In recent years, infused cannabis-based products like cannabis coconut oil and
cannabutter have become super popular with home cooks. Cannabis consumers are taking full advantage of the benefits of the plant as more and more studies show the effectiveness of marijuana in helping with a variety of conditions including anxiety, sleeplessness, chronic pain, nausea and more.
The versatility of the cannabis plant is incredible. It can be smoked, vaped, extracted into a
concentrate, distilled as a
tincture, infused into topicals, and, of course,
eaten. One of the simplest ways to add cannabis to your pantry is by infusing it into
coconut oil, or by making
cannabutter.
Differences In Cannabis Coconut Oil And Cannabutter
Coconut oil and butter are both excellent vehicles for cannabis infusion due to their high fat content. THC and other
cannabinoids bond with fat — the higher the fat content, the more cannabinoids are absorbed. Cannabutter and cannabis coconut oil can both be used to cook with, and they both taste great.
When it comes to the versatility of cannabutter and cannabis coconut oil, it should be noted that cannabis coconut oil is also good for uses such as:
- Soothing sunburn
- Relieving muscle aches
- Skin moisturizer
- Massage oil
While you could technically use cannabutter as a moisturizer, you don't really want to smear butter all over your skin, do you? Coconut oil has also been touted to have other medicinal benefits, including having antimicrobial effects, being good for heart health and weight loss, and fortifying the strength of skin, hair and teeth.
Coconut oil is around 90% saturated fat, while butter is around 63% saturated fat. Because coconut oil has the higher fat content, it is more effective than butter at absorbing THC and other cannabinoids. Coconut oil also has a longer shelf life.
Which Is Best For Cooking?
For anyone that loves the taste of butter,
cannabutter is a simple, delicious option. Cannabutter compliments both sweet and savory dishes. It's flavorful, and adds a creamy texture to sauces. It makes a great base for cookie dough and other baked goods. It can be cheaper to make cannabutter than it is to make cannabis coconut oil. One drawback to cannabutter is that it is, obviously, a dairy product. For vegans, or people who don't tolerate dairy, cannabis coconut oil is the way to go.
Using
cannabis coconut oil for cooking is a great way to help watch your weight. It may not add as much flavor to your dishes as cannabutter does. However, it too can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Cannabis coconut oil is a great choice to add to a healthy stir fry dish. There aren't many disadvantages to using cannabis coconut oil, but the cost could be a factor for some. Coconut oil is more expensive than butter and may be more difficult to find at the grocery store, depending on where you live.
Why Not Use Both?
If you want real variety in your kitchen, it's a smart idea to have both cannabutter and cannabis coconut oil on hand. You can pick and choose which foods you want to use each one in, or use a little of both! When you're the chef, you can use whatever you like. Experimenting is the best part of coming up with incredible dishes. Cannabutter and cannabis coconut oil can both occupy a place in your pantry — and the coconut oil may find a spot in your medicine cabinet too.
