Cannabis gummies are having a moment right now. With the legalization of pot across all of Canada, people who are looking for the effects but don't want to smoke are heading to their local cannabis outlet to buy pot gummies.
Pot gummies are chewy little bites of bliss. What kind of bliss depends on the type of gummy. It could be a CBD laden gummy for pain relief, anxiety lessening, relaxation or your more traditional THC based, quick somebody put on a Pink Floyd, I'm-so-loopy bliss.
Do people even say loopy? Is that a thing? Maybe they say stoned. I have no idea. High? Is that the term? Snooped? I'm fairly certain we've graduated from doobie to joint but I'm kindda cloudy on the other cannabis vernacular.
I have gone from ZERO experience with CBD, THC, gummies, growing, or even being able to identify cannabis to someone who is now willing to sit for an hour long conversation with a stranger convincing them to go ahead and give it a try.
And the way most people feel comfortable trying it is with gummies.
If you want a little more chocolate in your edibles you can try my pot brownie recipe. I got the recipe from a very unsuspicious elderly woman who lives on a cul de sac. Because that's who is using cannabis now.
I'm going to walk you through how to make CBD gummies (the technique is exactly the same for THC gummies) and then we'll talk a bit about the difference between CBD and THC, dosing, figuring out the potency and those kinds of things.
This is a most BASIC recipe for gummies. I don't "bloom" the gelatin, or worry about anything really too much.
If you delve deeper into the cooking methods you can get really serious about your gummies and getting them to be the exact consistency of store bought gummy bears.
But if you just want to try doing a basic concoction before getting *really* serious about making store quality gummies? This is the recipe for you.
Most people like to try a gummy recipe WITHOUT a thc or cbd infused oil first so if things go sideways, you haven't wasted your most expensive ingredient.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Water - ½ cup
- Jello powder - 1 small package
- Gelatin - 2 tablespoon (2 small packets)
- CBD infused coconut oil - ½ cup*
- Soy or Sunflower Lecithin - ½ tsp
- Potassium Sorbate - ¼ teaspoon (optional, preservative)
Sour Sugar Coating
The sour sugar coating is what gives the gummy some good flavour. Just enough sweet and pucker. To make sour sugar:
Mix ½ cup of sugar with ½ teaspoon of citric acid then adjust to taste up to 2 tsps citric acid. You can use either powdered or regular sugar.
Strength/Potency
If you're hoping to make something similar to the strength of store bought cannabis gummies (usually 5 mg) use the below proportions for your infused coconut oil. 👇🏻
*5mg THC per gummy = Use 3.5 grams of 17% THC per ½ cup of oil. This will fill 112 gummy molds with a THC level of (apx) 5 mg per single gummy.
Materials
How to Make CBD/THC Infused Oil
You can make a cannabis infused oil the exact same way I show you how to make cannabutter in this post.
- Add your water, infused oil and lecithin to a pot. Heat over low whisking to incorporate everything. The lecithin can be a pain to mix in. It wants to clump. Break it up with your fingers if you have to.
- Add in the jello and unflavoured gelatin and whisk. Keep the mixture over low heat, stirring often for about 10 minutes.
- If you're confident there are no lumps of anything (gelatin, lecithin, jello) left you can continue with the rest of the recipe.
If you see lumps, just strain it.
- Place your gummy mold onto a large platter or baking sheet before you fill it. This way when you go to stick them in the freezer, you won't be trying to lift a flimsy silicone sheet filled with liquid.
- Working quickly because the mixture sets up as soon as it starts to cool, use a dropper to fill your candy molds. Make sure they're filled to the same level so they all have the exact same amount of CBD or THC. If you under fill by half, that gummy will only have ½ of the potency as a full one.
IF YOUR MIXTURE STARTS TO SET UP, JUST PLACE THE POT BACK ON THE BURNER AGAIN FOR A MOMENT. THIS WILL HEAT/LOOSEN IT UP AGAIN.
- Once your trays are filled, carefully bang the baking sheet to knock out some of the air bubbles. Stick the whole tray into the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the gummies from the freezer and then pop them out.
- Let them air dry for half a day. Flip them once.
