Cannabis Sugar: How to Make Weed Sugar With an Alcohol Tincture

Cannabis sugar is regular sugar infused with an alcohol tincture made from decarbed weed: you soak the bud in high-proof alcohol, mix that tincture into sugar and bake off the alcohol, leaving dry sugar that carries the cannabinoids. If you've made edibles before, you know they usually start with butter or oil, because to pull out cannabinoids and terpenes you normally have to infuse them into a fat. Sugar gets around that.

Cannabis sugar opens up new options and is as versatile as any other sugar. The flavor and texture are the same, and it behaves just like table sugar in any recipe. It simply brings a little something extra for adults to enjoy.

Cannabis sugar is easy to make. All you need is cannabis, sugar, high-proof alcohol and some very basic kitchen skills.

Step one: decarboxylation

Cannabinoids only activate when they're exposed to heat. When you smoke weed, that happens on the spot, with every flick of the lighter and every hit.

To infuse sugar (or oil, butter or anything else) with cannabis, you need to activate the cannabinoids first. This process is called decarboxylation, and while the name sounds intimidating, it's super easy to do. Click here for a step-by-step guide to decarbing weed and why it matters. 

To make cannabis sugar, you need high-proof food-grade alcohol, decarbed cannabis and sugar. Raw (unrefined) sugar or coconut sugar works too. 

First, make a cannabis alcohol tincture by infusing the alcohol with decarbed weed. Any ratio will work: put the cannabis in a jar and pour the alcohol over it. The alcohol should just barely cover the cannabis, and you need to leave some room in the jar to shake everything up.

Give the jar a good shake the first time so the alcohol and cannabis mix evenly. Then let it sit for 5 minutes and shake it again. Repeat this four times. After 20 minutes, the alcohol will be infused with cannabis. Now strain out the plant matter with a strainer, cheesecloth or fine metal mesh.

For the next step, set your oven to its lowest setting, around 90 °C (195 °F). Alcohol vapor is flammable, so keep the kitchen well ventilated and away from open flames. 

Mix one cup of the cannabis-infused alcohol with sugar, stirring as you pour the sugar in. You want a texture like wet sand. Think thick, not soupy.

Once the mix is ready, spread it evenly over a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and slide it onto the oven's middle rack. The alcohol should take about 20 minutes to evaporate. Stir the sugar every 5 minutes or so to make sure the alcohol evaporates evenly.

Take the cannabis sugar out of the oven and leave it on the counter for about half an hour, still stirring every five minutes. The rest of the alcohol will evaporate, leaving dry, toasted sugar infused with cannabis.

The sugar doesn't need to go in the fridge, but it does need protection. Keep its exposure to air, moisture and light to a minimum until you're ready to use it.

What can you do with cannabis sugar?

Use it to sweeten your coffee or tea, or sprinkle it over baked goods. Any recipe that calls for sugar can use cannabis sugar instead, and if you want it lighter or less potent, just cut it with regular sugar. 

Making weed sugar isn't as hard as it sounds; you just have to follow the recipe properly. Remember to always decarb your cannabis before using it in any recipe, and that the potency of your sugar depends on the strength and quality of the buds you use.

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