Weed Brownies: An Easy Pot Brownie Recipe and How to Dose It

Weed brownies are regular chocolate brownies made with cannabutter, and they're the most iconic edible out there. They take about 20 minutes in the oven, kick in 1-2 hours after you eat them and can last up to 8 hours, so the golden rule is a small bite and a long wait. Sometimes you want to switch things up when it comes to consuming cannabis. There are plenty of ways to do it, but one is the worldwide crowd favorite: pot brownies.

A cannabis brownie, pot brownie or space brownie is one of the oldest edibles infused with cannabis in the 420 cookbook. The brownie is a global dessert classic and one of the edibles people look for most. No surprise there: that sweet, intensely chocolatey flavor kills the craving and delivers a potent, delicious alternative to smoking.

Today we're sharing a weed brownie recipe that's perfect if you're not exactly a pastry pro, and for anyone who wants a balance of chocolate, nuts and cannabis that gets you to a seriously good high.

When did pot brownies first show up?

The first documented weed brownies came from famous cannabis activist Mary Jane Rathbun, who became known as "Brownie Mary" for her creation.

Rathbun wanted to get much-needed cannabis medicine to hospitalized AIDS patients from San Francisco's LGBTQ community. She looked for ways to help them until she landed on the answer: baking cannabis into her delicious homemade brownies.

The next challenge was getting them into the hospital, which she did on the sly during the 1980s. Rathbun was eventually arrested for baking her brownies, and the bust turned into a landmark media moment that put the spotlight on California's cannabis legalization movement.

How long do weed brownies take to kick in?

A pot brownie may look like a dessert you'll want to scarf down in one sitting, but you can't treat it like one. That's because when you eat cannabis, it has a stronger and longer-lasting effect (up to 8 hours) than when you inhale it; your liver converts THC into 11-hydroxy-THC, a more potent compound that hits harder and sticks around longer than the high you get from smoking.

Keep in mind that when you eat weed, the effects show up 1-2 hours later, which makes it a lot harder to find the right dose without overdoing it and running into unwanted effects like nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, anxiety or panic.

So if you're an experienced smoker, you can eat a single serving of your brownie and wait a good while to see how strong it is before going back for more. If it's your first time, the smart move is to take a small bite and wait the full two hours before eating any more.

The effects of a space brownie depend on the strain you use. With a sativa, expect a happier, more euphoric high, great for when you need to get the creative juices flowing. With an indica, the effects lean relaxing or sedating, which many medical users prefer; if that's what you're after, you could also try a cannabis tincture for pain.

Pot brownie recipe

The edible cliché has finally arrived. Nothing beats fudgy, moist brownies, and if they're made with cannabutter, even better. This one's quick and easy.

You'll need:

• 100 g (about 3.5 oz) of cannabutter (check out the recipe here)
• 150 g (about 5 oz) of chocolate
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of sugar
• 100 g (about 3/4 cup) of flour

Throw in some walnuts if you like!   

If you'd rather skip the butter, there's another option: cannabis-infused coconut oil

Coconut oil is a great dairy-free alternative for anyone who doesn't like butter or can't eat it for whatever reason. Making it can take up to three hours, so it's another ingredient you'll want ready to go before you start baking your edibles.

                                 

How to make pot brownies, step by step

First, turn the oven on low to warm it up. Grease and flour the pan you'll pour the batter into. For the brownies: put the cannabutter and the chopped chocolate in a pan and melt them over very, veeeery low heat. Cover it for about 5 minutes and don't stir it yet! Then take it off the heat and mix everything together.

Meanwhile, beat the two eggs with the sugar until pale. Add the melted chocolate and cannabutter and beat until combined. If you're adding nuts, now's the time. Finally, sift in the flour (Argentine "0000", or any fine all-purpose flour) in two batches and fold everything together. Beat it hard and pour it into the pan. Bake at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 20 minutes.

Once they're done, pull your tasty weed brownies out and let them cool. Then unmold them and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some melted white chocolate on top. Remember to eat them slowly, because they're strong and sooo good.

How much THC should I put in my magic brownie?

If you're new to cannabis, you've probably heard the classic advice to "start low and go slow." But what does that actually mean? How much is a little weed, and how much is a lot? The general guidance says it's best to start with about 2.5 mg of THC, then gradually bump up the dose in your brownies as you learn your tolerance and how much you can handle without overdoing it, letting yourself go a little further each time.

If you're a more experienced user or less sensitive to THC, you could go up to 5 mg, a dose most people will feel. 10 mg of THC is a dose better suited to seasoned users, including people who don't get relief from lower doses.