- Once they're dry to the touch you can go ahead and toss the gummies in your sour sugar. Try a few at first and come back to them a few hours later to see how they're doing. If the gummies are still too wet the sugar will have melted into a sticky mess. If they are still dry you can sugar coat the rest of your gummies.
CBD / THC aka Weed Gummies
Whether you want to make CBD gummies or THC, this method and recipe will work for you. It's a great one for beginners.
Ingredients
- Water - ½ cup
- Jello powder - 1 small package
- Gelatin - 2 tablespoon (2 small packets)
- CBD infused coconut oil - ½ cup*
- Soy or Sunflower Lecithin - ½ tsp
- Potassium Sorbate - ¼ teaspoon (optional, preservative)
Instructions
- Add your water, infused oil and lecithin to a pot. Heat over low whisking to incorporate everything. The lecithin can be a pain to mix in. It wants to clump. Break it up with your fingers if you have to.
- Add in the jello and unflavoured gelatin and whisk. Keep the mixture over low heat, stirring often for about 10 minutes.
- If you're confident there are no lumps of anything (gelatin, lecithin, jello) left you can continue with the rest of the recipe.
- Place your gummy mold onto a large platter or baking sheet before you fill it. This way when you go to stick them in the freezer, you won't be trying to lift a flimsy silicone sheet filled with liquid.
- Working quickly because the mixture sets up as soon as it starts to cool, use a dropper to fill your candy molds. Make sure they're filled to the same level so they all have the exact same amount of CBD or THC. If you under fill by half, that gummy will only have ½ of the potency as a full one.
- Once your trays are filled, carefully bang the baking sheet to knock out some of the air bubbles. Stick the whole tray into the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the gummies from the freezer and then pop them out.
- Let them air dry for half a day. Flip them once.
- Once they're dry to the touch you can go ahead and toss the gummies in your sour sugar. Try a few at first and come back to them a few hours later to see how they're doing. If the gummies are still too wet the sugar will have melted into a sticky mess. If they are still dry you can sugar coat the rest of your gummies.
Notes
If you're hoping to make something similar to the strength of store bought cannabis gummies (usually 5 mg) use the below proportions for your infused coconut oil. 👇
*5mg THC per gummy = Use 3.5 grams of 17% THC infused in ½ cup of oil. This will fill 112 gummy molds with a THC level of (apx) 5 mg per single gummy.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 112 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 9Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 0mgCarbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 0g
So how strong are these?
It depends on how strong your oil is and how large your gummies are. Either use the recommended measurements I mention at the top of the recipe or use this easy to use edible calculator to figure it out.
What's the difference between a CBD and a THC gummy?
About $5 and 3 laughing fits. Just kidding. Gummies, the same as cannabis can be heavy on CBD (the cannabinoid with various medicinal qualities), or THC (the cannabinoid that has psychotropic effects) - that thing that makes you feel Snooped.
CBD gummies will be made with a high concentration of CBD and very little THC. So all the medicinal benefits of CBD with none of the high. You can chew 1-2 and continue on with your day.
THC gummies will be made with a high concentration of THC and you will get high.
A balanced 1:1 gummy will have equal parts of CBD and THC. How you react to them will depend on your tolerance level for THC.
The pot I used in this recipe is CBD that I grew. It's a CBD with a 1:2 ratio of THC:CBD which means it's heavy on the CBD but also contains some THC.
A Word About Lecithin
Lecithin is what allows the oil and water to emulsify. Without it, the mixtures just wouldn't mix. I used lecithin granules, because that's what I had on hand but a LIQUID lecithin is better for this. The granules can be stubborn about dissolving and incorporating.
How to Store Homemade Gummies
If you plan to eat all your gummies within a week (???!!!) you can leave them on the counter and they'll be fine. But if you plan to spread your edible consumption out for a longer period of time you'll want to either store them in the fridge OR add potassium sorbate to your recipe.
Potassium sorbate is a preservative that will keep your gummies shelf stable so you can keep them on the counter. You mix it with water to create a solution. The ratio will be on the bag of potassium sorbate. Once mixed you can keep it in a mason jar in the cupboard.
