Cannabis gummies come together in three stages: decarboxylate the flower, infuse that flower into a fat, and set the infused fat into a gummy base made from gelatin or pectin. A standard batch takes about three hours of active work plus a two-day cure. The measurements below yield roughly 50 gummies at a controlled dose.
Before You Start
- Confirm edibles are legal in your state and that you are 21 or older.
- Set aside a day when you do not need to drive.
- Work near an open window, fan, or range hood. The smell travels.
- Keep children and pets out of the kitchen for the whole session.
- Use a gram scale accurate to 0.1 g and an oven thermometer you trust.
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet, parchment paper, aluminum foil
- Mason jar with lid, deep saucepan, candy thermometer
- Cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer
- Silicone gummy molds, squeeze bottle or blunt-tip syringe
- Whisk, rubber spatula, nitrile gloves
Ingredients
- 7 g dried cannabis flower, roughly 18 to 22 percent THC
- 1 cup refined coconut oil
- 1/2 cup fruit juice or water
- 1/4 cup of the infused coconut oil from step 8
- 2 tbsp unflavored gelatin (2 packets) or 2 tbsp pectin plus 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp honey or corn syrup
- 1 tsp sunflower lecithin
- 1/4 tsp potassium sorbate, optional, to slow mold
The Process
- Heat the oven to 240 F (115 C).
- Grind the flower coarse and spread it in one layer on a parchment-lined sheet.
- Bake for 40 minutes, stirring once at the 20-minute mark. This is decarboxylation, the step that turns THCA into THC.
- Cool the decarbed flower for 10 minutes.
- Scrape the flower into a mason jar and add 1 cup coconut oil.
- Set the jar in a saucepan of water held at 160 to 180 F and infuse for 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
- Line a bowl with cheesecloth, pour the jar through it, and squeeze the plant matter dry. Discard the solids.
- Measure the infused oil you ended up with. Yield usually lands between 3/4 and 1 cup.
- Calculate your dose per gummy using the formula in the next section, then write that number down before you pour.
- Whisk the gelatin into the cold juice in a saucepan and let it bloom for 5 minutes.
- Add 1/4 cup infused oil, the honey, and the lecithin.
- Warm over low heat, whisking for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is uniform and glossy. Do not boil.
- Pull the pan off the heat, skim the foam, and let it sit 2 minutes.
- Fill the molds with a squeeze bottle or syringe, leaving a small gap at the top of each cavity.
- Chill the molds for 30 to 60 minutes until the gummies release clean.
- Pop the gummies out and cure them on parchment in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours, turning once at the halfway point.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Dosing Math
Multiply grams of flower by THC percentage by 1000 mg, then by an extraction efficiency of 0.75. Divide by the number of gummies. Example: 7 g at 20 percent THC gives 1,400 mg of THC, times 0.75 gives 1,050 mg, divided by 50 gummies gives 21 mg each. Cut those in quarters for pieces near 5 mg. Home infusion is not lab-tested, so treat the number as an estimate and label the batch with the date and the math you used.
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Common Problems
- Gummies too soft: add another 1/2 tbsp gelatin and reheat gently.
- Oil separating: whisk longer and keep the lecithin in the recipe. It holds the emulsion.
- Bitter taste: use refined coconut oil rather than unrefined, and strain the infusion twice.
- Mold after a week: add potassium sorbate or freeze the batch.
Safety
- Start with 2.5 to 5 mg of THC and wait a full 2 hours before taking more.
- Label every container. Never store gummies in a candy bag.
- Keep the batch in a locked box away from kids and pets.
- Contact poison control right away if a child or pet eats any.