How to Make Cannabis Syrup at Home (Step-by-Step)

Short Answer

Cannabis syrup has two parts: a cannabinoid carrier and a sugar syrup. Decarboxylate the flower first. Infuse it into ethanol, glycerin, or oil. Stir that carrier into simple syrup with an emulsifier. Sugar water alone will not hold THC. It separates within hours.

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What You Need

Ingredients

• 7 g dried flower, or 1 g decarboxylated concentrate
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup food-grade vegetable glycerin or 190-proof ethanol
• 1/4 tsp sunflower lecithin or food-grade polysorbate 80
• 1/4 tsp citric acid

Equipment

• Oven, baking sheet, parchment paper
• Glass jar with lid
• Saucepan and thermometer
• Cheesecloth or fine strainer
• Funnel and amber dropper bottles

Step 1: Decarboxylate

Heat the oven to 240 F (115 C). Break the flower into small pieces. Spread it on parchment paper in one layer. Bake 40 minutes. This converts THCA into THC. Cool the material before the next step.

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Step 2: Build the Carrier

Pick one carrier. Each one extracts at a different rate.

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Ethanol Tincture

Cover the decarbed flower with 190-proof ethanol at a 1:5 ratio by weight. Seal the jar. Shake for 5 minutes. Store in a freezer for 24 to 48 hours. Shake twice a day. Strain through cheesecloth. This method pulls the most cannabinoids.

Vegetable Glycerin

Cover the flower with glycerin at the same 1:5 ratio. Store at room temperature for 4 to 8 weeks. Shake the jar each day. Strain. Glycerin extracts less THC than ethanol and tastes sweet.

Infused Oil

Cover the flower with oil at a 1:5 ratio. Heat at 160 to 180 F for 2 to 3 hours. Stir every 30 minutes. Strain. Oil works but clouds the syrup.

Step 3: Cook the Simple Syrup

Use a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water by volume. Combine 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Heat to 160 F. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Do not boil the syrup. Add the citric acid. Pull the pan off the heat and let it cool to 120 F.

Step 4: Combine and Emulsify

Add 1/2 cup of your carrier and 1/4 tsp of lecithin to the warm syrup. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes. The emulsifier bonds the cannabinoids to the water. Without it, the THC rises to the top. Bottle through a funnel into amber droppers.

Dosing

Calculate THC per milliliter. Example: 7 g of flower at 15 percent THC equals 1050 mg of THC. A 60 percent extraction yields about 630 mg. A 2.5-cup batch holds about 590 mL. That is roughly 1 mg per mL. A standard dose is 5 to 10 mg, or 1 to 2 teaspoons. Start with 1 teaspoon and wait 2 hours. Effects from edibles and drinks take 30 to 120 minutes to appear.

Storage and Safety

Sugar water grows mold. Refrigerate the syrup. Use it within 2 to 4 weeks. An ethanol or glycerin batch keeps 2 to 3 months in the fridge. Freeze extra syrup in ice cube trays for longer storage. Write the mg per mL on every bottle. Keep bottles away from children and pets. Home extraction rules differ by state. Check your state law before you start.