The Art of Weed Butter Read online

  THE ART OF

  WEED

  BUTTER

  A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Cannabutter Master

  MENNLAY GOLOKEH AGGREY

  Text copyright © 2018 Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey. Design and concept copyright © 2018 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the internet) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

  Published in the United States by:

  ULYSSES PRESS

  P.O. Box 3440

  Berkeley, CA 94703

  www.ulyssespress.com

  ISBN: 978-1-61243-887-0

  Acquisitions editor: Casie Vogel

  Managing editor: Claire Chun

  Editor: Shayna Keyles

  Proofreader: Renee Rutledge

  Front cover design: David Hastings

  Interior design and production: what!design @ whatweb.com

  Photographs: © Sandra Blow except © Jake Lindeman front cover, back cover, and on pages 7, 10, 12, 15, 22 23, 25, 32, 34, 55, 56; © Natasha Breen/shutterstock.com on page 38

  Distributed by Publishers Group West

  NOTE TO READERS: This book has been written and published strictly for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as medical advice or to be any form of medical treatment. You should always consult your physician before altering or changing any aspect of your medical treatment and/or undertaking a diet regimen, including the guidelines as described in this book. Do not stop or change any prescription medications without the guidance and advice of your physician. Any use of the information in this book is made on the reader’s good judgment after consulting with his or her physician and is the reader’s sole responsibility. This book is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition and is not a substitute for a physician. The author and publisher disclaim liability for any medical outcomes that may occur as a result of applying the methods suggested in this book.

  This book is independently authored and published and no sponsorship or endorsement of this book by, and no affiliation with, any trademarked brands or other products mentioned within is claimed or suggested. All trademarks that appear in ingredient lists and elsewhere in this book belong to their respective owners and are used here for informational purposes only. The author and publisher encourage readers to patronize the quality brands mentioned in this book.

  For the matriarchy in the Aggrey family and the women in weed who have raised me. For Vivian Aggrey, for Leethia, for Jaynell, for Johnna, for Dierdre, and for the earth we live on.

  May we steward the land and continue to grow the plants and cook the food that heals us.

  Contents

  Preface

  My Journey

  Weed and Food

  Introduction: Why Cook with Weed Butter?

  What Is Weed Butter?

  How to Use this Book

  Chapter One

  Weed 101

  The First Edible

  The First Pot Brownie

  Medical Cannabis

  Cannabis and Modern Times

  Chapter Two

  Edible Health

  Eating Weed Butter vs. Smoking Weed

  Did You Get Too High?

  Weed Pairings and Terpenes

  Dosing Cannabutter and Weed Oil

  Potency Chart

  Storage

  Chapter Three

  Infusing Cannabis

  Decarboxylation

  Clarified Butter

  Infusion with Alcohol

  Infusion with Lecithin

  Infusion with Slow Cooker

  Infusion with Sous Vide Circulator

  Infusion on the Stovetop

  Bacon Canna-Grease

  Chapter Four

  Cannabutters and Oils

  Classic Cannabutter

  Vegan Cannabutter, Margarine, and Ghee

  Cannabis-Infused Sunflower, Grapeseed, and Canola Oils

  Cannabis-Infused Coconut Oil

  Cannabis-Infused Avocado Seed Oil

  Cannabis-Infused Olive Oil

  Chapter Five

  Wake and Bake: Low-Dose Breakfasts

  Morning Medicated Fruit Bowl

  Easy Cheese Cannabis Spinach Frittata

  Simple Stoney Hash Browns

  Fluffy Medicated Blueberry Mini-Cakes

  Elevated Avocado Toast

  Chapter Six

  Sauces, Spreads, and Dressings

  Canna-oil Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

  Philly Jalapeño Crema

  Elevated Tomato Sauce

  Nutty Vegan Chipotle Aioli

  Classic Weed Balsamic Vinaigrette

  Green Ganja Dressing

  Guacamole Mágico

  Chapter Seven

  Mains and Sides

  Cute and Cheesy Macaroni Bake

  West African Fried Chicken

  Garlic-Crunch Sweet Potato Fries

  Cheesy Flatbread Pizzas

  Summer Squash Lasagna

  Chacahua Coconut Beans and Rice

  Simple Ganja Grilled Asparagus

  Smooth and Savory Shrimp and Grits

  Cannabis-Infused Mexican Street Corn (Esquites)

