How to Make Perfect Gummy Bears with Cannabis Butter

Have you tried making gummies with cannabis butter in the past and it turned out horrible? I can tell you exactly why and how to make store quality gummy bears using cannabis butter.

Gummy Bears made with cannabis butter

I had experience in regular candy making but adding cannabis butter was all new to me. My first few attempts I tried lollipops, they tasted great but the cannabis butter was not evenly mixing and when I poured the syrup into the mold the first few had a lot of the canna butter but the last few had very little.

I had to figure out how to mix a water base product with an oil based one and I remembered an emulsifier is needed.

An emulsifier (also known as an "emulgent") is a substance that stabilizes an emulsion by increasing its kinetic stability. One class of emulsifiers is known as "surface active agents", or surfactants. Emulsifiers are compounds that typically have a polar or hydrophilic (i.e. water-soluble) part and a non-polar (i.e. hydrophobic or lipophilic) part. Because of this, emulsifiers tend to have more or less solubility either in water or in oil. Emulsifiers that are more soluble in water (and conversely, less soluble in oil) will generally form oil-in-water emulsions, while emulsifiers that are more soluble in oil will form water-in-oil emulsions.

I was familiar with two different emulsifiers; soy or sunflower lecithin and guar gum. I did some experimenting with both products.  I found using lecithin changed the flavor and color of the candy that I did not like but it did fully incorporate the cannabis butter. Next I tried the guar gum and they candy turned out way better, Guar gum does not change the flavor or color and fully incorporates the cannabis butter into the syrup. Guar gum is my preference when making gummy bears.)

Follow the recipe below to create store quality, great tasting gummy bears at home.

Makes approx. 100 bears

Instructions:
1 3-ounce box Jell-O Gelatin Dessert powder (Raspberry, lemon, orange, pineapple, lime or strawberry)
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 teaspoon citric acid
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 cup cool water 
1/4 cup water cool water (for unflavored gelatin)

3 tablespoons Cannabis butter melted

1/8 teaspoon guar gum 

You will also need:
2 1-inch silicone bear mold or any other silicone shaped mold you would like.
Spoon or spatula

Directions:

Combine Jell-O, and citric acid in a bowl and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl add 1/4 cup of cool water and evenly sprinkle the unflavored gelatin on top of the water and allow to sit for 5 mins so the gelatin can bloom.

Combine the Jello, citric acid and unflavored gelatin in a medium sauce pan let stand 3 mins.

Turn stove on to medium-low heat and heat syrup to all the sugar has completely dissolved and  syrup is clear. Stir gently trying not to create air bubbles. 

Once the candy syrup is ready, remove from heat and add the cannabis butter and guar gum.

Gently stir the candy syrup for 1-2 minutes or until all the butter is fully incorporated into the syrup. If  the butter is not fully blending in the syrup, add a pinch of guar gum at a time until mixture is all a uniform color.

Use the dropper that comes with mold to fill the cavities of the mold. Do not over fill the cavities.

Let the candy sit for 30 minutes, then put the molds into your refrigerator for another 2 hours.

When the candy is firm push each piece out of the molds and arrange them on a baking sheet or in a large storage container so that they are each standing upright. Let them sit this way for 48 hours, then lay them on their backs for 24 hours. This process will help the bears dehydrate so that they are chewy like the originals. 

Depending on your climate, your gummy bears may have shrunken enough after 72 hours. If not, leave them out for another day or two, until they are chewy. Toss them around every so often as they dry out. When they are chewy enough for you, seal them up in an air-tight covered container or zip-top bag. Keep them stored in a sealed container and they should last for a couple weeks.

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome - Are you Frustrated with Getting Diagnosed?

Is anyone else frustrated with their health care provider and getting properly diagnosed and treated for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome? I am and my frustration has hit a whole new level.

Today, I had an appointment with my nurse practitioner to get an updated note for my sick leave benefits and to get any test results or referral updates. First off, my nurse practitioner has absolutely no idea what Ehlers-Danlos is other than the definition she read on Google on my last visit and all she understands is it's a connective tissue disorder. She can't even spell it, today she had to ask me several times how to spell it while she was filling out requisitions. 

I asked her if she received the assessment from the Physiotherapist. She was looking in her email and my file and could not find any report. I let her know it's possible it came under by married name and not my maiden name. She says if it came with a different last name she would not get it. My NP had to step out of the office for a minute. I was looking on her desk and saw a fax with my name on it from the Physiotherapist's office. I picked it up to look at it and it was the report from the Physiotherapist. 

How much confidence can I have with my NP when she is not smart enough to think the report was for the same Elizabeth just because the last name was different? How many patients can she have with the Name Elizabeth going to Concept Movements with the same home address and phone #? My guess is none.

Next my NP, does not believe I have EDS, because my Rheumatoid Factor is high, she thinks I have Rheumatoid arthritis. I told her that the RF would be effected by EDS. I've shown her my floating knew caps, loose skin, scares, and she looks at me like a deer in the headlights. 

In the last few months I have been losing a lot of weight. I have gone from 125-112 lbs in 3 months. I expressed my concern about the weight loss and she told me to eat. Once again her knowing 0 about EDS and that it can effect the bodies ability to absorb the calories and vitamins needed. Even though I eat, it goes right through me.   

After 3 months of seeing her to try and get properly diagnosed and treated, I'm pretty much no further ahead. She has not prescribed anything for the inflammation or chronic pain, nothing to help with sleeping  as I only get about 2-4 hours of sleep a night. She has not referred me to a Dr's who knows something about EDS.

I've done a lot of my own research to better understand the EDS and how I can better cope living with chronic pain and how to take care of my body to avoid injuries. I have never been one to take pills, especially pain killers like Percocet or Tylenol 3's. I never take anything stronger then extra strength Tylenol. The Tylenol only helped with headaches but does not for the wide spread body paid. 

Recently I tried "edibles", I wasn't sure if I was high but the one thing I did notice was my shoulders were very relaxed and the pain had subsided quiet a bit. A friend of mine gave me some cannabis butter and I made some baked goods and candy and found they work better then any pain medication I've tried before.  I'v posted a couple of my recipes and will continue to post edible recipes you can make at home. One nice thing about making your own edibles is you can adjust the dosage that works best for your pain or ailment. So far I've made banana bread, peanut butter cups, lollipops, caramels and gummy bears.

I would love to hear from you about the frustrations you face having EDS, or have tips or suggestions living with EDS and chronic pain.


Some images of my EDS.