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 Dissolvable THC Powder. The water-soluble powder 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 powder, a homemade cannabis gummy could potentially take less time to take effect. (Most retail edible products can take anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours to kick in.)

I put the powder to the test by attempting my own weed gummies recipe. Cannabis oils are great for making oil-based treats (like chocolates and cookies), but to make candies, you'll need water-soluble powders (such as the Green Organic Dutchman's Dissolvable THC Powder), or water-soluble extracts (such as Truss’s Veryvell Drops). Both brands are easily available for purchase via legalized online retailers such as OCS, BC Cannabis Stores or Alberta Cannabis. If you plan to visit a legalized brick-and-mortar store, I'd suggest calling in advance to make sure it carries one of these products.

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). 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 bear—just divide the total THC mg added to the batch by the number of gummies made.

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 to Make Weed Gummies

Makes Twenty 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 powder or extract (I used a 10-mg THC pack)
• 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 cannabis powder or extract and citric acid until dissolved. (If you're using the Veryvell drops, you can also just drop the desired amount into each mold 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 10 mg THC and made 20 candies, so each gummy I made contained 0.5 mg THC.)

How to make weed shots instead

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), $14

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), $22

We love the zesty, citrus twist this classic Jell-O flavour adds to D.I.Y. 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.