  Mennlay’s Medicated Fried Plantains

  Chapter Eight

  Sweets

  Nutty Pot Brownie Bars

  Rasta Mixed Berry Smoothie

  Crunchy Canna Cobbler

  Easy Banana Bread Muffins

  Conversion charts

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Preface

  My name is Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey—a mouthful, right? I’m not a fancy chef, just a simple home cook with 13 years of experience as a professional in the legal cannabis industry. It was inevitable for me to begin infusing weed into some of my favorite everyday meals. And this harmonious marriage of the two has been so beneficial in my life that I want to share my journey with you.

  I’ve grown a considerable amount of cannabis in my life and bushels upon bushels of my own food. These practices have given me a good glimpse into the process of what it takes to bring food to the table, and weed into a joint. It has given me a deep gratitude for this line of work and the strong belief that access to fresh food and cannabis is not only naturally healing, but a crucial human right.

  My Journey

  My affair with cannabis began in my youth, when I was suffering from a lot of depression. I was living away from home at a boarding school established to help intelligent kids from low-income families achieve. Weed was my first boyfriend, and in the face of the stereotypes, it kept me from drinking and doing drugs. What I found in cannabis was a vehicle to get outside of my head and into enjoying the abundant gift of my young life.

  In 2005, work and weed first intersected when a long-distance college romance brought me to Humboldt County, California. Five hours north of San Francisco, this county dwells at the tip of Northern California. Home to a misty, foggy coast outlined by redwood trees, some of the oldest trees on our planet, I nestled into my first home as an adult—a small cottage with a fireplace, and an outdoor vegetable garden surrounded by wildflowers, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Despite working full-time and above minimum wage, money was tight. So when the first fall harvest season came, I accepted an offer and an opportunity to make some money on the side trimming weed. As someone who has always had a deep appreciation for plants and their presence in my life, I found that being surrounded by the actual marijuana plants put me at ease simply by existing for long periods among them.

  With time, I gained enough funds, experience, a
nd clout to eventually sponsor my own transformation as a legally compliant grower. I dove into growing medical cannabis as a full-time career. The experience was much like being a scientist, farmer, nurturer, and outlaw, all wrapped into one. My inner circle and community was mostly comprised of female-identifying growers. At that time, women in the cannabis industry were seen as accessories; the stereotype was that women dated the men who grew. We, however, were more than that. And to say I got my hands dirty is an understatement. I hauled around actual tons of dirt and fertilizer, brewed my own buckets of tea with vats of bat and fish guano for my plants. I learned the organic techniques of caring for the cannabis plant, the intricate ways to battle pests, and tricks to organically achieve larger yields. We women traded tips, an essential building block that soon made us experts. With our very own hands, we were growing cannabis for countless patients through co-opted licensed medical distributors. This network of powerful women raised me. These women are still the most influential and important people in my life. Growing cannabis in those years taught me trust, loyalty, science, mathematics, entrepreneurship, confidentiality, and humility.

  In spite of my success, the risks of growing weed were still significant even under the California cannabis laws that were made to protect medical consumers and the growers providing their medicine. The difficulties for a cultivator, especially as a person of color, turned me into a recluse. I kept a low and humble profile, but even so, I was often evicted illegally from my home with very little notice.

