BY ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

Robyn Griggs Lawrence first helped introduce sustainable lifestyles and healthy homes to mainstream America with Natural Home magazine and explored the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection with The Wabi-Sabi House (2004), and Simply Imperfect: Revisiting the Wabi-Sabi House (2011). Her new mission is to educate people about how to safely prepare and imbibe organic, sustainably grown cannabis for health and wellbeing through The Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook, a collection of know-how, advice and recipes from America’s top cannabis chefs.

As editor-in-chief of Natural Home from 1999 until 2010, Lawrence traveled the country meeting people who were passionate about building and living sustainably. Lawrence has also served as editor for Organic Spa, Mountain Living, and The Herb Companion magazines, and has written and managed successful blogs on HuffingtonPost.com, Care2.com, and Motherearthnews.com.

A board member for the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems in Austin, Texas, and an advisory board member for the Healthy House Institute, Lawrence has been featured in the New York Times, Time magazine, USA Today, on CNN and other top-tier newspapers, magazines and TV programs worldwide.

A certified yoga instructor, Lawrence also coauthored the eBook 7 Steps to a Safe, Nurturing Nursery, with Frank Lipman, MD.

Here Robyn Griggs Lawrence shares the Beginner’s Cannabis Butter receipt

Herb Seidel

Herb Seidel’s mission is to make it easy for everyone to enjoy making cannabis butter without fear. His method, tailor-made for beginners, calls for simmering a half ounce of cannabis in water for an hour, letting it cool to room temperature, then simmering it again for another hour. Herb strains out the cannabis and puts the butter in the refrigerator overnight to let the water and fat solids separate, then he simply removes the butter and discards the water the next day. Herb’s method won’t overcook the butter, so its structure remains relatively intact. Unlike butters that have been broken down in a long heating process, this butter performs in recipes just like the butter you’ve always known. Herb’s technique stretches out over two days, but he says it’s worth taking the time to do it right—especially if you’re just learning how.

Makes about 2 cups

2 cups water

1⁄2 ounce cannabis, finely ground

1⁄2 pound butter

fine mesh strainer

cheesecloth

airtight containers

Combine cannabis and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 hour. If moisture reduces, add enough water to make 2 cups.

Remove from heat, cover, and let cool to room temperature (about 2 hours).

Return to stove and simmer for about 1 hour.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, return to saucepan and bring to simmer.

Stir. Remove from flame, cover, and let cool to room temperature.

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place over a bowl, wide-mouth jar, or measuring cup. Pour butter through strainer to strain out cannabis. Twist cannabis with cheesecloth, squeezing out every last drop of oil. Compost cannabis solids.

Transfer butter into airtight container. Refrigerate overnight. Butter will separate from water.

The next morning, run a knife around edges of container to loosen butter. Use knife to remove butter that has separated from water in bottom of container.

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and strain remaining butter.

Place butter in airtight containers, label, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months or the freezer for up to 6 months.