Dear Cheri,

What color should cannabutter be?  One batch I created made dark green cannabutter.  My latest batch came out with yellow cannabutter.  Does it matter if my cannabutter is not green?  Is it possible to determine cannabutter strength by color?  I am so confused.

Relax.  Color differences have everything to do with strain type and little to do with potency.

People often ask me, “What is a potent cannabutter color?”

Really color has nothing to do with it.  You will never determine cannabutter strength by color.

Depending on the strains of cannabis you are cooking with, your finished cannabutter may be pale yellow to dark green and everything in between.  Some of the purple strains of cannabis produce especially dark cannabutter.  But again, just because you came out with dark green cannabutter does not indicate that it will necessarily be potent.

Another factor that can affect the color of cannabutter is the amount of plant matter that is going into the finished product.  Less plant matter means a lighter color and less yucky acrid green flavor.  This is the reason why I do NOT recommend finely grinding your plant material.  

What you are extracting is ON the buds and sugar leaves not IN them.  Fine grinding accomplishes nothing good when it comes to edibles making.

What About a Brown Layer Under Cannabutter?

Sometimes after you have you have strained your cannabutter, you will notice a brown layer.  This is due to sediment and plant matter.  A fine mesh strainer, such as a yogurt strainer, will usually solve this.  Or you could use as is.  Although the brown layer is ugly it is not harmful.  See this article for details.

Brown sediment aside, the bottom line on what color should cannabutter be is this:

Cannabutter “should” be whatever color it comes out, from pale yellow to dark green and everything in between.  There really is no "should” when it comes to cannabutter color because color is not an indication of much of anything.

So relax and have fun making edibles.  Color of cannabutter is not anything you need to worry about.