It really isn't necessary to add the potassium sorbate unless you don't have a fridge or plan on commercially selling the gummies.
Yep. So if you want to make your gummies less strong you can put them in moulds with smaller candies - like gummy bear molds. (smaller molds means there's less product in each mold and therefore less THC)
You can freeze cannabis gummies, cannabis oil and cannabis butter without changing the properties at all. Lay them in a glass freezer container with parchment below and above each layer.
Just one. Always start low and go slow. And remember that edibles take a long time to enter your system. It takes 1-2 hours (sometimes more) before you will feel the effects.
Edibles can have lasting effects for 6 hours, sometimes more. The effects will peak and then decline after a few hours.
It's entirely possible that if you've tried CBD for any of your ailments you've been disappointed. That's because it doesn't work like an aspirin, a frosty gin & tonic or a John Hughes movie. All of those things help you immediately.
CBD doesn't work immediately.
It needs to build up in your system and stay there constantly. That means you have to take a dose (in oil, gummy or smoking form) every day, preferably at the same time.
My experience with taking CBD oil was that within a month I had relief from anxiety, but it was so gradual that I figured it just went away on its own. So I stopped taking CBD.
Then the anxiety came back. So I started taking CBD again. Then I stopped.
This went on a few times before I believed it was genuinely working. I like extra proof in bread and in life.
Will there be a post on your experience in growing the marijuana???? This could be the best post of your life, even better than the one about "true pies."
HI Ann! I only grow the autoflower CBD plants which are very small. Maybe 20" tall? And this year for the first time I'm growing an actual THC pot plant just for the fun of it to see how it grows, how big it gets etc. And I don't do any of the crazy things that serious growers do. I honestly grow it like any other vegetable/plant. I plant the seed, add compost to the soil a couple of times during it's growing season and then cut it! True enthusiasts pay special attention to loading them up with fertilizer at the right time, pinching them back at the right time etc. etc. I literally just grow it like I'd grow a strawberry plant or a zucchini, lol. ~ karen!
Hi Karen! Where do you buy your seeds from? Thank you
Hi Ollie. Wherever I can find what I'm looking for really. The Ontario Cannabis store, seed banks, local cannabis selling stores. I grow autoflowers with high CBD which is kind of a niche market. ~ karen!
Regarding the jello, is this the regular jello that comes in many flavors, like lime, lemon, orange, etc?
Always enjoy your posts!!!!
Yes! Just regular J-E-L-L-O! ~ karen
This is really useful Karen, would you say this is an economy, knowing what a frugal wench you are? I have never smoked, so gummies are the way for me (fewer calories than alcohol!), but they are quite expensive.
By the way, I got married last week, how's that for a surprise? Head over heels in love.
WHAT?! You're going to have to email me to let me know all about this development. And I haven't calculated the price but it'd definitely a lot cheaper to make your own. At least in Canada. Gummies are around $5 each. 3.5 grams of dried cannabis flower is on average $25. You can make 112, 5mg gummies out of that. The cost of jello etc is negligible. So that makes the cost of each homemade gummy 20 cents? I could be off. But even if I'm off by a lot it's still much cheaper to make them. ~ karen!
This is terrific. Thanks so much for all the info & perspective. I've forwarded the post to a couple of my gummy-centric friends and see a possible gummy-making party in my future, haha. Sharing is caring... we'll probably split ingredient costs to start. Also glad to know that this has helped with your anxiety. Many blessings and all the best! :-)
Thanks Carole! I should point out I tried various ways to make gummies from fairly complex with lots of ingredients and blooming the geletain etc. etc. to this recipe that I finally landed on. There just wasn't enough of a difference in the product. The samples were all made with no pot, only regular gummies so I ate them all within a couple of days.😆 ~ karen!
Just a word of caution: THC edibles are not always the innocuous, benign drug the media makes them out to be, especially high potency products. Compared to smoking THC, edibles can leave you high much longer, not hours but a day or more depending on potency, dose and tolerance.
In the elderly, THC is associated with higher rates of heart attacks (increases heart rate and blood pressure).
