The edibles world is abuzz with the word “lecithin.” You’ll see it in oil tutorials and recipes all over the web. It’s becoming one of the most important ingredients that marijuana chefs and home cooks are using to take their weed food to the next level.
But…
What is this lecithin, and what does it do?
Why would you use lecithin in Cannabis Oil?
How much lecithin should you use in your edibles?
What kind of lecithin should you use and where can you get it?
Today, we’ll tackle these questions and more. This tutorial is also available in the Wake + Bake cookbook, so if you’re more of a hard copy kind of guy or gal…you can check that whole thing out.
Next Level: Sunflower Lecithin in Edibles
In a minute, it’s going to get real technical, but before that – let’s go over the basics.
What is Lecithin?
Don’t mind the weird yellow spot…it’s just a kitchen casualty.
Most of us are familiar with lecithin as an ingredient in things like chocolate. It’s used an as emulsifier; for bringing everything together and making it smooth. It’s also used in many pharmaceuticals to help get the drug into your system more quickly. It’s also sold as a supplement in health food stores because our big brains are huge fans of the stuff.
When added to Cannabis coconut oil (or hash butter), lecithin increases absorption of THC and other cannabinoids into your cell membranes and speeds up the process. It doesn’t technically make your oil “more potent.”
It does makes your oil more effective, so a 100mg dose will still be 100mgs, but the effects will come on faster and will feel stronger. This way, you can use less oil in your recipes (great for conserving your ganja) or use the same amount (great for stronger edibles). Player’s choice.
Need help dosing your edibles? Check out the Wake + Bake dosage calculator.
Is Lecithin Bad for You?
Lecithin has gotten a bad wrap because of its use in processed foods, pesticides, chemicals, and drugs, and most hippies see the word “lecithin” and go running for the hills. It’s usually used in the form of Soy Lecithin, which has been shown to be mostly genetically modified.
But lecithin has an interesting effect on your health. If you have the time, I’d suggest you check out all of the amazing things that lecithin does in your body.
If you’re in a hurry, a few highlights:
- It aids in the immune system by coating our red blood cells and providing protection against the invasion of viruses, bacteria, etc.
- It’s a solvent for cholesterol, triglycerides, and gnarly fats. It prevents hardening of the arteries, stroke, and other heart issues.
- It improves memory, helping brain cells develop, and aiding in the transmission of nerve impulses in the brain.
- And sooooo much more
Since lecithin already plays a major role in the absorption of nutrients into the cells, it’s no wonder that adding lecithin would aid in the absorption of THC and other cannabinoids.
If you’re already lecithin deficient, which I suspect many of us may be (especially after the Great Fat Scare of the 1990’s), our cell membranes are relatively hardened, and it’s tough to get anything through.
If you’re exposed to heavy metals, pollutants, hard drugs/pharmaceuticals, food additives, pesticides, etc., your cell membranes are even tougher.
Adding lecithin to your diet (and to your edibles) can be a great way to increase nutrient absorption and help to get your cell membranes to loosen up.
I know what you’re thinking, hippie: “I’m not going to put GMO Soy Lecithin in my body temple just because you’re telling me that my body temple likes it.” Totally! I’m with you.
Check out the Sunflower vs. Soy section below and know that these days, there are finally organic and non-GMO options for people like us.
How Lecithin & THC Work Together
Here’s an interesting and science-y way to look at what’s happening with lecithin in Cannabis oil from the folks at THC Geek:
“Since lecithin contains phospholipids, the process of encapsulating the THC, and making it water-soluble and absorbable, can be completed prior to ingestion. This liposomal encapsulation process that lecithin facilitates, makes edibles especially potent, since the micelles that it creates serve as a disguise for the THC resin inside the body, allowing it to be absorbed more readily.
As if that were not enough to merit consideration, lecithin also serves as a surfactant (a compound that lowers surface tension), helping distribute the THC throughout the body more quickly.”
Sunflower Lecithin vs. Soy Lecithin….Granules vs. Powdered vs. Liquid vs. Gel Caps
In the past, I avoided putting lecithin in Cannabis oil because I thought one of the only sources was Soy Lecithin, which (unless otherwise labeled) is known to be almost completely composed of GMO soy (which is gnarly for many reasons). I could only find organic Soy Lecithin in mega bulk, so I gave up on it.
But when I was working on the second edition of the Wake + Bake cookbook, I found out that sunflower lecithin is a great alternative. Since 2020, I have only used this Organic Sunflower Lecithin. It’s marketed for lactating, but it’s organic and hexane-free!
The sunflower lecithin gel caps were the only thing I could find at first, and they technically probably worked, but they were a pain in the ass to cut open and gave the oil a very gel-capped taste/smell until the oil sat in the fridge for about a week. They were also much more expensive.
I recommend using liquid, granules, or powder.
Ratio for Lecithin in Cannabis Oil
This part’s easy…for every cup of oil you use, use 1 Tablespoon of Sunflower Lecithin granules or liquid.
For example…
1 Cup Coconut Oil
1 Tablespoon Sunflower Lecithin
7-14 Grams Cannabis Trim or Dried Buds
You can incorporate lecithin into a Cannabis coconut oil recipe or the hash butter method.
I noted this on another one of your posts but thought I’d put it here as well. If you use the washing method for your infused butter/oil then make sure to add the lecithin after the washing step, or else you’ll end up with a weed Hollandaise sauce!
I’ve also been wondering if you could use aquafaba (chickpea water) as a replacement for lecithin as well. I’ve seen people use it for vegan cheese making in replacement for lecithin but don’t know if it would work for cannabis oil or not…
I tried to sous vide my oil but my seal broke on the bag and the oil leaked into the water bath. I refrigerated it and was able to salvage some solids that rose to the top. I melted that but with the lecithin added before the seal debacle now I’m afraid I have some canna-hollandaise. Any ideas on fixing? It’s chilling now and I’ll know tomorrow how it went.
Hey TC. When mine turned into emulsified “hollandaise” sauce I slowly boiled off the excess water in a double boiler. Took a long time, but the oil still seemed to work fine (you’ll probably lose a lot of the terpenes etc but the THC/CBD should still be there). I’ve started to double bag all my sous-vide decarbs and oil-infusions because I’ve had bags leak as well. Haven’t had an issue since!
