IG suggested a video in my feed from @juicebaeinthewild who made 🍃🥭Infused Mango Juice 🥭🍃 that you should sip because “this stuff is strong.” It went viral-ish and comments popped off with people saying that weed isn’t water soluble and this wouldn’t work, etc. etc. Her response was that they’re “highly mistaken… and it’s very strong when done ✨correctly✨.”
I spotted a second video from Ally @coughcreative who made the mango juice recipe with some variation — she decarbed her flower first. We got into a lovely conversation on the topic and did the math to figure out the potency of her juice.
Which begs the question, what does “done correctly” mean? And the ultimate question: does it work? Let’s dig into this cannabis urban legend and find out the answers.
Vol. 23 // In This Issue:
Is weed water soluble?
If you infuse longer, will it be more potent?
Is decarbing necessary?
Do mangoes make weed stronger?
Ask a stoner scientist
420 Events
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Debunking 🍃 Myths
“Can you boil weed in water and get high?”
If it were this easy, wouldn’t we all just do it this way? There are a lot of mixed theories, here’s what you need to know:
The short answer is yes it does work, but boiling weed in water (called a decoction) is an inefficient method because cannabinoids bind better with fats or a solvent like high-proof alcohol. With enough weed-to-water ratio, of course, it will be strong and can get you high. But if you’re on a budget and trying to make your weed stretch longer, you’d use less cannabis with a fat/oil/alcohol infusion.
What’s the difference between an herbal-infused tea and a decoction? Infusions are steeped and decoctions are simmered to dissolve the chemicals of the plant material.
What’s the efficiency? I would guesstimate anywhere between 30-40% efficiency. Without lab tested results, I don’t know the exact efficiency. I usually assume 70% efficiency when using the mason jar and oven or stovetop methods.
Check out this presentation on cannabis decoctions in 2019 by cannabis scientist John S. Abrams, Ph.D. As I follow the numbers in his presentation and apply math logic, the findings confirm the theory that yes it works, but it’s low efficiency.
Final take: Cannabis as an herbal tea was commonly used as a healing elixir in ancient times. Just because it’s weak doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. It’s still good for you! If you have a lot of extra trim and bits of flower to spare definitely make a cannabis tea.
“If you steep/infuse longer, it will be stronger.”
According to edibles expert Vanessa Lovrato who had her cannabutter lab tested, “80-90% of the cannabinoids (that’s THC and CBD) will be infused after 45 minutes to one hour.” So yes while you could continue to steep longer to squeeze as much cannabis out of the flower and into the oil there are diminishing returns on time and strength.
Final take: If I’m not using a set-it-and-forget-it infusion device like Ardent, infusing for 2 hours would be sufficient. But I am curious to test this theory myself and send it to the lab.
“Decarbing is not necessary as long as the water reaches the right temperature.”
While it will work, skipping the decarb step will not convert as much THC from the inactive THCa. This means less potent psychoactive effects, but THCa has beneficial effects as well.
According to science: Water starts boiling at 212 degrees F (100 degrees C). THCa and CBDa converts to the psychoactive THC and CBD forms above 200 degrees F (195 degrees C). It’ll take anywhere between 10 minutes to 60 minutes to decarb and activate as much of the cannabinoids as possible.
Check out Weedmaps decarboxlyation temperature chart
Final take: If you are going to skip this step, make sure the time and temperature are sufficient for the THCa to convert to THC. I generally recommend decarbing at 240 degrees F(115 degrees C) for 40-45 minutes.
“Will mangoes make the effects feel stronger?
According to @juicebaeinthewild: “Myrcene increases cell permeability and allows cannabinoids to be absorbed faster than they would on their own.” A quick Google search also found claims that “the terpenes [myrcene] found in mangoes will increase the level of high a person experiences.”
So is this mango myth fact or fiction?
I’m stumped on this one. There is no scientific evidence to back this up, but plenty of anecdotal evidence suggests it may increase the high feeling from consuming cannabis. I’m not a cannabis science expert, but I do know someone who is and has her Ph.D. on the subject.
Ask a Stoner Scientist: I asked Dr. Miyabe Shields, Ph.D., an endocannabinoid pharma science expert, and here’s what she said:
“I am conflicted about this one. One on hand myrcene increasing cell permeability was an in vitro assay at concentrations that I’m not sure are relevant to when we eat mangoes. But then on the other hand, mangoes are definitely unique fruits and who knows if there’s a specific combination of mango + cannabis that’s never been investigated that causes it… THEN there’s the expectation/apprehension that it would feel different. Or that mangoes make people happy? I mean I love mangoes… so like all these things contribute and until there’s somehow a double-blind study we won’t really know!”
Final take: To be determined…
Any other burning weed myths you want to know the answer to? Drop it in the comments!
HIGH-ly Recommend Events
A roundup of cannabis events with good vibes.
5/31 - Canna Burlesque, an elevated burlesque show at a members-only social club | HighGarden (New York City)
6/3 to 6/4 - California Psychedelics Conference, bringing together the best in the psychedelic movement | Oakland Hyphae (Los Angeles)
6/4 - Cannabis & Movies Club: Anchorman, consumption-friendly outdoor movies | Cannabis & Movies Club (Los Angeles)
6/10 - Hummus & Hashish, a celebration of hash culture and middle eastern food and live music | Grassfed LA (Los Angeles)
6/11 - Cannabis & Movies Club: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, consumption-friendly outdoor movies | Cannabis & Movies Club (Los Angeles)
6/14 - Magu Magic, a salon + conversation about Magu, the ancient Cannabis Goddess of Longevity | Mogu Magu (Los Angeles)
6/15 - Elevating Queer Black Voices: Honoring Pride + Juneteenth, a panel talking about the intersection of queerness, color, and cannabis | High Potential Agency (Chicago)
6/24 - Food, Flower and Fun, a gourmet cannabis dinner by Miss Kanjie and hosted by Ngaio Bealum of Netflix’ Cooking On High | Terpene Supper Club SF (San Francisco)
COMING UP NEXT WEEK
Recipe: 3 Ways to Make Infused Mango Juice
I’ll breakdown both recipes from @juicebaeinthewild and @coughcreative so you can see their techniques, and include my own Fruit + Flower version of cannabis-infused mango juice. I’m excited for the side-by-side comparison of the different methods.
Water Experiment: 1 cup = 240mg THC total // 4 grams cannabis + 2 cups water. Boiled for 2 hours. Reduced to 1 cup liquid. Assuming 20% flower and 30% efficiency.
Oil or Alcohol: 1 cup = 560mg THC total // 4 grams flower + 1 cup oil or high-proof alcohol. Assuming 20% flower and 70% efficiency.
I just boiled 4 grams of flower in water to make mango juice. Just drank it and will let you know how I feel next week!
This is my favorite part of cooking with cannabis. There are so many different ways to go about making infused foods. There’s no one right way or wrong way. Many of the methods and techniques for making infused food and drinks have been passed down through oral tradition. Scientific studies to analyze anecdotal evidence or claims simply haven’t been done yet because the plant was illegal to study and research.
With the modern age of cannabis legalization, we can begin to better understand the synergies and effects of this plant.
XOXO, Christina W.
“Can you boil weed in water and get high?”