Hard Candy/Hash Oil Question

Hello everyone,

I am extremely new to making edibles and I really want to start making hard candies. My dispensary had some for a while, but I am sick of waiting for them to restock and I would like to try my own flavors.

In order to get the most refined taste, I have been reading up on doing an alcohol extraction and then infusing that into the candy syrup. The only problem is, I read some places that I should soak the trimmings in alcohol for 2+ weeks, while other places recommend leaving the trimmings in alcohol for only 1 minute to prevent chlorophyll and other undesirables from being removed as well.

Although I would like to get the most from my trimmings and soak for a while, I really do not want to sacrifice taste. Has anyone used either of these processes in candy or other edible making? Has there been an effect on the taste? Hard candy seems perfect for my needs, but I don't want to waste ounces of precious trim for a product that tastes like grass.

Thank you all in advance for helping out a noob!

Justin Hail

A 'quick wash' using alcohol will remove almost all the active potency from the plant matter, and will cause the glandular material to begin breaking down, however, the 'long wait' is for enhanced bioavailability.


Even when it is fully activated, tacky and gooey, cannabis glandular material is notoriously difficult for the body to absorb, when all on its own.

This is why, in order to absorb cannabinoids into the blood stream when they are eaten, or when they are delivered sublingually or via the buccal method, we make oils, and tinctures of alcohol and glycerine. These edible solvents not only break down glandular material, but they have the unique ability to help deliver that material to the blood stream.

When consumed, it must still have that alcohol (or other edible solvent) with it, in order to easily penetrate the cellular membranes and enter the blood stream. When making a candy using an alcohol based tincture, or Dragon, that alcohol will dissipate, leaving you with only mildly effective, difficult to absorb glandular material. You will need to consume much more active material, in the hopes of absorbing the small amount made available to your system. Consuming glandular material in this way can 'work' and will provide an amount of effect, but where it requires so much more material than a properly made tincture or oil, it is ineffective, versus preserving the presence of that solvent in your edible.

This is why hard candy recipes made using an oil infusion, come out so much stronger and more powerful, even when less material is used. In this case, the lipids behave as the 'vehicle' which delivers cannabinoids, into your system. Coconut oil is not only a superior oil for providing delivery, but it is solid at room temp and can minimize potential leakage from candy, should your oil not be as concentrated (meaning if your oil is weaker than you'd like, and more is required per dose, you can get away with using a bit more more than you otherwise could, if it were a liquid oil, without ruining the consistency of your candy).

You can certainly use grain alcohol to quick-wash the potency from your material, then evaporate that alcohol prior to infusing with oil, but by using a pure oil source and minimizing water contamination, from the start, you will produce a much more palatable and 'clean' end-product. Your oil should be a dark brown, almost black color in the end.. and when thinned out on a sheet of glass, with light showing behind it, your oil should appear an amber-gold, with little to no green color, present. Washing with alcohol and water, especially when washing for long enough (just a few moments) to remove a greater percentage of the potency, will pull in much more inert, and for many patients, 'icky-tasting' plant matter. It pulls in a much greater amount of contamination, than a longer, hot oil soak does. And for the best tasting results, you'll want to start by using an extract, or high THC concentrate from your local clinic.


The below may help you:


To learn how to make this (or your trimmings...)




Into this...






See the link below:

(First Page, contains detailed information on decarboxylation, or cannabinoid conversion..
decarboxylation is the process of activating your cannabinoids 'potency' by removing the
carboxyl group in the form of carbon dioxide and water vapor, converting your cannabinoids
from their acid, to their more potent delta forms):

BadKat's CannaPharm Photo Tutorials: Highly Activated Med Grade Bioavailable Hash & Canna Oils, Edibles, Drinkables and more..


The best oils, produce little to no odor during processing, if sealed properly and heated and cooled correctly. You can easily put it in any boxed brownie mix... be sure to read the final paragraph for detailed dosage information.



This above link also contains recipes for these, and other hard candies... the most important factors beyond the quality of your oil, are knowing how and more importantly when, to add your oil, in order to avoid potential vaporization of volatile cannabinoids, and the degradation, of those remaining.