6min. read
Here in Los Angeles, Halloween is celebrated and held in the same ”hallowed” status as many of our national holidays. It makes sense, Hollywood exists to create alternate realties and at the personal level, we have access to the best costume warehouses on the planet. If you’re a DYI person, where else can you reach out to an Oscar® winning costume designer for alien costume tips? Need an Emmy® winning makeup artist for the latest in zombie styling? To quote a line from the classic Sci-Fi film, Terminator 2, it’s no problemo.
Medical Marijuana has been legal in California since 1996 with the passage of Proposition 215. On January 1, 2018, recreational cannabis for adults became legal when Prop 64 went into effect. This will be the first California Halloween celebration that permits legal adult use of recreational cannabis, and we wanted to explore fun and safe edible cannabis confections that may appear at a Halloween party near you. Like any celebration, if you’re going to consume, and need to get home after the party, designate a driver or use a ride-sharing service. Most importantly, if you’re the host, take whatever precautions are needed to ensure the safety of kids and pets. This is a celebration for adults only, age 21 and over.
Treat Yourself
Halloween doesn’t really lend itself to formal dinner parties. It’s generally more of an appetizer or small plate event. So, if you’re thinking about providing cannabis-infused treats, how do you even start? Are you creating your own confections, purchasing edible products, or serving a combination of both? Whatever you decide as the host or chef, you must absolutely plan accordingly to avoid overindulgence by one or more guests. A good rule of thumb is to keep any THC dosage on the weak side and alternate between infused, non-infused, and CBD only treats. Always include placards or labels to identify the infused, non-infused, and CBD goodies. If alcohol is served, remember, this increases reactions to THC (the psychoactive compound in cannabis). You should also consider the very real possibility of food allergies or other intestinal intolerances and provide alternates as needed. One more thing. As the host or chef, talk with all of your guests to give them the various menu items and content breakdowns. Unless they are good friends, assume they know nothing about cannabis edibles that contain THC, or the lag time for effects to set in. For many, this may be their first experience with edibles, so do all you can to make it a positive one. After all, once consumed, it can’t be undone. Plan it right and be an observant host.
The Trick to Home Baked Cannabis Party Platters
The secret to creating cannabis-infused edibles is that the THC must be heated in order to provide the desired effect. Sprinkling raw ground flower on top of a cooked pizza is a waste of time and money. But if you’re game to put on your Kiss the Chef apron and get into the kitchen, one company, in particular, can make the process much easier; MagicalButter.com. They have products to create butters, oils, and tinctures and they also provide recipes. This is an excellent starting place to make some fantastic infusions where the infused butter or oil makes all the difference in the final result.
We asked Chef Brandon Allen, the inaugural winner of the High Times Magazine Top Cannabis Chef contest, for his thoughts on platter planning. He recommended that hosts “stimulate your guest’s senses with a combination of traditional and unique flavors, providing them with a sense of creativity while they build their tasting plates.” Even better, he provided a recipe for a party dip:
Linalool Infused Roasted Jalapeno Crema
The Ingredients
4 jalapeno peppers
1 cup whole fat sour cream
1 bunch cilantro
4-5 medium to large mint leaves
Zest of one lime
Juice of 1/2 a lime
4-7 drops of True Terpenes Linalool
Salt & Pepper
The Recipe
Wash the jalapenos, roast over an open flame until completely charred, cover in a container to steam for 10 minutes. Scrape off the charred skin, remove seeds and stem, rough chop.
Wash and spin cilantro and mint, rough chop.
Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.
Add 4 drops of linalool, blend, and taste before you add more. Keep in mind that as the crema rests, the linalool flavor will increase as it distributes evenly throughout the crema. Do not exceed 7 drops or the flavor will be too powerful and it will take over the recipe.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cannabis Edibles Guidelines for Adults
If you are making your own cannabis-infused edibles, again, dosing amounts are critical. Angel Teger, founder of Ruby Doobie Exquisite Cannabis Edibles offered the following guidelines:
- Label or identify all edibles. Don’t let your guests be surprised by an experience they weren’t expecting. Make sure everyone knows which treats are infused and approximately how much THC is in each serving portion.
- Keep dosages per serving low. A low dosage edible would be between 5 and 10 mg for an experienced user, even less for a beginner. Higher doses can cause drowsiness and/or paranoia in some people. You definitely don’t want your party going down that road. Keep your party energy up and festive by keeping the doses low.
- Encourage your guests to wait 20 minutes before deciding whether or not to eat more infused edibles. The effects from edibles can take a little while to come on, especially if you’ve had a large meal earlier in the day. Advise guests to eat small portions, then wait 20 to 30 minutes to see how they feel before eating more.
- Be cautious about offering cannabis edibles with alcohol. If your party guests are inexperienced with cannabis edibles, then I strongly suggest you avoid offering both edibles and alcohol. I’ve seen it before – the inexperienced but eager party-goer has a couple of cocktails before eating a cannabis edible and, before you know it, they’re no longer enjoying the party. If, on the other hand, your friends are experienced consumers, then you could even serve them a cocktail made with cannabis-infused alcohol, but again, caution is warranted.
Skip the Kitchen, Go Professional
For those party planners who want to purchase goodies, Erika Fletcher from VCC Brands recommended their Cannabis Quencher Fruit Sparks. “They are perfect for an adult Halloween party treat because they are a sugar free, zero calorie, microdosed treat that you can share with a friend! They come in different flavors so you have a variety of complimentary options like Watermelon, Green Apple, Blue Raspberry, a 1:1 CBD Ratio Strawberry and 1:1 CBD Ratio Mango.”
What’s a Halloween party without delectable chocolate treats? Christie Strong from KIVA Confections suggested their premium chocolate bars “because they melt beautifully and come in a variety of delicious flavors. With 5 mg of THC in each square, your guests can feel secure that their edible experience will be a welcomed treat.”
As we mentioned earlier, also consider CBD only treats. CBDdailyeats has a line of hemp-based CBD cooking products such as Olive Oil, Vegetable Oil, Chili Oil and several marinades that are perfect for parties.
Cannabis Halloween Candy for Adults
If you’re going to purchase edibles, Three Wells can help make it easy. Visit our edible products page for more ideas like tantalizing brownie-bites and savory pretzels from The Venice Cookie Company. How about Espresso Tera Bites from KIVA Confections to add some energy? Thinking about Gummies? Add these Wana Blueberry Sour Gummies to your party pumpkin. Browse our pages for more ideas, but remember, go easy with the THC content in whatever edibles that you serve. If you’re planning on a trip to your local dispensary, ask the budtenders for suggestions they may have in stock. Again, consider using some CBD products that contain little or no THC content as part of your party platter planning.
As Chef Brandon mentioned, creativity can be a fun part of your prepared treats. For more ideas, there are a plethora of cannabis infusion recipes on the internet, but we loved a collection found on Pinterest. It puts a whole new meaning for Crock Pot possibilities.
To you and your friends, Three Wells wishes you a happy, scary, and safe Halloween. If you have ideas, party planning tips, or recipes to share, let’s start a conversation.
Philip Rebentisch is the Content Editor for Three Wells.
