We’ve come a long way from the days when, if you wanted to eat some ganja, you picked up a box of instant brownie mix and dumped in the bag you just scored from your buddy—hopefully after removing the stems and seeds.

Things have come a long way since then. Today, eating raw marijuana is considered to be a real beginner move; people now take the time to decarboxylate their marijuana, make cannabutter, and use that to infuse their canna-cooking—medibles—from brownies and other baked treats, to candies and jams, to savouries like bacon and chili. A restaurant in Vancouver has pizza made with infused olive oil. It’s even possible to make or buy suppositories, but that’s another story.

While it sounds intimidating it’s very easy to decarboxylate cannabis [editor’s warning: page autoplays with sound] and there is no shortage of ways to achieve it. A quick Google search provides many resources that explain the ‘hows and whys’.

Cannabutter is easy to make and there are scores of recipes on the internet to teach you how to do it. With so many people wanting alternatives to smoking marijuana it’s easy to see why this practice is growing. I recommend looking at a few different recipes before you begin so that you have a good understanding of the process.

Easy to work with—allowing the creative cook to experiment with new ideas and foods—cannabutter is a good alternative to smoking for people with respiratory problems or those who want to medicate without the smell following them back to the workplace. You can pop a cannabis-infused toffee in your mouth anywhere and nobody has a clue that you’re using marijuana.

Back when I still used alcohol I’d make a tray of Canna-shots by taking an ounce (28 grams) of fine weed and soaking it overnight in a 26er  (750ml) of Vodka in a sealed jar. The next day, we’d squeeze out all the liquid from the bud, strain the alcohol and pour out shots. Alcohol allows you absorb the cannabis much more rapidly. These are a big hit at some parties.

Medibles tend to have stronger effects and last longer than smoked marijuana but take longer to start working. It’s also easy to eat to much without realizing it and that’s never much fun.

I can’t remember how many times I’ve heard that someone had a cookie or brownie only to think it’s not working 40 minutes later so they decide to have another and then the first one kicks in. Then everyone sees their pie face and they can’t drive yet alone talk.

Like all things, learning what dosage is right for you requires some experimentation, a degree of caution, and just a smidgen of common sense for good measure—that’s if you have some spare laying around.

Here’s a clip from a cop who ate to many brownies and then called 911 on himself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73AKDqnjrCo

You don’t want to be that person so remember, you can always eat more if you need to later, but once you eat to much you just have to suck it up and wait it out. And then, most likely, take a long-ass nap followed by having a very slow day.

Finally, I need to mention that there is a growing practice of people making infused edibles with BHO or other forms of concentrates. These are very potent and should be used with care. Always be aware of what you’re consuming.