Great suggestion. I ended up putting it into a crockpot and cooking on low for 12 hrs. I was able to recover most of coconut oil, around 16 oz of the 24 oz I started with. The remaining will be used in smoothies. Thank you!
I have used a sous vide for years and get amazing results.
The best way I have ever found to do the job right.
Would you recommend adding lecithin with decarbing or decarbed bud when making a tincture? Thanks for all of your awesome recipes and ideas!
Thank you Corinne 🙂
I am making a tincture in MBM2. I know the benefits of lecithin and I use Soy Lecithin Powder when baking edibles, however, I have no idea how to incorporate it into a tincture/ gummie recipe. Would you have any suggestions? Using 1 oz of weed if that helps.
Thank you
Chrissy
Great article, thanks for the clear, bullshit-free info. Just made your recipe for cannacoconut oil and it’s sitting in the fridge now on its second wash. I used non-gmo soy granules and was concerned that they may not melt evenly or become clumpy, but as soon as I put the ingredients over a double boiler the granules melted like a boss right along with the coconut oil. Haven’t actually experimented ingesting it and it’s effects yet but all signs point to a win!
Well, the anti-GMO rhetoric was bullshit but everything else was interesting. I found the pro-science and anti-science mixture quite perplexing but I guess everyone has a religion about something that is impervious to facts and data.
Hi Lauri!
In what way was mentioning GMOs in this post about lecithin “bullshit”? I’m pretty sure I just mentioned that some people avoid it for the reasons above, which is a fact.
It is also a fact that most soy grown in the US is “herbicide resistant” which means it is genetically modified to resist damage from herbicides that contain glyphosate: “According to the USDA, in 2012 more than 93 percent of soy planted was engineered to withstand herbicides (sold by the same companies who patent and sell the seeds).”-Forbes (see article below).
So now that those two facts are cleared up, let’s get into the data that you claim I’m “impervious” to. I thoughtfully avoid GE crops for the following reasons (and you may want to get cosy, because this is going to take a minute):
1. They contain higher levels of herbicides and pesticides than even conventionally grown produce.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/bethhoffman/2013/07/02/gmo-crops-mean-more-herbicide-not-less/
2. Many of those herbicides contain glyphosate (the active ingredient in Round Up). According to the EPA, 100 million pounds of Glyphosate is applied to farms and lawns each year, so there’s a shit ton of it around, and as you can see from the Forbes article, glyphosate use is on the rise.
Glyphosate is a fun-as-shit chemical that has been shown to harm human fetal development and impact normal estrogen production (which is something I know you’re interested in). In fact, glyphosate has been found to be directly “responsible for the irreversible conversion of androgens into estrogens” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1257596/. So there’s that.
The herbicides also contain these nifty little things called adjuvants. Adjuvants are deemed “inert” by herbicide companies and are protected because they’re considered “proprietary”. Scientific American reported on a study that shows that these “inert” compounds are quite devastating to human cellular development:
“Until now, most health studies have focused on the safety of glyphosate, rather than the mixture of ingredients found in Roundup. But in the new study, scientists found that Roundup’s inert ingredients amplified the toxic effect on human cells—even at concentrations much more diluted than those used on farms and lawns.
One specific inert ingredient, polyethoxylated tallowamine, or POEA, was more deadly to human embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells than the herbicide itself – a finding the researchers call ‘astonishing.'”
Astonishing, right?
3. How about our pollinators? The damn bees can’t find their way home after ingesting trace amounts of glyphosate: http://jeb.biologists.org/content/jexbio/218/17/2799.full.pdf
They also can’t remember shit: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25063858
And you know that whole colony collapse disorder thing? A study found that neonicotinoids, a pesticide commonly used on GE corn crops, is prooobably to blame for some/most/all of that shit:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2014/05/12/the-cause-of-colony-collapse-disorder-disappearing-bees-becoming-more-clear/#28a1c8884ddb
You mentioned religion, so do you think this is just some kind of honeybee rapture? Science says nah.
Really, I’m not going to argue that consuming GE crops or GMOs is going to give your offspring a third eye or give you a rare cancer. I don’t know and there’s no research that directly shows any x-men kind of shit going on. What I *am* saying is that there are consequences to mass monoculture agro systems that are dependent on GE crops, herbicides and pesticides. Because those things are undeniably effecting the natural systems that we depend upon to live and have effects on our biology as well.
Also, as a farmer, I know that genetically modified plants, that don’t produce seed, take food source control out of the hands of farmers, which I’m not a huge fan of. And once you use the herbicides mentioned above, you render the land virtually useless for any other type of cultivation, especially when the newer “persistant” forms of the chemicals are used. The farmland legacy that will be passed down to the next generation is so contaminated that it will be rendered unusable for anything aside from big-business-controlled monoculture. Call it my religion, but I think that’s pretty fucked no matter what god you believe in.
Much love,
Corinne
Hmm, thought my original post was much longer. Did you edit it? Wouldn’t surprise me because that’s what anti-GMO people do when confronted with inconvenient facts and data. Next you’ll block me so no one else can read what I write.
Conveniently, you website won’t let me leave a compressive post with links to real evidence to back up what I say. You call that “spam” so congrats, you successfully block any meaningful conversation on the subject. So, in short, glyphosate is one of the least toxic herbicides in existence. Nothing with Seralini’s name on it can be taken seriously when he has been proven to not conduct proper studies. He is disgraced. NEXT. It is also not a neonicotinoid and the verdict is still out on whether neonicotinoids are a major effect on bees. It certainly isn’t the threat compared to the varroa mite. And bee populations are fine now.
Your pesticide use article is misleading because the study didn’t take into account the increase in acreage when it discusses increased pesticide use. DUH, more farms, more pesticide use. What is does NOT show is that PER ACRE, GM crops use LESS pesticide and LESS TOXIC ones.
Organic farming uses pesticides and many of them are MORE toxic than glyphosate. It’s a myth that organic produce has less pesticide residue on it. Organic farmers apply pesticides more often than GMO farmers do because their approved chemicals are less effective than the ones they aren’t allowed to use. It’s stupid. If organic pesticides were so great we wouldn’t need to invent new ones.