  My fears came to a head one day when my next-door neighbor threatened to call the police about what he described as “suspicious activity” in my home. I was floored. “Are you growing weed?” he asked. My growing operation was legal; I had the certificates hung up on the walls, like the diplomas in a psychologist’s office, to prove it. It was strange to me that my neighbor would accuse me like this; the same neighbor whom I would chat with about life and help with yardwork, cleaning up weeds as a gesture of kindness to him and the sick, elderly wife he cared for. The day he confronted me was the day everything changed. Within 30 days, my entire operation was torn down—everything I had worked so hard for was gone, including my home.

  My foundation as a cultivator existed in a time when growers and cannabis entrepreneurs weren’t able to freely talk about their professions. We were all careful, as very real consequences hovered around us. Now I work with weed in the open, and my clients are comprised of cannabis firms with women in leadership roles. Being transparent about my work within this community has been cathartic, and there’s no greater joy.

  Weed and Food

  When it comes to my advocacy and career within weed, inclusivity is the central theme. Less than 3 percent of people in leadership roles in the cannabis industry look like me—female and black. It’s crucial for me to ensure that everyday people like my great auntie Mildred and other older black women can be provided with safe and inexpensive options like cannabis to help them heal during menopause and breast cancer, to find relief from arthritis, or even just for a needed moment of relaxation. That’s the driving force behind what I do. The Art of Weed Butter as a cookbook brings all of these elements together. It is for those who want and need access to making weed butter to better themselves, the quality of their lives, and the lives of their loved ones.

  This cookbook is a cosmic hybrid of my favorite things: cuisine, cannabis, and words. Food is a powerful vehicle and tool for bringing these elements together. Think about the first time you ate something that dramatically changed your perception of that type of cuisine, or culture. Food allows us to be more open-minded about cultures and cannabis. For simple home cooks and world-renowned chefs alike, our fondest experiences in our lives can be traced back to food. In the book The Cooking Gene: A Journey through African American Culinary History in the Old South, the dazzling food historian, chef, and author Michael W. Twitty reminds us, “Many of our most pungent memories are carried through food, just as connections to our ancestors are reaffirmed by cooking the dishes handed down to us.” The beauty is that food takes no political sides. It’s fair, blameless, and is one of the driving forces connecting us to our ancestry.

  These sentiments are especially relevant to me as a woman living in Mexico with deep connections to my West African heritage. It’s a wild combination through gastronomy. Living here (and eating here) has opened my eyes to the many connections Mexico has to Africa.

  In this book are other cultural mash-ups like my mother’s signature fried chicken, beans, and white rice, and Mexico’s street-food staple, esquites—all laced with a low dose of weed (see page 31 for a description of a low dose). Consider this book a celebration of all the ways we are linked and liberated through food. And what better way than with edibles.

  Introduction: Why Cook with Weed Butter?

  Cannabis sativa, reefer, reggie, weed, pot, herb, trees, ganja, green, loud, marijuana, or medicine. However you refer to it, weed combined with butter is much like liquid gold. For centuries, people have consumed cannabis-infused foods to assist with ailments like pain, lack of appetite, or simply to chill out. The potency of the weed butter you make is up to you. It can be powerful enough to ease chronic pain yet mild enough to allow a gentle mellowness to spread throughout the body and mind—sometimes needed after a stressful day. This versatility is what makes weed butter so great and why I’m here to help you along the way.

  Ingesting cannabis as food turns out to be better for your health, especially for those concerned with the effects of smoking. Although the jury is still out on whether resin and smoke from cannabis is responsible for chronic illness, weed butters and oils are the perfect alternative for anyone prudent who prefers to avoid the health side effects (and occasional social stigmas) of smoking weed.

  Whether you’re adding cannabis-infused butter (also known as cannabutter) into cookies, toast, or boxed macaroni and cheese, it’s a multi-use miracle. Inconspicuous and versatile, weed butter is one of the simplest ways to make an edible, and one of the least expensive ways to administer medical marijuana to a patient. Many store-bought edibles contain obscene amounts of sugars and unwanted chemicals. But when making your own cannabutter out of butter or coconut or avocado oil, it can help you recover from the symptoms of chemotherapy or anorexia without unnecessary ingredients that are not suitable for certain patients. And still others can choose to add a recreational drizzle of weed olive oil onto avocado toast for a relaxing Saturday morning. The ways to implement weed butter or oils into your meals are as infinite as the foods we eat.

