How to Make Weed Gummies

While sampling some of the cannabis drinks available in Canada, I enjoyed finally having non-alcoholic beverage options that imparted a similar effect to alcohol, as well as an alternative to smoking cannabis or ingesting cannabis oils. I was especially excited to try the water-soluble THC extracts that can be added to beverages, from coffee to water and anything in between. It made me wonder: Could I use it to make candy, too? I started thinking about how to make weed gummies.

While it's easy enough to purchase THC gummies online or in stores, making your own infused candy allows you to customize your preferred dosage and flavour. Another advantage: If made with rapid-onset THC extracts, a homemade cannabis gummy could potentially take less time to take effect. (Most classic edible products can take anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours to kick in.)

Photo, Irene Ngo.

I put the drops to the test by attempting my own weed gummies recipe. Cannabis oil extracts are great for making oil-based treats (like chocolates and cookies), but to make candies, you'll need a water-soluble format such as Mod THC Drops, Smyle Live Rosin Nano Drops, Medipharm Labs THC Dissolving Drops  or Emprise Adv. Nano THC Bevdrops. You can find these products at legalized online retailers such as OCS or BC Cannabis Stores. (Or ask your local legalized retailer for an available water-soluble extract, as products may vary across provinces.)

After several attempts, I worked out a recipe I was happy with. This batch of gummies only needs four essential ingredients, and the gummies are ready to eat in 30 minutes. They're portable, delicious and most importantly, quick to take effect (they took about 20 minutes for me, but keep in mind that the efficacy rate can be affected by several factors, including metabolism, tolerance and dosage.) This batch will yield twenty 1/2-tsp candies (or ten 1-tsp candies). But as long as you fill same-sized moulds, you can accurately calculate the dosage of each gummy—just divide the total THC mg added to the batch by the number of gummies made. (Tip: Mod Drops measure 1 mg THC per drop, so I simply added the desired number of drops into each mould cavity before filling them up with the gelatin mixture.)

As with all edibles, keep out of reach from children and pets. If you are a novice user, always start low and go slow to figure out what dosage works for you. (My personal suggestion for friends who are new to edibles is trying 1 mg THC per serving, then—if you wish—incrementally increasing the amount of THC by 0.5 mg each subsequent time you use it. Check out our guide to the best low-dose cannabis edibles, too!)

How To Make Weed Gummies

Makes 20 1/2-tsp candies
Prep 10 min; total 30 min

Ingredients and equipment

• 1 x 85-g pkg Jell-O powder (any flavour, or a combination of flavours)
• 2 x 7-g packets unflavoured gelatin powder, such as Knox (2 tbsp in total)
• 5 tbsp hot water
• Water-soluble cannabis extract
• 1/2 tsp citric acid (optional, if you want to make sour gummies)
• Silicone candy moulds, or a box of cornstarch

Instructions

1. Combine Jell-O powder, gelatin and hot water in a 2-cup microwave-safe measuring cup (or a microwave-safe bowl with a spout). Stir until combined.
2. Microwave at 10-sec. increments until the mixture starts to foam. (Checking at intervals will prevent the mixture from overflowing.)
3. Once foamed (you'll see the mixture rise and fall in the cup), stir until gelatin is dissolved and mixture is clear. It will be hot. Stir in citric acid until dissolved. Stir in cannabis extract, or drop the desired amount of extract into each mould cavity.
4. Carefully pour hot mixture equally into silicone moulds. Freeze until firm enough to unmould, about 20 min. You can eat immediately, or set gummies on a cooling rack and refrigerate to further firm up overnight. Store, refrigerated, in a sealed container up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 1 month.
5. Calculate dosage per gummy. (I used 1 drop of Mod Drops in each cavity and made 20 candies, so each gummy I made contained 1 mg THC.)

How To Make Weed Shots

You can also make shots by omitting the gelatin powder and adding 1/2 cup cold water to the melted Jell-O mixture. Divide mixture between small paper cups.

How to make your own mould for weed gummies with cornstarch

If you don't have a silicone mould, you can create your own with cornstarch. Fill a baking dish with cornstarch, then smooth surface. Using a bottle lid (or a measuring spoon), carefully press into cornstarch. Make 20 1/2-tsp cavities (or 10 1-tsp cavities).

Fill each cavity with hot gelatin mixture, then sift over a little cornstarch to cover. Let stand at room temperature for 15 min before removing gummies. (Cornstarch molds will dry faster because the cornstarch will absorb some of the moisture).

Making gummies? Here’s an easy shopping guide for beginners

Senhai Pack of 3 Gumdrop Jelly Molds, $14

These cute bear moulds are made from premium food-grade silicone perfect for crafting candies, chocolates and more. One dropper also included.

Knox Unflavoured Gelatin (12 x 7-g pouches), $15

This unflavoured gelatin is essential for your gummies to set. Note, like all conventional gelatin powders, this one is made from animal collagen and is not vegetarian. Vegetarians and vegans will need to use vegan-friendly gelatin with their cannabis flower concoctions.

Jell-O Orange Powder (24 x 85-g boxes), $30

We love the zesty, citrus twist this classic Jell-O flavour adds to DIY gummies. It's important to pick flavours you think go nicely with your infusions, oils and cannabis tinctures.

Yogti Citric Acid Powder, $15

Citric acid activates the gelatin in your homemade gummies so that they firm up nicely with your cannabis infusions. It's also used in jams and jellies.