Is Cannabudder the Same as Cannabutter?

Cannabis can come in many forms and be used in many different ways. Keeping track of the correct names for different cannabis products can be confusing, especially if different products have different names.

If you venture outside of the traditional cannabis flower market and into other areas like concentrates and edibles, there are two terms you may see used often: cannabudder and cannabutter.

They look similar, so that must mean they are the same product, right?

Wrong: Cannabudder and cannabutter are actually two different products. And getting them mixed up will leave you confused with what product you just purchased.

A Look at Cannabudder

Cannabudder really does not refer to a unique product; instead, it is likely referring to another product, or the word itself is being confused with another.

When you hear “cannabudder,” the person may be referring to one of two things. First, they may be talking about the cannabis concentrate known as budder. Second, they may actually be referring to cannabutter but misspelling it or mispronouncing it.

Let’s assume they are talking about the cannabis concentrate and look at what exactly budder is.

Budder is a concentrate known for its smooth, whipped consistency. It is popular among users because it is very potent, with THC levels coming in between 80 percent and 90 percent. That means using a small amount of budder can leave users very high.

Budder is also known for giving users a clean and enjoyable experience. As one of the cleanest concentrates on the market, users feel comfortable using this product. Plus, budder preserves more terpenes from the original cannabis bud than other concentrates do, helping give it flavour and aroma.

There are many ways people can use budder, including:

• Dabbing it via a dab rig
• Adding it to a joint
• Using a bong or bubble
• Vaping it

Whatever way budder is used, it is critical to know your limits and remember its potency so you don’t take too much.

A Look at Cannabutter

Cannabutter is another product entirely. This term refers to the infusion of cannabis into butter. Cannabutter is most often used for cooking, whether that be using it to make a main dish or, more commonly, using cannabutter to make homemade edibles.

Though you can buy cannabis edibles online, cooking with cannabis is quickly growing in popularity. Cannabutter is a simple way to add cannabis to your recipe, and when you make a batch, you’ll have some on hand for a while. You don’t have to make it each time you cook, offering you convenience.

Some online retailers may sell cannabutter, but users themselves most often make it. This allows people to decide how much cannabis to infuse into their butter (thus determining its potency) and allows them to choose their favourite strain (thus deciding the effects they’ll experience).

How to Make Cannabutter

Making cannabutter is relatively easy, but there is one crucial step that some beginners may not take, leaving them with ineffective cannabutter.

Weed in its raw form will not get users high, as its cannabinoids are in their acidic form. THC, for example, is THCA when in its raw form. CBD is CBDA, and so on. For weed to become effective, it needs to be heated via a process called decarboxylation. This process causes the “A” to drop off and transforms cannabis into a form that can give users its signature effects.

We will walk you through both the necessary decarboxylation process and the process to make cannabutter below.

First, Let’s Decarb Our Weed

Here’s how to do it: 

1. Preheat your oven to 115 degrees Celsius.
2. Place about 14 grams of cannabis onto a baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper (this helps prevent sticking).
3. Place the sheet in the oven and let it cook for about 30 to 40 minutes, or up to an hour for fresh cannabis.
4. As your cannabis cooks, stir the weed and rotate the pan every ten minutes so your product doesn’t burn.
5. Once the colour changes from bright green to dark brown-green, it should be done.

Note that you do not want to heat your oven any warmer than 115 degrees. Making it too hot can destroy the terpenes found in your plant. Instead, cook it longer at a lower temperature to preserve your flower’s profile.

Now, Let’s Make Our Cannabutter

For this, you will need:

• 1 cup of butter
• 1 cup (seven to 10 grams) of ground, decarboxylated cannabis (more or less, depending on how strong you want your cannabutter to be)
• 1 cup of water
• Cannabis grinder
• Saucepan
• Funnel
• Mason jar (large)
• Cheesecloth

Here’s how to make it:

1. Grind up your newly decarboxylated cannabis and measure it out for your recipe.
2. Add the water and butter into a saucepan.
3. Let the water and butter simmer on low until the butter has melted. (Water helps prevent the butter from scorching.)
4. Add your cannabis to the mixture as the butter starts to melt.
5. Let your mixture sit at low heat and simmer for two to three hours, stirring occasionally. (Note: Do NOT let your mixture come to a boil.)
6. Get your funnel, jar, and cheesecloth. Put the funnel on top of a jar and line the funnel with your cheesecloth.
7. As you prepare your funnel, remove the pan from heat and let your butter start to cool.
8. Once your butter has cooled, pour it over the funnel to strain it. This will remove any unwanted plant material.
9. Place your jar of butter in the fridge and let it solidify. If you notice water collecting at the bottom, carefully drain the water out. Let it set in the fridge for at least an hour before draining the water.
10. Store in the fridge and use as needed.

You can then use your cannabutter for baking homemade edibles. Just label your jar with the date it was made, the number of servings the jar held, and how much cannabis was used so you can monitor the dosing.