To say that the market for marijuana edibles was underestimated is more than a little off. Colorado citizens shed light on this issue when they purchased a month’s worth of edible marijuana products in 72 hours once their new legalization law went into effect this January.

The incredible demand caused a major delay for baked goods and other marijuana infused products. To help meet the demand, dispensaries decided to limit the amount of edibles customers could purchase.

But even by rationing out edibles, most stores could not keep their shelves stocked and customers were left searching for alternatives.

From marijuana candy to sodas to chewing gum, consumers have a wide variety of choices to ingest THC.

The sheer volume of customers willing to try edibles has not gone unnoticed by big business either.

How Did The Market Reach This Point?

At one time, not too long ago actually, the discussion of marijuana edibles was considered taboo. Today, you’ll find entire websites dedicated to cooking with weed. In fact, you’ll even find companies that offer marijuana edibles in specialty stores where the herb is legal. Times are changing in America and the attitude towards marijuana is changing with it. The rise of the medical marijuana industry and the push for legalization is proof of that.

The Rise of the Medical Marijuana Industry

In 2013, Colorado made history by becoming the first state to allow the use of cannabis recreationally. This is the country’s first fully regulated market for adults, and so far, it’s proving to be a profitable business. But before Colorado passed this bill, several other states had already legalized the use of medical marijuana.

Since the legalization of medical marijuana and the full legalization in Colorado, several companies that offer medical-grade marijuana have gone public. Some medical marijuana stocks have gone through the roof, while others are steadily rising.

So far in the United States, more than 20 states have legalized medical marijuana and two have legalized recreational use. Medical marijuana stocks are on the rise. It’s clear that the public – and states – are changing their attitude about the use of cannabis. Canada will be legalizing marijuana nationwide.

Why has the public changed its mind? The push for legalization has been a long time in the making, with efforts dating back to the 60s and 70s. However, there are some studies that also demonstrate some of the health benefits of marijuana when used for medicinal purposes.

Based off of recent research, cannabis can be used to:

• Treat glaucoma
• Reverse the carcinogenic effects of tobacco smoking and actually improve lung capacity
• Keep epileptic seizures under control
• Decrease the symptoms of Dravet’s Syndrome
• Relieve anxiety
• Help prevent cancer from spreading
• Slow the progression of Alzheimer’s
• Relieve pain and reduce muscle spasms
• Treat IBD
• Improve the symptoms of Lupus
• Soothe tremors for those with Parkinson’s
• Possibly eliminate Chron’s disease
• Treat PTSD
• Protect the brain after a stroke

With all of these possible health benefits, it’s easy to see why so many people are not only smoking medical marijuana, but eating it too.

The Green Rush

Much like the Gold Rush last century, a new frontier for investors has emerged with the legalization movement. The marijuana industry has only scratched the surface in terms of products and customer reach. For 2014, the initial expectations of 2 billion dollars seem to be short of what demand has shown us through the first quarter of the year.   By 2019, the edibles industry is set to gross more than 10 billion dollars.

Most of the ingestible products are easier to transport and ship between states than raw product. That makes the edible product industry perfect for marijuana stock companies and investors looking to do business in multiple markets. The ability to go national quickly makes edible companies like Dixie Elixirs, Cheeba Chews very appealing to investors. If you are looking to make a marijuana stock purchase, one of these companies should be high on your list of potential cannabis investments.

Homemade Weed Edibles Recipes

Listed below are the top 5 marijuana edible recipes that you can make yourself, or buy in a specialty store.

1. Marijuana Brownies

Marijuana brownies are probably the most famous of all marijuana edibles. They’re delicious and easy to make, but you have to be careful – eating one too many may not be the best idea. There are countless special brownies recipes on the web, but the one listed below is one of the most famous.

Special Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 tbs. THC oil, or cannabis oil
• 5 oz. chocolate
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbs. applesauce
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tbsp. corn syrup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Mix together the coco powder, flour, salt and baking powder.
3. Heat the THC oil and chocolate in a double boiler over high heat. Whisk the mixture continuously until the chocolate and oil have melted. Remove from heat.
4. Whisk in the brown sugar, applesauce and corn syrup. Add egg whites and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
5. Stir in flour until the batter is smooth.
6. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

2. Cannabutter

maCannabutter is a great way to infuse cannabis into butter to use in baking recipes, or as a substitute in any recipe that calls for butter. The process is surprisingly simple.

Here’s how to make cannabutter:

1. You’ll need 1/4 ounce of finely ground cannabis and a stick of salted butter.
2. Heat the butter on low heat in a medium-sized skillet.
3. Add the ground cannabis to the butter mixture slowly, stirring constantly.
4. Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes. Stir frequently.
5. Strain the butter into a container using a fine mesh strainer. Press the back of a spoon against the ground cannabis to squeeze out all of the cannabutter.
6. Store your cannabutter in the refrigerator for later use or use it immediately.

3. Marijuana Tea

Herbs have been traditionally enjoyed in teas for centuries, so it only makes sense that marijuana tea would make the list for the top 5 cannabis edibles. The good news is that brewing your own cup is simple. You’ll need some cannabutter for this recipe if you want to take advantage of marijuana’s psychoactive effects.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 Tea bag
• 1 Tea cup
• 1 Tsp. of cannabutter (See recipe above)

Directions

1. Boil a pot of water.
2. Add one teaspoon of cannabutter and a tea bag to a cup.
3. Pour the boiling water into the cup.
4. Allow the teabag to steep and the cannabutter to dissolve (about 5 minutes).
5. Remove the tea bag and add milk if desired.
6. Enjoy!

Feel free to add mint or any other herbs that you want to your tea.

4. Space Cake

A space cake is another popular cannabis edible that you can make yourself. Just as the name implies, this a simple cake recipe that you can also use for cupcakes.

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cup of flour
• 1 3/4 tsp of baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup cannabutter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
3. Mix the shortening, cannabutter and sugar together in a separate bowl.
4. Add milk, vanilla, eggs and dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
5. Pour the batter into cupcake pans or a cake pan.
6. Bake one hour.
7. Frost the cake or cupcakes and enjoy.

If you’re feeling creative, you can make your own frosting. Otherwise, feel free to use any store brought frosting for your space cake. Or you can just buy your own weed edibles online in Canada at dispensaries. You can also find other types of cannabis edibles such as THC gummies from places such as Get Kush.