What Is Ghee?
Ghee is made from butter but has gone through a clarification process. This process strips away the parts that are the most difficult to digest, such as lactose, casein, whey proteins, and trace minerals.
Most notably, ghee has been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda for cooking and religious ceremonies, as well as therapeutically, both internally and topically.
Ghee infused with cannabis/hemp is another option for cannabis patients to use for topical and internal issues.
From a carrier oil for topical formulas to edible recipes by helping to enhance the absorption of herbs internally, ghee can be a nutritious base for your canna meds.
For those following Ayurveda – Ghee can be used medicinally for all doshas (learn about the doshas here) but is considered balancing for Vata and Pitta.
Before You Begin
Before you begin: If you are infusing your recipe, you’ll need to decide if you want to use hemp flower for more CBD effects or cannabis flower for more THC effects during decarboxylation.
No worries, as in all infused recipes, you can use either of them or a bit of both if it suits you!
Nutrition & Ghee
- A calorie-dense food
- Purely fat with no significant amount of proteins, carbohydrates, sugar, or fiber
- Adds good cholesterol and omegas to the body
- Rich in vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin K if the source of ghee is the milk from grass-fed cows
- Contains butyric acid
How To Make Cannabis-Infused Ghee
This recipe is similar to making regular ghee but we’ll add decarbed cannabis or hemp for the infusion
A Note On Decarboxylation
Although raw cannabinoids have their own valuable medicinal qualities, without decarbing the flower or plant material for the infusion, cannabinoids (like THCA, and CBDA) will likely remain in their inactive acid states.
When infusing recipes, you may want to take the extra step of decarboxylation first, especially if you want the activated form of CBD or (the psychoactive effects) of your THC meds to be present.
If you are not familiar with this process, here are links for how to decarboxylate your Hemp Flower or Cannabis Flower.
Note: You can skip the decarboxylation process if you only want the raw cannabinoid benefits without THC/CBD activation.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of unsalted organic butter
- 1 oz ground and decarboxylated Cannabis or Hemp flower
*These measurements are only a suggested guide. Please customize any recipe to use more or less plant material to suit your personal medicinal needs.
How to Prepare:
- Heat butter over low heat in a heavy-bottomed pot.
- Do not stir. After about 15–20 minutes, there will be a thin covering on the top and a thicker, curdy sediment stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Watch the ghee very carefully. When the butter is a completely clear, golden color, it’s done.
- The foamy layer on top is fine or can be scooped off. The sediment at the bottom can be discarded.
- Let it cool for an hour and then strain.
- Ghee can be kept at room temperature or refrigerated
Ghee Benefits
Ghee has numerous health benefits including:
- Provides ease of movement and transport of nutrients and wastes.
- Increases Kapha and fuels our digestive fire.
- Facilitates the movement of toxins and other wastes through the digestive tract.
- Enhances the flavor of foods.
- Produces healthier skin and hair.
- Strengthens bones.
- Nutritionally dense.
- Contains healthy fats.
- Supports a stronger immune system.
Note: While it can be beneficial for weight and heart health when consumed in healthy amounts, too much ghee on a regular basis can contribute to an increased risk for heart disease and weight gain. Use ghee in moderation when you incorporate it into your regular diet.
