Few fields are as creative and innovative as the cannabis industry — and the market never stands still for long. Do you love the full-body high you get from edibles, but do the effects take way too long to kick in for your liking or do you have a medical condition that saddles you with a low appetite?
Do you like the thought of THC concentrates, but simply don’t want to smoke? Or do you simply want to experiment with the latest and greatest on the market so you can live the high life in a whole different way?
Welcome to the world of THC syrup.
Yup. You bet that the name speaks for itself — but how do you use it, and why? How can you make THC syrup easily at home if you’re feeling adventurous, but why should you stick to professionally-made THC products?
No doubt “THC surp” as some affectionally call it is a wildly exciting new frontier in the legal cannabis space. But with great power comes great responsibility as anyone who has eaten waaay too many edibles can tell you. With anything new it pays to learn the basics like, “what is THC syrup” or “how to do I use THC syrup“
Well, as we are with all things cannabis, Herb CEO has got your back. So, please read on as we dissect this fascinating new product and tell you everything you need to know about THC syrup.
What Is THC Syrup?
THC Syrup is exactly “what it says on the tin”. It’s syrup, and it’s got (copious amounts of) THC. If you need a refresher on what tetrahydrocannabinol is, how it works, and the various forms of it for sale today, we recommend our THC explainer guide.
You already have a fairly good idea of what a syrup is, but just in case you were wondering if there was an official definition, there is. A syrup is a tick, viscous, liquid, and that’s something you can achieve in two different ways. These days, most syrups are created with a mixture of water and sugar, boiled slowly.
Natural syrups are extracted from plant sources like tree sap — think maple syrup. Syrups are often used for medicinal purposes, where they’re great for folks who have trouble swallowing pills, but some are also designed to add flavor to your life and used in cooking. THC syrup delivers on both counts, of course.
THC syrup is usually manufactured by infusing plant glycerine or coconut oil with a potent THC concentrate like wax or shatter. Simpler, home-made THC syrups can be produced by making a simple syrup with water and sugar and adding dabs like shatter, wax, honeycomb, or even THC oil into the mix.
Why would you try THC syrup, when cannabis is available in so many different forms? Just what makes it different? A couple of different unique characteristics set THC syrup apart:
- The high you get from THC syrups is a whole lot like the experience most edibles would yield — stronger and longer than smoking a joint.
- Unlike edibles, though, the effects of THC syrup kick in really fast, definitely in less than half an hour. This makes them perfect for inpatient cannabis enthusiasts.
- You can add THC syrup to your favorite soda or just down it neat. Yup, that does mean that THC syrup allows you to enjoy cannabis discretely, if that’s important to you. There will be no smells or paraphernalia to give you away! Quite apart from that, though, THC syrup can also be a whole lot easier to ingest for medicinal users whose medical conditions are making it hard for them to smoke or eat.
How Is THC Syrup Different Than THC Lean?
“Lean” — Codeine and promethazine cough syrup — has risen to infamy across the rap and Hip-Hop scenes, as well as beyond. This risky stuff got its name from the fact that the opiates in the syrup are addictive, dangerous, and render you unable to stand up (so you lean over).
Of course, it was only a matter of time before some users discovered that they could add buds to lean to create a product with an even more powerful combination of effects. That’s how THC lean was born.
How is THC syrup different from THC lean? Just think of it this way — lean is mean, but THC syrup is clean! This medicinal cannabis product doesn’t contain any opiates. It’s simply an alternative way to consume marijuana. The difference between THC syrup vs weed lean can’t be overstated. The two are as far apart as a planet and a black hole.
How Is THC Syrup Made?
Although commercially-produced THC syrups from legal weed markets do exist (and some great ones, too!), they can be hard to come by. Some people will have no choice but to make their own. The good news is that THC syrup actually isn’t very tricky to make yourself, so long as you have the right ingredients.
You’re still best off going to the pros if you can, especially if you’re new to THC syrup, but in case you do want to experiment at home, the process of making THC syrup isn’t dangerous (in the sense that no combustible materials are required) or overly complicated.
Here’s how to get started with a small batch of THC syrup:
- You’ll need a nicely-sized pan, a measuring cup, a wooden ladle, a funnel, a bottle, water, sugar, and a THC concentrate of your choice — wax and shatter are easiest to work with, as they dissolve quickly over a low heat.
- Start by measuring out 200 ml of water and placing it into your pan, and then add 400 ml of sugar to create a syrup with a long shelf life of up to three months. Mix thoroughly and constantly on a low heat until your mixture reaches a boil.
- You’re now ready to add your decarboxylated THC concentrate — although nothing’s out of the question, wax and shatter are the very best choices for beginners.
- Congratulations! Your THC syrup is ready! You’ll still have to siphon the THC syrup into a bottle using your funnel (a silicone funnel is easiest to use and clean). Allow the mixture to cool down slightly, but not all the way, before you do this. Once your syrup has safely been delivered to the bottle, and has cooled down completely, store it in the fridge.
If you’re using buds rather than THC concentrate, the process of making THC syrup is going to be a bit more labor intensive. Not only will you have to strain your legal herbs out of your syrup using a cheesecloth, the THC also takes longer to leave the plants and get into your syrup.
For this reason, using a rice cooker or slow cooker is preferred. These appliances consistently maintain a low heat that won’t ruin your cooking project.
The fine folks over at Nugsmasher, one of, if not THE leading cannabis extraction press manufacturing companies, has a GREAT tutorial on how to make your own fresh, pure, potent THC extract we highly recommend:
How Potent Is THC Syrup? How Do You Dose It?