You believe in organic farming, that’s fine for you and the first-world people who believe the false promises and woo. But I am concerned about people in 3rd world countries who can’t afford to be silly about food. People are literally dying needlessly because anti-GMO hippies have it in their minds that they are being “stewards of the earth” when they send bombs to AG safety scientists or throw feces at AG tech meetings.
Hi Lauri!
I don’t edit comments, but I believe it’s common for people to believe that they’ve included more data to back up their claims than they actually have when they are angry and confronted with an opposing opinion. I’m also glad to see that your caps button isn’t broken 😉
Please feel free to send me any links you think may be helpful in showing me what big ag wants to share about glyphosate. I’ve read quite a bit of monsanto and pioneer literature, but I’m always happy to look at more data.
I know that a personal invitation might not be good enough because I’m guessing that this is more of a public outreach kind of thing. It seems like this was an important place for you to release your frustrations about the “hippies”, but I’m not going to change my spam filter or all hell will break loose with people trying to sell marijuana through my site, which is super illegal and not fun for me to have to try and keep up with.
While you seem to have a lot of responses and arguments at the ready about glyphosate, you didn’t seem to respond to the data about the adjuvants in pesticides. Not that it matters. I just found it interesting that you wanted to poke holes in everything you could, but left some things alone.
You also said that one of the researchers I cited wasn’t credible, but what about all of the rest of the studies that I shared with you? Can you discredit all of those as well. Seralini’s case and this “discredited” study is pretty interesting to me and doesn’t look as cut and dry as you’re making it seem. But thank you for pointing that out because that was an interesting rabbit hole to head down.
Also, I never said that glyphosate was a neonicintinoid. I said that GE crops allow for more herbicides and pesticides. I then added that those pesticides (neonics) have been linked to CCD.
And I’d like to point out really quick that I’m not just on this planet to argue and have data wars. I generally don’t do this. I’m not an “anti-gmo person” who is trying to block you from sharing your opinion that is based on things you also have also found on the internet. Want to know what kind of person I am?
I’m the kind of person that plants flowers that the bees and the humming birds are into because they’re actually important to me. You can hear the humm in my borage plants from 30 feet away, which is one of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard. I’m the kind of person who feeds her family and friends because we love each other. I’m the kind of person who talks about tomato varieties like they’re different people.
I’m the kind of person who grows my own food without the use of pesticides, herbicides or chemical ferts, which is much more strict than is allowed for “organic” farming.
I do agree with you that mass monoculture organic farming doesn’t work and that the USDA has jacked that word which is now complete and utter bullshit. You are correct in your assertion that conventional organic farming is stupid and that the label means nothing. I could not agree more. But I don’t see that there’s any evidence that the answer is conventional mass ag or more ge crops.
People should be empowered to control and sustain their own food sources, utilize land and water sustainably and efficiently, and to protect wild food sources as well. I don’t “believe” in “organic farming”, because I think that argument has been robbed of its meaning and values.
I do believe that people should have access to nutrient dense foods without added bs, produced locally and in a way that doesn’t inflate populations by creating an unsustainable food source or irreparably destroying the natural environment.
This is especially important in the third world. I don’t think the goal for “developing nations” should be a decrease in biodiversity or quality of life (which is historically what happens when GM crops are introduced into third world countries) in exchange for corn and soy and sugarcane. Check out Vendana Shiva’s “Stolen Harvest” if you’re really interested in what monoculture ag really does to third world nations.
I’m not sure why you digressed into talking about hippies throwing feces or trying to attack me for an automatic spam filter, but I understand that it can be hard to remain clear headed when confronted with someone who doesn’t agree with you.
I think it’s fine that you believe in all of the conventional ag hoopla; that everything is just fine and that all of this is just more progress.
It’s always kind of funny to me when people who don’t grow any of their own food want to talk to me about what’s right and wrong when it comes to farming. You show me your farm, and I’ll show you mine and we can really talk about which way is “better”for the land, the soil, and the people.
I’m going to let you have the last word on this one Laurie, because I’m swamped and I have a baby and a bunch of incredible veggies to harvest. But it really was lovely to get to engage about food systems with you.
And, you know what, I really hope that you’re right and that this is just hippie propaganda BS (and you know how deep pockets of the hippie propaganda machine are), because the long term consequences of this paint a gruesome picture for my daughter and those who come after us. I truly and genuinely hope you have a beautiful day and that you have a healthy and happy life.
As much love as ever,
Corinne
My comment that finally made it was a fraction of what I wrote that got rejected because it was so annoying to lose all of it. It contained many links to studies and news articles, which might be why it was rejected. So, you have me at a disadvantage when I can’t post links.
It’s fine if you grow your own organic food without pesticides. Hopefully you will concede that that would be impossible to accomplish on a large scale, unless you can find millions of people willing to weed and pluck bugs 24/7. Lower yields for organic farming means we would have to lose more land to farming in order to go all organic. It’s just not the sole answer and especially with climate change making many lands bad for farming, people will die without GE. And there’s no reason for them to die except for all the activists blocking development of them, either blatantly by destroying test crops or insidiously by fear mongering on the internet.
And, FYI, I live as close to a green lifestyle as I can within my means. I replaced my gas mower and snow thrower with electric ones and I only drive when absolutely necessary, which means less than 3k miles per year. I have a dual flush toilet and a high end thermostat so I don’t waste energy. I am going to join a solar coop for my electricity soon. We both care about the Earth. The difference is, I listen to science and data to decide what’s best to solve problems, not people trying to sell “health products”. And, BTW, I grow my own cannabis indoors hydroponically and don’t need any pesticides. But I suppose you would object to the nutrients I use because it’s not manure-based.
Literally thousands of studies have been done to show the safety of GMOs and glyphosate. Studies on human safety, environmental safety, yield advantages, etc. and they prove as close to absolutely as possible that they are safe and necessary. The organic food industry is a BILLION dollar industry and is quite capable of putting on a global propaganda smear campaign. Major players in the organic industry have admitted that GMO labelling isn’t meant to inform people, but instead is meant to scare people away from GMOs and towards organics. They sure were angry when Whole Foods and others didn’t follow along and supported the QR code labelling compromise that lets people ACTUALLY get information about GM technology instead of just seeing a scarlet letter “Made with genetic engineering” sentence. Which is good considering the vast majority of people don’t understand anything about it, which is why they answer in polls that all food containing DNA (so all food except things like salt and sugar) should have a safety label on it to say it contains DNA.
