Cooking with Cannabis: Expert Tips and Tricks with Vanessa Lavorato
How do you make cannabis edibles that are consistent, properly dosed, and backed by science? What actually happens during decarboxylation, how long should cannabis infuse into butter or oil, and are common edible-making methods really as effective as people claim? In this episode of the Bioactive Podcast, Dr. Riley Kirk sits down with cannabis edibles expert, cookbook author, and educator Vanessa Lavorato to explore the science of cannabis cooking, infusion methods, potency, and edible safety.
With years of experience creating cannabis-infused products and conducting more than 200 lab tests for her cookbook, How to Eat Weed and Have a Good Time, Vanessa shares what she has learned about decarboxylation, homemade edibles, dosing calculations, cannabutter, tinctures, and infusion times. They discuss how different methods, temperatures, and solvents affect extraction, whether microwave decarboxylation works, why longer infusion does not necessarily mean greater potency, and what home edible makers should understand about estimating THC content.
The conversation also explores cannabis tolerance, edible nonresponders, sublingual absorption, CBN and sleep claims, lecithin and bioavailability, testing limitations, glycerin-infused beverages, and the use of homegrown cannabis in cooking. They also discuss common mistakes in homemade edibles, food safety, cross-contamination, and why clearly labeling and securely storing infused products is essential.
Whether you're interested in cannabis science, edible formulation, cannabis cooking, or understanding the chemistry behind infused foods, this episode offers an evidence-focused look at what happens when cannabis meets the kitchen.
Chapters
00:00 Meet Vanessa Lavarato
01:21 Branding and Internet Haters
02:53 Marigold Sweets Origin Story
05:04 Decarboxylation Basics
08:08 Edible Dosing and Tolerance
10:22 Switching from Smoking to Edibles
14:56 Science-Backed Cookbook Experiments
19:08 Infusion Myths and Solvents
24:38 Simple Cannabutter Step-by-Step
29:23 Dosage Calculators and THC Loss
30:41 Estimating Potency Percentages
30:59 CBN Creation and Sleep Claims
33:50 CBN Marketing and Terpene Shift
35:42 Lecithin and Edible Nonresponders
36:42 Sublingual Workarounds and Enzymes
38:22 At Home THC Testing Devices
40:20 Industry Misinformation and Courses
42:07 Glycerin Infusions and Craft Drinks
44:17 High Dose Edibles and Content
45:56 Dry Herb Vape Recommendations
47:24 Batch Cooking and Infusion Safety
49:58 Homegrow to Edibles Pipeline
52:46 Common Edible Making Mistakes
55:03 Dosing and Fast Hitting Drinks
58:14 Labeling Safety and Where to Find Her
Connect with Vanessa Lavorato
www.instagram.com/vanessa.marigold/
www.youtube.com/channel/UCkauGFLwcj4sLA9pJ2qQFKA
Patreon: The Edibles Club
Get the Cookbook: How to Eat Weed and Have a Good Time
https://amzn.eu/d/0iw8LfKV
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https://www.appliedpharmacognosy.org/
If you enjoy conversations exploring cannabis science, natural products, pharmacognosy, and better health, subscribe to the Bioactive Podcast and join us for more science-driven discussions.
This episode is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical or food-safety advice.
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