What Is Marijuana Syrup?
Marijuana syrup is a liquid cannabis infusion you stir into drinks. THC or CBD binds to a base of simple syrup, vegetable glycerin, or honey, so the mixture pours into soda, tea, and lemonade without separating. Most homemade batches start with decarbed flower or a cannabis tincture, which lets you measure a dose per ounce instead of guessing.
How Do You Make Cannabis Syrup at Home?
You need three things: decarbed cannabis, a sugar or glycerin base, and an emulsifier. The process takes about two hours, and the finished syrup holds in the fridge for months.
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Step 1: Decarb the Flower
Raw cannabis stores THC in an acidic form your body cannot use. Heat converts it. Spread ground flower on a parchment-lined sheet and bake at 240°F for 40 minutes. Open a window, because the kitchen will smell strong.
Step 2: Build the Base
Warm 1 cup of water with 2 cups of sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Pull the pan off the burner before it boils hard. A 2:1 ratio gives a thick syrup that carries flavor and resists spoilage.
Step 3: Infuse
Stir a cannabis tincture or glycerin infusion into the warm syrup, off the heat. Use 1 to 2 ounces of tincture per cup of syrup for a batch near 5 mg THC per ounce. Keep the temperature low, since boiling drives off cannabinoids and turns the flavor bitter.
Step 4: Add Lecithin
Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of sunflower lecithin per cup. Lecithin keeps THC suspended in water-based drinks so the dose stays even from the first sip to the last. Without it, cannabis oil floats to the top of the glass.
Step 5: Bottle and Chill
Pour the syrup into a clean glass bottle while warm, then refrigerate. Label the bottle with the date and the milligrams of THC per ounce. Amber glass blocks light and slows degradation.
Marijuana Syrup Drink Recipes
Each recipe below makes one 8 to 10 ounce drink. Doses assume syrup that carries 5 mg THC per ounce. Use a weaker batch if you want finer control over the pour.
1. Cannabis Cherry Limeade
Tart, cold, and built for a hot afternoon.
- 1 oz cannabis syrup
- 4 oz tart cherry juice
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 4 oz club soda
- Ice and a lime wheel
Stir the syrup, cherry juice, and lime in a glass with ice. Top with club soda and stir once more. Add the lime wheel.
2. THC Iced Tea (Arnold Palmer)
Black tea covers the herbal note from the cannabis.
- 4 oz brewed black tea, chilled
- 4 oz lemonade
- 1 oz cannabis syrup
- Lemon slice
Pour the tea and lemonade over ice, then add the syrup and stir for 10 seconds.
3. Cannabis Ginger Fizz
Spicy ginger and lime cut through the sweetness of the syrup.
- 1 oz cannabis syrup
- 4 oz ginger beer
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- 2 mint leaves
Press the mint between your hands, drop it in a glass with ice, and add the syrup and lime. Finish with ginger beer.
4. Frozen Mango Cooler
A blender drink for warm evenings.
- 1 oz cannabis syrup
- 1 cup frozen mango
- 3 oz coconut water
- 1 oz lime juice
Blend everything until smooth and pour into a chilled glass. The frozen fruit gives the drink body without watering it down with ice.
How Much Syrup Goes in a Drink?
Start with 2.5 to 5 mg of THC if you are new to edibles. That equals half an ounce to 1 ounce of a 5 mg-per-ounce syrup.
- 0.5 oz syrup = about 2.5 mg THC (light)
- 1 oz syrup = about 5 mg THC (standard serving in most US states)
- 2 oz syrup = about 10 mg THC (experienced users)
Wait two hours before you pour a second drink. The full effect takes 30 to 60 minutes to arrive, and the high builds in stages after that. Food in your stomach flattens the curve and stretches the timeline.
How Long Does Cannabis Syrup Last?
A sugar-based syrup with glycerin holds for 2 to 3 months in the refrigerator. Honey-based versions keep longer because honey resists bacteria. Discard the bottle if you see mold, a sour smell, or bubbles that were not there before.
Freeze a large batch in ice cube trays if you make more than you can use. One standard cube holds about 1 ounce. Thaw cubes in the fridge overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does heat destroy THC in syrup?
Sustained heat above 300°F degrades THC. Warm syrup below 200°F is safe, which is why you add the tincture off the burner and never boil the finished batch.
Can you mix cannabis syrup with alcohol?
You can, but the pair hits harder than either one alone. Alcohol speeds absorption and blurs your sense of how high you are. If you drink both, use half the syrup you would take on its own.
How long do the effects last?
Expect 4 to 6 hours from a single serving. Peak effects land near the 2-hour mark, then fade without the sharp drop that comes after smoking.
Can you use store-bought cannabis syrup instead?
Yes. Legal dispensaries in the US sell bottled THC syrup in flavors like berry, cola, and lemon. Check the label for milligrams per bottle and per serving, since those numbers vary between brands. Eden Cannabis keeps bottled syrup on hand for in-store pickup if you would rather skip the infusion step, and the drink recipes above work with it the same way.
What if the syrup separates in the bottle?
Shake it before every pour. Separation is normal in a glycerin base, and a firm shake puts the cannabinoids back into suspension.