I talked about the anti-GMO activists activities to show how out of hand this anti-GMO propaganda campaigns have become and it doesn’t help when people like you say unsubstantiated things about them in what you feel is an innocuous way. You are spreading lies and promoting anti-science the same way Reefer Madness propaganda was used to get people anti-cannabis (one thing I discussed in my original post that no longer is there).
Vandana Shiva is a wealthy charlatan masquerading as a crusader. She is dishonest and so are her movies. She claims to have a degree in physics but really has a degree in philosophy. You really need to vet your information sources better. Her, Mercola, Natural News, Food Babe, Gwyneth Paltrow and more are all selling their expensive crap and lies about GMOs.
“Shiva has been widely criticized not only for the simplistic nature of her analysis but also for her “lack of intellectual rigour”. Lewontin, for example, has complained that Shiva’s book Stolen Harvest is a ‘conjunction of religious morality, undeveloped assertions about the cultural implications of Indian farming, unexplained claims about the nature of the farm economy in India and how biotechnology destroys it, and unanalyzed or distorted scientific findings’.”
I take farming advice from real farmers, not my assumptions. I look at blogs like The Farmer’s Daughter (basically her url if you google). That’s how I learned the truth about farming practices vs. the organic industry lies about how GMOs are “doused in pesticides” or contain poisons because of the Bt gene. I listen to experts from Stanford University who talk about how necessary GMOs are to feed people around the world. I DON’T listen to people who spread lies and then sell they own crap, like “Tiny Hydrogen” pills and juice cleanses that don’t actually do anything. There’s no Himalayan salt lamps or vagina steamers in MY house. So sorry if my use of caps for word emphasis annoys you. Your website formatting (or lack thereof) is a mess on my computer so it’s a challenge to post here.
Listen, I love that you care about the Earth and your impact on it. So do I. I just want you to reconsider your information sources and consider that there are people with insincere agendas on the organic side, too. Science does many good things for us. Don’t throw it away because of their insincere agendas and I won’t automatically believe what corporations say, either. Deal?
And, btw, what about the misleading farce the “non-GMO” label is? There are NO GMO coconuts or sunflowers so why the label? I know why. Because as soon as one company pays to get that label on their product all the other companies have to pay for that label to compete. and it means NOTHING. But quite the racket for the labelling certification industry, huh?
Okay… again, I’m going to have to do this really quickly, so you’ll have to excuse any typos. But I’m just going to start by saying… no deal.
I think you may be seeing my responses through the lense of your own perspective and in a way that you only want to argue about GMOS and I think you’re missing my point, so lets recap real quick:
1. Based on what you said, we don’t “both love the planet”. You love things you can buy at Home Depot that have that little energy star logo on them that lower your energy and water bill. I described my love for living things and life itself. Not saying I’m better than you because of that, but I think you’d agree that they’re not the same.
2. I never used any of those sources, so I’m not sure why you mentioned them. Plus, I think it’s hilarious that you keep pointing out big organic’s desire to profit but are trying to paint GE corporations as selfless organizations just trying to save starving african babies. OMFG LOLZ. How many BILLIONS do they rake in again?
3. Also, I am a farmer. Apparently you are not. I have no idea who you are or what you do, but it seems like this is all a theoretical thing for you. It is not for me, because I live and breathe agriculture every day of my life and I have since I grew up surrounded by corn fields in central Illinois. And I agree that we should really only be listening to farmers, not people who have never farmed and not farmers’ daughters (who happens to be an attorney btw). I also want to add that this conversation would have never happened on that website, because she maintains a very strict comment policy that doesn’t allow for any opposing viewpoints that includes this fun little nugget, “However, I will not allow someone else to post an unsupported viewpoint meant to confuse readers.”
4. Aren’t you GMO folks never supposed to talk about labeling? Because I agree it’s fucked up to have to label something non-gmo ever, regardless of whether or not it could possibly be GMO. As I’m sure you know, GE crops are changing every year and as you pointed out, people aren’t particularly informed or educated about GMOs. So, maybe the GMO folks should have to be the ones to label. Or wait… wouldn’t that hurt their racket? I do agree that people should be more educated about what goes into food, so I’m with you on whole the DNA thing. Completely dumb. But then again, something like 30% of Americans don’t know who the current vice president is, so poor education isn’t just a food issue. Does that mean we shouldn’t label him the vice president anymore?
5. It’s so funny to me for so many reasons that you’re comparing GMOs to the vilainization of cannabis on this site. There are so many things I’d like to say about that, but I’m genuinely running out of time. I will say that I think marijuana and GMOs have one thing in common: I don’t want someone to put either of them in my food without letting me know first. And I think people have a right to that knowledge, whether or not you fear for a decline in sales for GE foods. Your assertion that americans are too stupid to understand what’s on a label doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t have the right to know. 87% of Americans want to see GMOs labeled, and the 64 other countries that label GE food must really be full idiots. But hey, that leaves more food for smart people like you, right? And don’t talk to me about the cost of labeling either. Many of the same gigantic companies that fight GMO labeling here have no problem creating GMO labeling for the same products in places like China. You’re not talking about small businesses. These are deep pocket multinational corporations. Drop the nonsense about them being benevolent do gooders, who just want what’s best for everyone, and want to protect people who aren’t intelligent from making the wrong choice about food that is totally “safe”. They want to make money, just like Gwyneth Paltrow (I had to google her to see why she was relevant to your argument, but yeah, I agree that shit’s a racket).
6. I could give a shit less (manure pun) what you use to grow your own pot. I don’t have to smoke it. But I’d love to compare our grows sometime 😉
7. Yes, I do think millions of people should be empowered to grow food and squash their own bugs, and pull their own “weeds” (many of which are edible and incredibly nutritious and healing for humans). I’m sure you’d call those people organic profiteers, but I’d love to see more biointensive family farms succeed, more people growing some or all of their own food, and everyone eating “weeds” again.
8. I’ve never experienced lower yields than conventional farming per acre or per plant, so I’m assuming that you’re still talking about organic monocultures. You know the difference, right?
