Ann Allchin - Butter and Flower: Cannabis-Infused Recipes and Stories for the Cannacurious

Cannabis-Infused Recipes and Stories for the Cannacurious

Ann Allchin

To my family, especially my parents, who chose to approach the stigma of this subject with encouragement. (My kids, Reid and Charly, still eye-roll, but theyll get over it.)

And to Kathie.

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.

My first joint was a lopsided thing that my friend Karen rolled, with lined paper and masking tape. It was late at night in my second year of university, and I was visiting her in Montral, somewhere in the neighbourhood of 1994 or 95. We didnt have papers, but I insisted on giving the devils lettuce a try. Karen lit the thing and nearly set my face on fire. You would think a person would know intuitively how to inhale, but it appeared my lungs were more afraid of this new experience than I was. Lets blame Karens joint.

Within a few months, though, I had figured things out. I toke, toke passed, and I was high! My mouth felt furry, and I appropriately stared off into space. I soon became a dabbler (not to be confused with a dabberIm still a bit of a lightweight).

At that time, I knew absolutely nothing about cannabis, its history, and how the drug worked. All I knew was that weed helped me analyze Superbowl commercials and get a good nights sleep when I had the Sunday blues.

Fast forward to about five (ten?) years ago, when my father-in-laws partner, Kathie, wasnt able to join us at our cottage due to yet another migraine. When Kathie isnt well, shes in bed for days at a time, crawling back and forth to the bathroom to be sick. Shes tried heavy prescription drugs, gluten-, dairy-,and sugar-free diets... shes even considered having her nerve endings burned off.

We figured that seeing whether cannabis might help was the least we could do.

Weed was still illegal in those days, but we ventured to a dark alley (ha!) and managed to find some. I started reading, baking, and sharing my creations. Yes, there was an incident where at a party, a drunk guy ate five brownies, went missing for a while, and ended up miming to a cab driver that he was lost and desperately needed to find his friends couch. (They found him and tucked him in.) But when used as directed, the feedback I got on my edibles was very positive; they tasted great, the dosing was mild, and friends found the relief or relaxation they were looking for.

And Kathie? The damn headaches still get her. But shes a regular user of cannabis in different forms now, because since the first day she tried it, its helped with the vomiting and her escape into sleep. Edibles still work best for her because they last the longest.

And as for me?

I truly never could have predicted that taking that first batch of infused chocolate chip cookies out of the oven would have led to where I am today. Baking and writing about cannabis brings so many elements of my person into one place.

I respect the truth of itI like arguing with people who are misguided about its stigma, which was politically intentional. The history of cannabis is a social justice story, where the rights of the underrepresented, minorities, and the counterculture need to be protected. I want to fight for those rights, and telling cannabis stories is part of how I can do that.

I like the mischief of weed, the fun of bringing a tray of something delicious to a party, and helping people experiment with something new (yet harmless). And obviously, I like spending time in the kitchen. Dont tell my husband this when Im tired and feel like going out, though.

I like helping people, and gifting. The medicinal element of cannabis is an easy one. The fact that sick people are still denied access to something natural that can help with pain, and that is under-researched for so many other conditions... Lets just say that it pains me (sorry) that sharing edibles is still so hard in so many places. Oh, and PS, I have a neuroscience degree! Who knew that that damn piece of paper would ever become relevant? But when I started reading about the endocannabinoid system and how much of the science supported the medicinal cannabis claims, I was sold on becoming an advocate.

And recreationally? Im very live and let live. You do you. Unless youre too young, are pregnant, or are operating some kind of vehicle, and then watch my hammer come down. Be smart. Thats another thing about meIm happy to have a wee cannaplatform, as I will always be a voice for safety.

I also encourage casual cannabis use. You dont need to be an extreme recreational user to enjoy a little pot. Try one of my recipes and share it with friends, just start low and go slow. (That phrase is so common for edibles that I dont think I even have to pay someone to quote it. Imagine.) Cannabis is much more individual than drinking. Listen to your own body, experiment a little, and learn about what might work for you. I happen to be more of a solo smoker so that I dont get too introverted at parties, and thats okay! Like I said, you do you.

Finally, Im proud that Ive been able to use my skills as an editor and listener to share the cannabis interviews within this book. I feel honoured to have spoken with such incredible people who have had transformative relationships with this natural plant. The more stories were able to share, the more comfortable society will be with exploring and researching choices and natural healing options.

A sincere thank you to everyone who shared their stories within these pages. Im so pleased to have met you.

Im looking forward to connecting with you, my dear reader, to talk more about this incredible plant and your own experiences. I hope you enjoy my fun take on what has been a life-changing experience for so many.

Obviously, this book is about to be the coolest one on your shelf. Heres how to use it.

Start by reading the following section, Safety and Health. This is mandatory.

Browse through the other sections in this introduction. Ive done the math for you regarding dosing as long as you monkey see, monkey do how I calculate my infusions and treatscheck out the foundational recipes and the dosing for each creation to see how this works. Ive found that most who enjoy edibles like a lower dose. (You can always eat more.) If, however, youre like most of my Instagram followers and have a high tolerance for weed, youre going to have to make modifications to my assumptions; theres advice for this in the math section.

My recipes are very stay in your lane, straightforward baking. Making infused butter, oil, alcohol, or sugar is a little time consuming, so I didnt want to add to that with complex recipes. Plus, failures are much more expensive with edibles! I also believe that edibles should be measurable by piece, for the most part, so that dosing doesnt get confusing, and that the remainder of a batch should be able to be frozen so that treats can be enjoyed over time. Hence (yes, I just said hence, Im basically a knight of the round table), youll see a lot of delicious cookies in these pages.