  Eating cannabis-infused butters is a liberating and stigma-free way to consume cannabis; a vehicle to help elevate your mood, relieve pain, or both. Are you on your menstrual cycle and just want a spoonful of weed-infused Nutella to soothe your cramps or satisfy your sweet tooth? Did you have a bad week with work and are hoping to start the weekend with hash browns, bacon, and eggs with a bit of weed? Are you looking for something to alleviate the soreness from yesterday’s leg day at the gym? (I’m saying this as if I know what a day at the gym is like, I don’t). But either way, we got you—weed butter and I.

  Let’s take a step back for a moment to think about the power of food. This is a relationship that begins in infancy. Food nourishes us, helps us grow, and has the ability to bring people together in a way that nothing else can. Food is not political; it’s not formed by religion or cultural bias. I know what some of you are saying, yes, it can be political, and yes, it has ties to religion and culture, but it didn’t start that way, and it is far more universal than that. We are nourished by food, healed by food. It’s as simple as that.

  What we eat can be seen as the strongest link to our culture. It connects us to where we came from and to where we travel. Growing up in a West African immigrant household, I saw firsthand how the tradition of my parents’ country stayed rooted in our everyday lives. So much so that when I finally arrived in Africa, I suffered from very little culture shock and instead made connections that came f
rom a much more innate foundation—mostly informed by the food I ate.

  When I speak about food, I’m also referring to all of the herbs, plants, and flowers we eat. I was shocked to learn that broccoli, artichoke, and even plantains are flowers. This tradition of cooking with herbs and flowers has existed since ancient times. It’s easy to take for granted the abundance of exotic and nonnative produce, spices, and herbs that our modern pantries, refrigerators, and spice racks hold. There was a moment in time when all of these things were seen as sacred. That’s how I view cooking with cannabis flowers, a.k.a. weed.

  Food infused with cannabis has a long association with healing both the body and mind. The types of food we take in, especially superfoods, can help fill the void of what our body is lacking and craving in order to thrive. Nutritionally dense foods, or superfoods (cleverly named by marketers) like broccoli, blueberries, and leafy greens are absorbed to fortify our body with vitamins and nutrients. Cannabis, and by extension tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), could also be considered a superfood.

  THC is what most people think of when they think of weed. It gives you the euphoric “high” effects, and can also affect the way you feel pain, hunger, and moods. It can help with inflammation, nausea, and nerve pain, and help increase appetites. No wonder it’s used as a treatment for all types of diseases.

  Cannabis as an entire plant is the multipurpose food of all foods. We can juice its leaves or grind the seeds to put in smoothies and baked goods. We can use its stalks to make rope, bricks, fuel, cloth, and paper. We dry its flowers to smoke, vape, or create oils to eat or apply directly onto our skin. I know it’s corny, but for me, it doesn’t get more super than that.

  For the past several years as a creative in the cannabis industry, I’ve worked for the award-winning edibles company, Om Edibles, founded by Maya Elisabeth. Om Edibles has single-handedly pioneered a wide spectrum of uses for cannabis. Many were in disbelief that you could use cannabis oil to help treat lupus, eczema, or even fine lines and wrinkles. Om Edibles has been treating cannabis as a superfood for 10 years, and it goes to show that cannabis is not a passing phase but a medicine that has always been and is here to stay. Whether the leaves are consumed in a green cold press or the oil is drizzled over a salad (I’ll show you how to make cannabis-infused balsamic vinaigrette on page 77), taking in a dose of the superfood that is cannabis could be an amazing component of your anti-inflammatory, relaxation, and rejuvenating needs.