9. You know a lot about me and who I am, but I don’t know you at all. I live by the following rules: I only take health advice from healthy people, farming advice from people who have an incredible relationship with soil and plants, and life advice from people who are happy and vibrant. So, I’m kind of at a loss as to whether or not this conversation has been a waste of time. You probably consider me just another “charlatan”, pro-organic dumbass, and I see you as being inflexible and so hyper-focused on the organic vs. GMO argument that I think you miss the bigger picture. So, I’m going to try this one more time. I believe that more people should grow food in a way that works in conjunction with natural systems and that all people should be empowered and motivated to do so (think victory gardens etc.). If the beauty of science has taught me anything it’s that nature is incredibly intelligent, dynamic and resilient. If history has taught me anything, it’s that we, as humans (even scientists and especially corporations) are fallible and we make mistakes that can be detrimental to the health of ourselves, ecosystems and to other organisms. I have far more trust in nature than I do in man and the reason that the trust is there is because of science. I believe that a cultural legacy of food that is mostly processed corn and soy is downright sad and, from experience, feels really gross and leads to health problems. Do I avoid GMOs? Yes. Because I believe that it’s possible that we might (gasp!) find more information about their long term effects as time goes on and that information might tell a different story than the current scientific community’s limited findings. It has happened in the past (DDT, Chlordane, Aldicarb, etc.) and I think erring on the side of discretion is the intelligent and intuitive thing to do. But that’s not the end all of the argument. GE crops are created for monocultures, which are stupid. There, I said it. They’re fucking stupid. If you put too much of one thing in one place (say corn), the critters that like that thing are going to come, eat it, multiply en masse. The biological controls for those critters won’t be around because you haven’t created habitats or food sources for those things. So you need chemicals to do what your biological control would do for you. This is true of all monocultures, organic, conventional, whatever. And the bigger they are, the bigger these issues are. The way we grow food and the quality of that type of production is ridiculous and if you think anyone is better off for it, or that it’s the wave of the future, I think this conversation is pointless. Again, if you want to eat it, go ahead. If you want to farm that way, be my guest. If you don’t want it to be labeled, enjoy it not being labeled. Literally everything is on your side. Nothing is going to change because of this comment thread and your fear that it will go the way of the hippies is too funny. It’s so odd being on the losing side and having someone still approaching a discussion with martyrdom and anger that anyone would question or defy the status quo.
I hope you have a good time posting reply arguments, but I’m going to leave this energy suck of a conversation alone and get back to my real life.
Much love,
Corinne
Blog-keeper! We cannot (or atleast I can’t) read your reply for Lauri. Seemed very interesting discussion.
thoughtful and well said, many thanks …. I am still trying to find the answer to the lecithin in tinctures issue or rather, question. Love your site and your insight.
Hi! I’m so excited to make the coconut oil! I’m wondering if you are using 7oz. of the trim before you put it in the oven or weighing it after you’ve put it in the oven.
Thanks!!!
Oh Corrine. I love your wit. I love your straight forwardness. And mostly, I love the information that I gain from your site. You are truly something special. 🙂
I tried adding sunflower lecithin (I chose sunflower lecithin so I wouldn’t get estrogen from soy, not because it is GMO). The effects may come on sooner, hard to tell, but I didn’t like the taste the lecithin added. From now on, I may add lecithin to a cookie recipe where I know the taste will be covered up but I won’t add it directly to my canna oil anymore.
I have no problem finding Organic, bon-GMO, Soy-Free, with naturally occurring Choline & other Phosphatides.
Brand Name “NOW” (nowfoods.com)
Bar Code = 7 33739 02314 8.
I order it from “Naturesfoodpatch.com” or go there; it work great. Celebrating 50 yrs of Cannabis Use, this month. Started after I got out of Nam & Special Forces in Aug 66 ?, made my first “Alice B” brownies in 67, we just ground up some ole “Indiana Gully Weed” (it was free as long as you didn’t get caught by a farmer), and mixed it right in the mix. I must state that it was crappie stuff 4jays btwn 6 peeps & all we got was a headache. So we mixed it all and bake a tray of 8 brownies. 6 people 1 each and my cousin & I ate another1/2 each. Well next thing I know it the next day, and, everyone is passed out still. That made me a believer, been cooking & etc ever since gonna be 73 next month. Peace ? BobSavi9 (FB)
Love your post bob really made me laugh man! I mean we had a similar story me and the wife when we were younger and stupider. I misread the instructions (or didnt read any at all) for making pot hot chocolate and we ended up taking waaaaay more than i thought… i simply had a lot of trim from a grow left over (a paper bag full) well after 2 hours it slowly started feeling nice… and then all i remember is sprinting on the spot for over 10 mins to try and get it out of my system. I suddenly felt id been poisoned… and got very paranoid. Well the wife and me ended up falling down the stairs somehow and then we assisted each other to shove our fingers down our throats to purge ourselves (such an awesome idea at the time) before collapsing into bed going in and out of cold sweats and conversations with jesus and the devil. It was freaking full on. I actually made a deal with God that if he let me make it through I would never smoke pot again 😀 We treat edibles with a high respect in this house now. All i can say is weed at those kind of dosages is not simply a recreational drug anymore. I worked it out recently because we had no idea of dose then but we must have been close to the 500mg mark. Weve been wanting to try again recently so that was what brought us here.
Awesome Bob! Thanks for the tip… I’ll order mine from there next time 🙂
Much love,
Corinne
Great info, I’m off to try this now. Thanks!
Soooo what if I don’t use lecithin?
Just wanted to say I love your writing! I’ve been perusing your site for the past few days, deciding if i want to try a new way of making edibles. Most of what i found elsewhere while looking was SO scientific and INTERESTING, yes… but unachievable for me and also not really the creative energy i like in the kitchen. The way you lay things out feels very flexible and real-life. Im excited to try out Cannabis Coconut Oil! Thank you for doing what you do!
Eee! Thanks lola! That is SO sweet. Your comment totally made my morning.
I felt the exact same way about all of the edibles info out there. I wanted to make sure that things were simple and approachable for folks, so I’m so excited that that was your experience with the content. I’m going to be breaking down some more complicated recipes in the next couple of weeks/months (hard candies, lollies, gummy bears, etc.) so stay tuned 🙂
Hi Corrine
I plan to use this as a medicine, and I read that lecithin is very bad for the gut, so using it is not recommended for people with IBD/IBS
Do you think I can by pass it and still reap the benefits?
Thanks!