If there are preexisting mental disorders, THC can lead to worsening symptoms or psychosis. I lost my 83 year old MIL to all of the above; she tried it once on her own for pain (despite us discouraging her from THC use vs CBD - I don't think she understood the difference) and was unable to call for help.
Also, edibles look like candy and taste like candy so great care needs to be taken to keep them away from children (and pets) to prevent accidental overdose.
There are also studies showing long-term cognitive/psychiatric effects on those under the age of 26, when the brain is still developing.
Not to rain on anyone's party, adults can make their own decisions. But do treat THC as the drug it is, with all the same issues of side effects, overdose potential, and need for child safety as any other drug. I am a health care professional and have witnessed the downsides. Almost all of the benefits can be had (and most risks avoided) from using CBD products, rather than THC.
I have noticed a complete different experience with thc gummies. My BP, pulse and respiration are lower after using them. I have a fitbit and it tracks all them.
What a great gift, this recipe! I just have a couple questions. First, I already have some CBD oil that I purchased from a health food store. Can I use that instead of infusing? Second, I’m assuming you mean any flavor of Jello powder?
Yes, i should have specified that I used Lemon. But you can use any flavour. CBD oil from a dropper you mean? I actually have no idea if that would work! It seems to me using the CBD drops would probably require a totally different recipe. :/ I'll look into it. ~ karen!
Thanks Karen. I would open the bottle and just pour it out. The dropper is in the lid. ;) But based on the concentration, I could dilute it with oil?
Hi Cathy. I think you'd need to find a whole new recipe to do it that way. Those sublingual oils aren't really meant for this application. ~ karen!
Hi Karen. Thanks for checking this out in your busy life. I truly enjoy your posts and your my go-to for how-to!
Thanks for this recipe! I take gummies with the 1:1 ratio THC to CBD because that’s supposedly the magic formula to help with sleep. It works! I take half of a 5 right before I hit the hay so I don’t feel high (it takes an hour or more to kick in) When I wake up in the night (insomnia, menopause, worrying about everything imaginable, have to pee, dog barking…) I just feel groggy enough to go back to sleep. A miracle! Be careful with dosage. I took a 10 first time and fell off toilet in middle of night and hurt my back. Lesson learned. This stuff has brought me back to 8 hours a night of sleep. So grateful. Can’t wait to try your recipe and save some big bucks. Thank you!
You're welcome! ~ karen!
Hi Karen, Thanks for this article! Can you make the gummies using cannabis butter vs. infused oil.? I already have a lot of butter made and was looking for a way to make gummies from it. Thanks!
When/how does the potassium sorbate solution come into the recipe if you wanted shelf longevity?
Hi Jonna! Sorry about that, I'll update the instructions. Add it when you add the Jello. ~ karen!
Awesome as I tried a recipe last year and dumped it. I grew one plant that people laughed at. What should I buy for anxiety, is it an oil and then I blend it into coconut oil? So stupid over here
Hi Wendy! All cannabis plants and varieties have different terpenes in them. Some can CREATE anxiety and some can calm it. I find CBD calming and take it every day. Just straight CBD oil with a minimal amount of THC. So start with cannabis flower. (CBD or THC). Buy it online or at a store like Cabbage Brothers. Tell them you want something for anxiety and they'll steer you away from anything that can cause anxiety. Depending on your "goal" you can either have full CBD or you can do a 1:2. I find that when CBD has some THC in it, it's the best for sleeping and anxiety. You don't get high, like woooooooo i'm so highhhhhhhhh, it just slows you down and makes you feel more serene and relaxed. But if you have anxiety all the time, I'd take CBD oil daily. ~ karen!
Marvelous article-- it's so much better when you can actually tell that the person writing it has *made* the thing and it's not a write-up based on a moment of "ooh, I'll bet this would work!" Your write-ups always ring true. I do have a question, though: What can you use in the place of coconut oil? I'm allergic to coconuts. :( Thank you!
Hi Ysabet! Thanks. Yep, I don't post anything that I don't actually do. So, having said that - I've never done this but you can try using infused cannabutter in place of the coconut oil. Good luck! ~ karen