Make your July 4th festive with my red, white and blue weed-infused recipes

This post was originally published on this site.

On this second Independence Day since recreational weed has been legal in New Jersey, the market is much further along than it was last year. There are now 33 stores in the state, with at least one in 16 counties.

Consumers have so much more access to get to their ganja now. The number of strains, brands and types of products has exploded. From smokable weed to edibles and concentrates, the options for adding weed to your holiday plans are plentiful.

Here’s a quick guide on how to easily infuse your desserts, sauces and drinks for your July 4th cookouts, using tinctures from your nearest dispensary.

We included three flag-themed ideas — red, white and blue recipes — to make the party festive. (This one’s a keeper, so make sure to bookmark it on your browser.) Then, we will review how to safely consume edibles. But if you don’t get there here’s my expert advice: Nibble. Wait. And never, ever mix with other intoxicants, especially alcohol.

What is a tincture?

The fastest and simplest way to infuse food is using a tincture or infused oil.

A tincture is a cannabis extract made by soaking weed in a base liquid like food-grade alcohol, glycerin or oil. It can be used to make edibles, or squeezed directly under the tongue for faster absorption.

Tinctures are usually alcohol-based, but the Avexia brand tincture ($30, 100 mg) I picked up from the Curaleaf dispensary in Bordentown is made with MCT oil, making it an infusion.

The ones sold in New Jersey are often packaged in 100 mg glass containers with a dropper marked from .25 ml to 1 ml for accurate dosing.

How to calculate dosage

For the Avexia tincture in black raspberry road flavor, each milliliter contains 3.32 mg of THC, the active ingredient in weed that gets you high.

This is important information when you are using tinctures to infuse your food or make edibles, because it takes a little bit of math to calculate the dosage of your end products.

For every fluid oz of carrier liquid — a sauce, juice or whatever liquid you are adding weed to — only one milliliter of tincture should be used. For an 8 fl oz serving, this means 8 ml, or 26.56 mg of THC.

When sharing, it is important not to make your infusions too potent, allowing for differences in the tolerance of your guests. Microdosing (consuming less than 5 mg of THC) is best for edible beginners.

Infusing sauces

When choosing what items to infuse, aim for items with a limited serving size, such as condiments and toppings. Two tablespoons is equal to one fluid ounce, which is 3.32 mg of THC. This is a potent dose for anyone, and will last at least a couple of hours.

Consider stirring tincture directly into small amounts of barbecue sauce or ketchup to allow for individual increases in potency.

Remember to separate and label all infused items clearly with the appropriate amount and its potency (for example: signs saying “the sauce on this plate/bowl is infused with cannabis; each tablespoon has 1.66 mg of THC”). Consider using tiny cups or ramekins to pre-portion the sauces for accurate dosing.

Mixed redberry canna-sauce

Ingredients:

• One 8 oz bag of frozen mixed berries or 8 oz of mixed berries (strawberry and raspberry, preferred)
• Half cup sugar
• One tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• One tablespoon of maple syrup or honey

Instructions: Add ⅔ of berries to a medium saucepan, chill the remainder until after cooking. Add lemon juice, sugar, and syrup to the saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the fruit has softened and become syrupy. Puree in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Press through a strainer to discard seeds, then chill. Measure the volume, then stir in remaining fruit and appropriate amount of tincture before serving.

Infusing drinks

For building infused drinks, consider pre-planning an adults-only punch base. Treat the base as a liquor and measure fluid-ounce serving sizes for controlled dosing. Your guests can take it as a shot or pour it over ice and top with a soda or juice.

Blue dream THC cocktail shots

Ingredients:

• 2 oz non-alcoholic blue curacao syrup
• 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 oz pineapple juice
• 2 oz lemon-lime soda

Instructions: Stir ingredients into a pitcher with 8 ml of tincture. Chill and serve as one ounce shots or over ice, topped with more lemon-lime soda and a garnish of orange twist. (Tip: for more concentrated color, use a tablespoon of blue Kool Aid powder.)

Infusing desserts

When baking desserts like cookies, cakes or brownies, tincture can still be used for infusion even though it is an active THC liquid. Adjust the amount of tincture to the overall volume of the batter after mixing, instead of just the liquid ingredients.

Also, topping baked desserts or ice cream with a couple of tablespoons of an infused sauce — like the mixed berry recipe above or the whipped cream recipe below— might be a more exact and controlled dosage.

Infused whipped cream

Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar or granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 7 ml cannabis tincture

Instructions: With a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a food processor, whisk chilled cream and tincture until frothy. Add sugar and vanilla, then whisk until stiff peaks form. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. (Tip: for fresh citrus aromas, add zest of lemon, lime, or orange to the final whisking.)

Edibles safety: dos and don’ts

You’ve probably heard of someone who had too much and had a bad experience. I’m not going to let you party-foul like that at the cookout. Follow these rules, and you’ll be good to go:

• If you’re the host, remember to clearly label the infused items with potency info and keep them in an area less accessible to underage party attendees.
• If it’s your first time consuming, ration and wait by splitting the edible into smaller pieces.
• Wait at least 30-60 minutes for effects to take hold! Once activated, effects may take eight to 12 hours to wear off, depending of non-infused food consumption and sleep.
• It is important not to just double up before effects hit. Taking too much too quickly can leave you feeling dizzy, nauseous, lethargic and paranoid.
• Do not combine weed with booze, drive under the influence or operate heavy machinery. Carving out a safe, leisurely time and space to consume cannabis is the best way to avoid adverse effects and consequences.
• Beginners should consider starting with 2.5 – 7 milligrams (mg) to see how your body reacts to cannabis, as some people have allergies.
• Make sure to pay attention to the dosing info or ask how many milligrams of THC are in each item.
• Edibles take longer to feel than smoking or vaping, but have longer lasting effects. Expect to feel your edibles for about one to six hours, depending on the dosage and strain.
• Consume homemade or store-bought in a timely fashion and avoid long-term storage.
• Be sure to keep away from children and pets.

I’ll repeat here: Nibble. Wait. And never, ever mix with other intoxicants, especially alcohol.

Weed can be a wonderful way to enhance your enjoyment of a leisurely time with friends and family. I will definitely be indulging to celebrate all the freedoms that come with being a citizen of the US and a resident of New Jersey. That includes the freedom to consume the green. Have a safe holiday. Happy 4th!

Have a question about consuming weed? Ask me anything.

RELATED STORIES ABOUT LEGAL WEED IN N.J.:

All the ways to consume cannabis

List of the 33 stores where you can buy legal weed in N.J.

4 things to know before visiting one of N.J.’s legal weed stores

The cost of legal weed in N.J.: How is it different from street market prices?

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Gabby Warren is NJ.com’s Cannabis Life reporter. She’ll be covering all things weed retail, commerce and culture. Send your weed consumer questions to gwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @divix3nation.