Is adding lecithin for making oil only or should i add lecithin to tinctures (Green Dragon) as well?
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two people have inquired as to whether lecithin should be used in tinctures to increase bioavailability but no one has replied. i am in need of this information… could someone ‘in the know’ please reply to this very important question??? thank you in advance…
Hi Taddy, I was interested too in using lecithin in a tincture, I have tried both alcohol and glycerine tinctures, both with and without lecithin. I used sunflower lecithin liquid, good results in both cases. I did have some help from a rival site, sorry Corinne: http://www.badkatscannapharm.com/carboxyl-intact-cannabinoids
Finally some info!
I’m planning on using sunflower lecithin gel capsules and incorporate 1 in my gummy bear mix.
I’m using an hash and alcool tincture, any tips?
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Has anyone used lecithin to combine honey and coconut oil?? As an emulsifier??
Just made 1L of 1:1 ratio Honey to infused coconut oil and its now hardened coconut oil with honey at the bottom…. not worried, just was hoping to make it the consistency of whipped honey….
Do you have to add the Lecithin to the oil? Can you just add it to the recipe? I.e., add it to flour when baking with dry ingredients?
Hi Gia!
You can totally add it to the recipe, but I’m not sure if it would mess with the texture of baked goods if you mix it with the flower. Let me know how it goes!
Much love,
Corinne
I’ve tried adding the sunflower lecithin to my cana-oil with coconut oil. Every time though the lecithin ends up sitting at the bottom of the jar. Is there anyway to have it fully mix with the oil and stay mixed after cooling down? I assume if it’s sitting at the bottom I’m not getting it until I get to the bottom…
Hmmm. Let me look into this. If the coconut oil is liquid, you could shake it up, but other than that, it seems that you’d have to melt and stir it every time. No bueno…
I’ll do some experimenting, to see if mine does the same (I’ve never noticed it) and let me know if you figure anything out. Perhaps liquid lecithin would be better if it’s separating…
Hmm strange you haven’t experienced any separation. I’ve tried liquid as well and still the same thing I see a layer of essentially hardened lecithin powder on the bottom of my oil after it cools and hardens. I’ve only had experience with sunflower lecithin.
That is odd. I’ll do a test with soy next time i infuse oil and see. Maybe I’m blind to it because it’s all I’ve ever used. I’ll keep you posted 🙂
Corrine I believe that the way to make lipisomes is by certain processes, one being heating and cooling of the mixture, and other being sonification. Try putting your un-emulsified mixture into a GLASS container and set it into a water bath inside of an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. CAUTION: DO NOT put the oil straight into the ultrasonic jewelry cleaner as the metal from the tray will leach into your oil. Make sure to put it in a glass jar into the water bath. This should solve your problem with separation with soy or sunflower lecithin, powder or liquid. BTW I am not going to get into a long discussion on the GMO thing, I will say however that I am a deep researcher and I agree with YOU!
Corrine, about your writing: what Lola said! I came to your site to read your review of the MB 2, stayed to learn more about edibles, and am still here because your writing is such fun. You made me laugh out loud several times, especially in your grilled cheese sandwich story.
I am confused about how (and whether) to use lecithin though. Maybe I can figure out what to do when my MB 2 gets here.
I have been making brownies for myself for 3 years now (since Oregon became legal 🙂 I have not used lecithin before and decided to try it out with the same amount of pot per brownie that I have been using.
The major difference is the onset time has been dramatically decreased. My normal kick in time is between 45 minutes and an hour. With the lecithin batch, that was dropped to around 30 minutes. That is truly measurable. The internal experience may be a little bolder, but I cannot put a quantitative value on that. Let’s say it certainly doesn’t decrease the effect!
The last point would be taste. It does seem to mute the distinctive coconutiness in virgin coconut oil. I personally like the coconut taste in brownies, so this is a small distraction from a taste standpoint.
Overall, the earlier onset is definitely worth the trade off in taste.
Agreed! Thanks for sharing Joe <3
Hi Corinne, what would you think about using egg yolk for the purpose of lecithin ? Do you have an idea on how much would be needed for 1cup of coconut oil ?
I love the information, thanks for giving me an explanation for why. I’ve been making oil/capsules for a couple years now. I believe it makes all the difference and will always be a fan of SL.
One question I have, can you add too much SL? I usually add about 2-3 TBSP to 1/2 cup oil. Definitely potent despite the amount. Is this ok?
Thanks!
Hi. Thanks for explaining the value added with sunflower lecithin. I have also read your review / love story with the Levo. I am considering buying one. How does sunflower lecithin fit in the the process of the Levo?
Use it after the infusion and in your recipes. Don’t use it in the Levo.
Hi Corinne,
Just wanted to ask if you had considered using egg lecithin? It can be extracted without using any harsh solvents (this is what my company does) and it is obviously non-GMO. It just depends if you’re looking for a vegan source or not.
Let me know if you want to discuss further.
I’d love to know more. Can you send some info to [email protected]? Thanks Alex!
Any progress on the oil and lecithin separation issue, Corinne? I just tried making 4 lbs of hash butter. The only thing that changed in my recipe/process was in adding Now! Sunflower Lecithin Powder.
I decarbed my hash, melted and clarified the 4 lbs of butter while that decarbed, added my hash to the butter and dissolved it and then added 1 tablespoon of the lecithin per cup of oil (2 cups per pound of butter, i.e. 8 tablespoons). The lecithin never dissolved and by the end I simply had butter in the pot with a layer of brown gelatinous “goop” at the bottom of the pot.
I tried multiple times to reheat and stir to get it to dissolve but all it ever did was foam up the butter, overflowing once, and I would have to remove from heat to let it settle. The foam never completely went away each time though without having to scoop it off the top each time after heating. Eventually I just gave up and accepted the bilayer concoction. I poured the whole mixture off into a pan to cool and solidify.
I only use my butter for one thing and that is chocolate chip cookies. So, I just plan to flip it over and cut the bilayer butter into weighed strips that equal 1 stick like normal. The top will just be the firmed lecithin “goop” layer. I’ll add the “1 stick” to the cookie recipe as normal in the mixer. At least the lecithin will still be incorporated as well as the hash butter….. at least that’s what I am hoping…. in a perfect world maybe.
Sorry for the length. Just frustrated ?.
