Lefever, T. W., & Wiley, J. L. (2016). Tasty THC: Promises and Challenges of Cannabis Edibles. Methods report (RTI Press), 2016, 10.3768/rtipress.2016.op.0035.1611. https://doi.org/10.3768/rtipress.2016.op.0035.1611