The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with CBD Buds

Features

• An overview of all the things you can do with CBD flower
• Guides for making oils, tinctures, edibles, and topicals
• Product recommendations for where to buy high-quality flower

Why You Will Love This Guide

Many people, including several members of my Well With Cannabis Community, want to enjoy the benefits of cannabis without the high. 

Thankfully, purchasing CBD flowers is one of the most popular ways to do just that. 

CBD-dominant hemp flower won't get you high, but it does contain many health benefits!

In this post, we will talk more about what CBD flower is, and I will show you all of the easy ways to make your own CBD edibles, topicals, and more.

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What is CBD Flower?

Recently someone in my community mentioned CBD flower, and there were a few people who wondered – what is it?

CBD, short for cannabidiol, is the second most abundant cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant.

CBD flower is the raw or dried flower buds from a cannabis plant that contain high concentrations of the cannabinoid acid CBDA, the precursor to CBD.

If the cannabis plant contains less than 0.3% THC, it is considered to be hemp; if it contains more than 0.3% THC, it is considered to be marijuana.

CBD flower typically contains less than 0.3% THC, but it can contain more, depending on the strain. 

Unlike THC, the popular cannabinoid we are most familiar with, CBD does not produce an intoxicating 'high' feeling.

It does, however, interact with our endocannabinoid systems to provide a range of health benefits.

Keep in mind that CBD and THC flower look and smell identical, they are simply chemical differences within the cannabinoids, not physical differences in the flower.

Cooking With CBD Buds

There are so many awesome ways to use CBD hemp flowers in your everyday life, from making edibles and topicals to making your very own CBD oil.

Just note that hemp flower smells the same as traditional cannabis flower when decarbing or baking, so you will want to keep this in mind as you get started in the kitchen.

Leave it as CBDA

If you do not decarb the CBD flower as outlined below, you will reap the benefits of CBDA.

This is a cannabinoid acid found in the trichomes of raw or dried cannabis plants.

There is an exciting amount of preliminary evidence to support the idea that CBDA has many anti-nausea, anti-inflammatory, and pain-relieving properties. 

You can make your own raw cannabis juice, a CBDA tincture, or follow any of the other processes outlined below, just remember to skip the decarb process.

Decarb For Edibles

Just like traditional THC edibles, you can make any edible with CBD hemp flower or CBD shake.

These edibles do not produce intoxicating effects but can be just as delicious and enjoyable.

It's important to remember that cooking with CBD hemp flower still requires the preparation process of decarboxylation.

This is done by breaking the plant material into small pieces and then baking the hemp buds on a baking sheet in the oven or an Instant pot.

Keep in mind that decarboxylation is an essential process if you want to enjoy the activated benefits of CBD.

My full CBD decarb guide is here, complete with lab tests.

Once decarbed, this can be stored in a mason jar at room temperature in a cool dark location and used as needed for future recipes.

Use Just Flower in Recipes

This is the easiest way to consume raw hemp flowers and reap the benefits of the full-spectrum entourage effect.

Whether you sprinkle a bit into the batter for CBD brownies or make homemade ranch dressing, there's a delicious option for everyone.

Just keep in mind that with this method, you only need to add a small amount to your favorite dishes.

Find my complete guide for working with just decarbed CBD flowers in edibles here, or grab my guide for working with CBD kief here.

Make CBD Oil

Making your own CBD oil at home is a great way to use your CBD flowers.

To make CBD oil at home, you need the same process of decarboxylation as outlined above.

Then, if you are already familiar with making cannabis infusions, this CBD oil recipe follows the same process using either a slow cooker or an Instant Pot.

Popular carriers for homemade CBD oil include:

• CBD olive oil
• CBD coconut oil or cannabis coconut oil
• hemp seed oil
• or make your own CBD butter in a crockpot or Instant pot

Make a CBD Tincture

Just like when making CBD oil, to make a CBD tincture at home, you must start with CBD flower.

Once you have acquired the CBD flower needed to make this recipe, the next step is to decarb the CBD flower.

After that process, follow the instructions to make either a traditional Green Dragon tincture or a QWET freezer tincture.

This hemp extract can then be added to hot water to make hemp tea, used in CBD mocktails, or used sublingually under the tongue.

Make Concentrates

After making a cannabis tincture, you can evaporate the alcohol and be left with what is known as full-extract cannabis oil, or FECO or RSO.

This concentrated oil is said to contain many health benefits and can be a great addition to any recipe.

Keep in mind that it will produce a stronger effect due to the concentration of cannabinoids.

Once made, you can add your CBD FECO to:

• regular butter
• weed brownies
• peanut butter
• firecrackers
• and more!

Make Topicals

One of the best things to use CBD flower for is to make homemade topicals like massage oil, CBD salve, and even cannabis lip balm.

Cannabinoids are very effective when applied topically making CBD flower perfect for making effective topicals.

Combined with essential oils, CBD flower has the ability to provide many benefits for the skin and can even be added to your self-care routine.

How to Dose CBD

Be sure you're mindful about how much CBD you need for your own personal preference and effective dosing.

To calculate the mg of CBD in your cannabis edibles, you can use my edibles dosage calculator.

This will allow you to calculate the dose of CBD in your own recipes per teaspoon and per serving.

You can even use this calculator first to work backward and calculate your perfect dose before getting into the kitchen.

A good starting point is 5-10mg of CBD per serving. You can then increase and adjust as needed.

One of the most common mistakes I see is the thought that THC flower can be decarbed differently to create CBD.

Unfortunately, it just doesn't work like that, and the CBDA must already be genetically present in the plant.

The first step is to find a CBD-dominant flower. Thankfully, I have CBD-rich hemp flowers available for purchase in my shop.

You can purchase it and have it shipped right to your door for the opportunity to experience all of the different ways you can use CBD!

Shop High-Quality CBD Flower

Notes and Expert Tips

• Try to avoid higher temperatures from direct heat when cooking - such as making stir fry, sauteing, grilling or microwaving. You do not need to be as concerned when baking, as these temperatures and this heating process are unlikely to affect the final product.
• If stored properly, CBD flowers can last for a long time. Be sure to keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
• Do not feel like you have to keep your CBD separate from your THC. While just CBD is an alternative way to use cannabis, combining CBD and THC together is a great way to find balance.