Hey! Do you know if it’s possible to combin sunflower lecithin, maybe a liquid, with honey? Considering making some infused honey but need to find a way to incorporate lipids for the cannabinoids to bind to. Looking forward to hearing from you!
It’s worked great in my gummies… I think the nickname “dos horas” is applicable – you better be where you need to be in a little less than two hours, or else you’ll not be in a condition to drive 🙂
Corinne and community, I’d like to ask a question and see if anyone has any input and perhaps experience with a similar idea not related to cannabis but very relevant to lecithin as an emulsifier.
I’ve discovered an extract from Chinese herbal medicine called L-THP. It does wonderful things in the body when it’s actually absorbed. My experience has been hit or miss mainly I think because it’s not water soluble. My research indicated DMSO would be safe and effective but I was thinking I’d try something totally non-toxic that I already have in-house- liquid lecithin.
Any ideas as to how someone would dissolve non-water soluble crystals? One thing I was thinking was to dissolve the L-THP into herbal tinctures (40% ethanol) such as valerian, chamomile, California poppy, etc (don’t fret, I’ll be taking this stuff at night) and then dump that into a water/lecithin carrier.
If you folks aren’t sure, maybe you could point me in the direction of a resource where I could pose the question?
Were you ever able to find a good organic non-hexane extracted sunflower lecithin? I was going to buy some soon and since most is sold in large quantities I’d like to get ahold of the best stuff. Thanks!
Hi,
thanks a lot for this interesting article.
I really do like your side. Maybe you could consider to add metric measurements on your recipes as well?
I’m very sure your readers outside the US would highly appreciate it. Imperial is a mess to convert when it comes to recipes.
Kind regards from Munich
Mike
Would substituting sunflower oil for coconut oil be more efficacious? Why is coconut oil the only oil anyone ever talks about infusing?
fractionated coconut oil is also known as MCT oil, blends perfectly with all oils and is extremely stable (won’t rot), much better than sunflower
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out where I can get MCT locally tomorrow, but I already have great quality fractionated coconut oil.
I recently made my first cannabis tincture with Food grade, Kosher Glycerin and Sunflower Lecithin liquid(15 ml /Tablespoon). This method produced a more powerful and faster-acting product than my Everclear 151 proof tinctures even though alcohol absorbs more herb than glycerin. It tastes really good as well! Even the high seems smoother! The recipe I am using is at the end of my post.
I just need some clarification on what amount of Sunflower Oil liquid lecithin 15 ml./Tablespoon I should be using when making a tincture with Glycerin. I am not sure if anyone here as any answers and I also will be checking with Magical Butter.com. Here is my confusion:
• In the Magical Butter.com Machine Owner’s Manual, on page 7, the recipe calls for 1 T/15 ml lecithin per cup. On the bottom of the page, highlighted in black, It says “if you use liquid, use only 1 teaspoon/5 ml. per cup/240 ml”. This particular recipe calls for butter as an ingredient and not glycerin.
• On page 9 of the same Manual, glycerin is given as an alternate ingredient to Everclear alcohol, but no mention is made about adding lecithin
• In the Magical Butter.com Essential Cookbook there is a recipe for Magical Coconut Oil. This recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon /15 ml lecithin per cup.
• On wakeandbake.co/lecithin-cannabis oil (this very page) it says to use 1Tablespoon/15 ml lecithin per cup for a Coconut Oil tincture.
I haven’t yet found any other recipe using glycerin with lecithin to make a cannabis tincture. It looks like 1 Tablespoon of 15 ml lecithin per cup might be the right amount, and that is what I am going to use in the tincture I am making right now. However, I am a little confused why on page 7 in the Magical Butter.com Owner’s Manual as to why it says to use only 1 teaspoon/5ml per cup if you use liquid lecithin.
I just want to say that using glycerin and lecithin to make a cannabis tincture is a fabulous way to make a powerful, fast acting, great tasting product. If you have a Magic Butter Machine it’s very easy. I am using 3 c. Food Grade Kosher Glycerine to 25 g of Cannabis plus 3/15 ml Tablespoons of liquid Sunflower Lecithin after decarboxylating the herb first of course. You can adjust the amount of Cannabis and liquid you use according the Magical Butter Machine instructions. The worst part of the production process is straining the tincture after it has gone through the Magical Butter Machine cycle. You have to use cheesecloth and it’s rather messy but well worth the result. If you are straining it while it’s still hot you have to use the Magical Butter glove to protect your hands.
Would I use the same amount of sunflower lecithin liquid as I would powder?
Holly
I use liquid sunflower lecithin and use 1 & 1/2 tablespoons instead of 2 tablespoons for 16oz of oil. It seems to infuse great and doesn’t seem to have the aftertaste like using powder.
I ordered the Levo II package from you, and I am stunned at the speed with which it arrived! Great job! Looking forward to using it.
“coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat.”
Where do you find coconut oil that is 90% saturated fat???
The stuff I find here in Las Vegas, Nevada is either 60% (Tropical Plantation) or 65% (Better Body Foods)…
Tropical Plantation http://www.lilyofthedesert.com
Better Body Foods http://www.betterbodyfoods.com
Any ideas on gettin’ some 90% stuff???
Loove your stuff on Wake + Bake…
The Ardent “lift” works Great, so does the “LEVO”…
Are those pancakes real???
Lol! They’re waffles! And yes they’re real…
I’ll look into the percentage of the oil I was using. I’ve been wrong at math before… I won’t stop now 😉
Hi Mark, I am very curious about the use of dMSO with the Lthp, if your Into opening a dialogue about it please email me! [email protected]
As for dissolving the crystals, just mix them up in a little bit of strong alcohol
Thanks for the information about lecithin.
I added it to my coconut oil/brownie recipe,keeping everything else the same. It sped up both the onset and the intensity of the effect. The duration seemed about the same.
Two tablespoons of lecithin is 15 grams,so one tablespoon is 7.5 grams. Since the brownie recipe calls for a 1/3 cup of oil,I used two 2400 mg gel caps,which is 2.4 grams.
Gel cap gel melts at about 90 degrees F. It melts quickly at 200 degrees F,but the specific gravity differs from the liquid coconut oil. It goes to the bottom of the mixture but I was careful to stir it up before I strained it. The good news is the straining medium blocked the gel ; I threw away gummy residue and the lecithin stayed in the oil. So yes,you can use the caps. (I have not tried the powder.)