Good question, but tricky to answer. Remember the advice to stick with commercially-produced THC syrups from reputable manufacturers — especially if you’re new to THC syrup, and doubly so if you also don’t have much experience with edibles?
That’s because home-made batches of THC syrup could have literally any potency, and you’ll have absolutely no way to tell how high you’ll get. THC syrups for sale in legal dispensaries, on the other hand, have to have clear labels that tell you how much THC you’ll be ingesting.
The best advice? Opt for a professionally-produced THC syrup, and even then, take it slow. For your first dose, choose no more than 5 mg — which can still produce a whole-body high that lasts for ages.
How Do You Get the Best Experience From THC Syrup?
So, you’ve either just made your own batch of THC syrup or sourced a commercial THC syrup from one of the top manufacturers? Now, you’ll want to know how you can best use this marijuana product. There’s no shortage of choices!
Adding THC syrup to your favorite soft drink is perhaps the most popular application. Some folks choose a nice herbal tea or even sparkly water as the basis for their syrup, instead. Just keep in mind that you’ll want to choose a complementary flavor or a simple sweetened THC syrup if you’ll be enjoying your THC syrup in an already-flavored drink.
Another word of warning: no matter how tempting it may be, don’t mix THC syrup into alcoholic beverages. If you’ve ever imbibed after downing some edibles, you’ll already know why.
Don’t like soft drinks? No worries. You can also simply swallow THC syrup neat, exactly as you would with any liquid medicine, or apply it sublingually. If you do choose to apply THC syrup under your tongue, remember to keep the syrup in place for a minute or two before swallowing it. This is the method of choice for people who need symptom relief as soon as possible, as the effects of the THC syrup will become apparent rather quickly.
That pretty bottle of THC syrup is giving you pancake vibes? Some cannabis enthusiasts do put their THC syrup to work in precisely that way! There’s nothing wrong with pouring some THC syrup over your favorite pancakes or oatmeal. Do keep in mind that you’ll want to dose it out first, add it to maple syrup or honey, and mix the two to create a diluted syrup.
THC Syrup Flavors: What Do You Need to Know?
THC syrups are on the market in all sorts of flavors — watermelon, grape, blueberry, orange, and lemon are just the start! These flavors may be made with the help of artificial flavoring extracts, so if you have any food sensitivities, keep an eye out for that. Others are 100 percent natural.
What Are the Benefits of THC Syrup?
By choosing THC syrup, you get all the benefits of other THC products — like edibles, shatter, wax, or buds. Among many other uses, THC syrup can offer relief from nausea, increase your appetite, alleviate your chronic pain, relax your muscles, and help you get a good night’s sleep.
Unlike other cannabis products, THC syrup will never irritate your lungs, and if eating is difficult for you at the moment, THC syrup is without a doubt the easiest way to ingest cannabis.
As THC syrup is one of the fastest-acting cannabis products available on the market today, it’s especially well-suited for people who need relief immediately.
One final benefit lies in the fact that THC syrup is incredibly discrete. Nobody needs to know that you’re ingesting cannabis if you don’t want them to. Finding relief, or getting high, becomes as easy as sipping on a soda when you’ve got THC syrup with you. Should you have picked a flavored THC syrup, the people around you might pick up on a hint of raspberry or watermelon — but that’s it.
Are There Any Dangers You Should Be Aware Of?
Of course. THC syrup’s got an unfair reputation for being dangerous, but not all concerns are entirely unwarranted. THC syrup is as safe as you make it.
The main mistakes people new to THC syrup make would be going overboard with the dosage and mixing their THC syrup with alcohol. The advice to take it slow is so common in the cannabis community for a reason.
Begin with the lowest possible dose, something that really depends on sourcing your THC syrup from a dispensary, and build up gradually once you know what to expect. Some people do add THC syrup to alcohol cocktails, but that’s not recommended.
Popular Pre-Made THC Syrup Brands (Dispensary Available!)
Ready to go shopping? These are some of the best commercially-manufactured THC syrups on the market today, and there’s a good chance you’ll find at least one of them at your local legal dispensary.
- Baked Bros makes a whole line of beautifully-packaged pourable THC syrup products available with THC contents of 50mg, 300mg, and 600mg. These THC syrups are designed for folks who crave novel flavors. Mango, cherry, and pineapple are some of their best flavors, but if you prefer your THC syrup plain, they have that, too.
- Liquid Karma makes some of the most powerful THC syrups on the market — 1000 mg of THC. They’ve poured their creative efforts into just three flavors; Cherry Delight, Miami Breeze, and Strawberry Bliss.
- Qualitech’s OG Diggs THC syrup is a 500mg THC syrup that’s made in four distinct flavors. Choose from Purple Drip (nope, still not lean), Hawaiian Pineapple, or Original Cherry Bomb.
One of our favorite ways here at Herb CEO to get a weekend party going and flowing is to make craft cannabis cocktails, which include all the regular cocktail ingredients but instead of alcohol as the main “fun” ingredient we add a bit of THC syrup and sometimes full-spectrum CBD oil too for a high that stays in control and can be ridden all night long!
Check your local dispensary and ask your friendly neighborhood budtender to see what other brands they might have available! Don’t have any options nearby? Most of these brands have e-commerce options too so if you’re living in a state with legal online sales and delivery you don’t even have to get off the couch. #winning!
