Decarboxylate your cannabis by baking it in an oven-safe dish at 240°F for 1 hour. (This “activates” the THC and CBD by converting them from their acid forms.)

Add about 2 inches of water to a medium saucepan, bring to a moderate boil, and set a heat.proof bowl on top, or use a double boiler, which is less likely to tip. Add 2 cups of butter and the lecithin (optional) to the bowl and allow it to melt. (I’m just going to call it butter from here on in— substitute in your mind for coconut or olive oils as needed.) Add 1 cup of water (with butter only) and your bud. (Or add water, butter, and bud to slow cooker. Skip adding water if infusing olive oil, as you won’t be able to separate it later. But be sure to keep temperatures low.)

Allow the butter to heat without boiling for 3 hours (if you have a candy thermometer, aim for 160–200°F), stirring occasionally and making sure the saucepan doesn’t boil dry. (Or cook using a low-heat setting for 8–12 hours in a slow cooker.) This process extracts the THC from the green and binds it to the butter.

Congrats, you now have cannabutter! Allow the magic you’ve created to cool until you can comfortably work with it, but make sure it stays liquid.

Pour the cannabutter through a cheesecloth or fine sieve into a container. (Take care not to use plastic if the butter is still too warm.) Press as much butter out of the cheesecloth as you can, and discard the now-useless plant matter.

Chill the cannabutter in the fridge. When solid, lift the infused butter from the container and turf the water that has separated to the bottom. Label and store the cannabutter in the fridge or freezer for later use—I usually go for freezing it because it’s heartbreaking to toss a precious infusion over concerns it’s gone bad. Don’t reheat cannabutter in the microwave.