“Someday we shall look back on this dark era of agriculture and shake our heads. How could we have ever believed that it was a good idea to grow our food with poisons?” – Dr. Jane Goodall
Thank you for my new favorite phrase to recoin…. “Honeybee Rapture” It gave me my laugh for the morning and I will be repeating it for friends for infinity! Hmmmm… maybe a T-shirt is in order? Thank you for all your thoughtful information on your site! I recommend it to people often when they are looking for cannabis info!
I should be more careful. In the post above,that should be two 1200 mg capsules for a total of 2.4 grams in a 1/3 cup of oil. Sorry about that.
Hello Corinne!
Great blog – learning a lot from all the material!
I’ve been using lecithin when infusing Ghee, Coconut Oil, and more recently Cocoa Butter. I recently used my Magical Butter machine to infuse 2 pounds of Cocoa Butter – one with Lecithin, one without. I only use organic sunflower lecithin as it seems to work better and doesn’t have the bad rap the soy lecithin does (appropriately). 1 pound of cocao butter and 21 grams of flower, and three tablespoons of lecithin powder. Two hours in the machine and a beautiful 4 cubes of butter. I have moved to cocoa butter for chocolate due to the higher melting temp and use all organic materials – 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, and 1/2 cup of coconut sugar. I bring the chocolate up to soft boil and then spoon it into silicone molds. The Coconut sugar gives it a “crunchy” texture, and it is not very sweet (but delicious). I think I need to get smaller molds as an inch round 1/4″ thick piece of chocolate is a little strong for most folks.
Hello. I’ve really enjoyed a number of your articles. I came here today because I’ve tried adding Sunflower Lecithin to my Ghee Hash infusions a few times and it seems to me there is either a step I am missing or not doing correctly.
I first make the Ghee, I then take 1 cup of Ghee with 5 grams of dried, cured and decarbed ice bubble hash
This part seems fine. The hash mostly dissolves completely, there is some remnants of trichromes and hash. When I inspect this under the loop, its mostly stalks and partically dissolved but empty trichrome spheres.
I then take the warm oil and add 1 table spoon of organic sunflower lecithin powder and stir and stir and stir 😀
the oil thickens slightly, but there seems to be a considerable volume that wont dissolve into the butter and instead collects as a slightly golden, grainy, residue on the bottom of the jar. Is this normal? any way to increase the amount dissolved or is this completely common and I should filter it out later?
I am about to make gummies for my first time. Did you use powder or liquid lecithin? Also if you have any tips for the gummies I would be so grateful to you for any information!!!!
Hi Andrea!
Both are great to use! It’s a personal preference.
If you would like a suggestion on brands here are two great products.
Budget Lecithin: Sunflower Lecithin Powder from Swanson (GMO Free) $9.99
Heady Lecithin: Organic Liquid Sunfl ower Lecithin by Lekithos $29.99
Also, if you are new to cooking with cannabis, you might also be interested in our Cannabis Cooking Mastercourse.
Please let me know if I can answer any other questions!
Warmly,
Victoria (Team Wake + Bake)
I like to use organic liquid sunflower lecithin. Soy lecithin is GMO frankenfood. I dissolve it well into the oil before infusing in my Levo machine. (Pre-heating the oil cuts out the preheating cycle too.)
Regarding sunflower lecithin, I have always thought it is used in edibles to help absorb CBD/THC into the GI tract. But if you are doing sublingual tinctures, the CBD/THC absorbs into the capillaries under your tongue and goes directly into the bloodstream, so no lecithin is needed.
I add lecithin to my coconut oil when I am infusing it, but I also add it to some gummy recipes. One recipe I use 2 tsp of lecithin, yet the oil floats to the top still. A different recipe that I use I only put in 1/2 tsp and there are no problems. The only difference is, the first recipe I had the oil and lecithin to my gummy mixture after the mixture has been heat. In the second recipe that I haven’t had any issues with, I add the oil and lecithin before the heating process. Should this make a difference?
Hello and thank you so much for all the awesome information that you provide. I just received the ardent fx and i’m wanting to make some cannabis infused coconut oil after decarbing to make hard candies. Do I need to use use lecithin to keep the oil from separating when making hard candies..?? If so, do I add it to the fx while adding the coconut oil to the Fx for infusion…?? I’ll be using 8 oz of coconut oil to 8 grams of flower, i’m Assuming using 1 tablespoon of sunflower lecithin.??
Thank you in advance for your help and thank you again for all the help and info that you provide..
Also thank you for the wake and bake coupon code which I used when purchasing the ardent fx and saving $ 30.00… 🙂
Peace and Love to you & yours..
Roger
Hey Now,
I have been a follower of your research for many years. I am the guy whose friends owned White Buffalo Organics.
Under your advice, I treated myself and
purchased an Ardent Flex on 04/20/2022.
It has been a game changer for sure!
I add two tablespoons sunflower lecithin to two cups MCT coconut oil halfway through the infusion process.
Everything I produce turns to green gold!
I have been told the edibles I make are the best anyone have tried. Speaking with all humility of course.
I make baked goods and the effects seem to come on smoothly and quickly.
The main difference I notice is the solubility it creates into liquid infusions.
The gummies are amazing and I can see the oil incorporating when I mix them on the stove. They are all uniform in consistency.
Cannabis coffee is also something I make regularly and the oil stirs right in.
I am even able to mix it in juice. The oil does not rise to the top. I can see the bubbles of oil continue all the way to the bottom of my drinks.
Anyone who uses infused cannabis oil needs to add sunflower lecithin.
Your knowledge and truth are such a blessing for our community.
Your continued commitment to the cause has greatly improved my life quality.
Best wishes for continued success!
Love and Light,
Eric
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You say 1 tsp lecithin per cup of butter/oil.
You also say that the lecithin bonds with the THC to make it more water soluble and be absorbed more quickly.
If that’s the case, then the amount of lecithin to use, should depend on the amount of THC in the butter or oil, right?
If you make a batch of canna coconut oil that’s (say… For example) 700mg THC / Cup do you add 1tsp? 2tsp? What about 2000mg ?
Why does it matter how much oil or butter you use? If I use a premade gummy mix the oil is simply the transfer medium and I’m going to want to use as little butter/oil as possible