How to Transform Your Thanksgiving into a Danksgiving Celebration

by Cyrus Grant

Thanksgiving. A holiday where people travel from all over to unite with loved ones by making enough food to feed a village. This year, however, it may be time to add some new traditions to make the holidays even better.

We’re talking Danksgiving. If you aren’t already acquainted with the term, get excited, because it’s certainly something to be thankful for this coming November.

What is Danksgiving?

Danksgiving — as you might have guessed — is the infusion of cannabis into your Thanksgiving day. What this looks like is entirely up to you. For some, Danksgiving is the pre-meal cannabis prep that opens up your appetite and calms the nerves of having to talk to that one aunt or uncle (you know which one). For others, the advances in cannabis culture have really unlocked the true potential of Danksgiving, opening the door for a full-on cannabis-infused Thanksgiving meal. 

Pre-Thanksgiving Danksgiving

Ease Some Stress by Turning Thanksgiving into Danksgiving

One of the easiest and most popular ways to turn your Thanksgiving into a Danksgiving is by adding a pre-celebration vape session to your turkey-day itinerary. This is especially useful if you find the stresses of the holiday wearing on you.

A survey conducted by Healthline found that over 60% of people find the holidays stressful. However, a study conducted by the Journal of Affective Disorders also found that marijuana use reduced feelings of stress and anxiety by 58%. (The same study also found that having high amounts of both CBD and THC worked best, which just so happens to be a specialty of Mistifi’s Phantom blend.)

So, if you need a little help unwinding before sitting around a table with your family (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?), make Danskgiving your pre-Thanksgiving ritual.

Use Danksgiving to Open Up Your Appetite 

It’s no secret cannabis helps us eat, which is why it’s the perfect apéritif for your Thanksgiving meal. 

Whether you ate too much at lunch, or you just don’t have a big appetite, taking a pull from your favorite vape is a good way to not only help you pile up the plates, but also to make that gravy taste extra delicious. (Science Daily found that higher levels of THC create greater appetite stimulation, so you’ll be good to go with either Over the Rainbow or Houdini, both of which contain 70-80% THC.)

Replace Booze with Cannabis

If you’re doing Thanksgiving with friends or a really laid-back family, consider blending Thanksgiving and Danksgiving by replacing alcohol with weed. Doing this can certainly elevate your Danksgiving, as it not only brings the benefits mentioned above, but it’s also going to save you from that post-Thanksgiving hangover you’re not so thankful for every year. Consider using a tabletop vaporizer with Mistifi vape cartridges so everyone can still have a glass in hand, or if you aren’t keen on potentially hotboxing your Thanksgiving, try out cannabis beverages to keep dinner smoke/vapor free.

Cook Cannabis Into the Food 

If you’re fully committed to the Danksgiving holiday — and all of your friends and family are on board to get high with you — it’s time to infuse the big meal with cannabis. With today’s advances in weed, there’s probably a nearly endless way you can achieve this feat, but the easiest is probably going to be making some of your classic plates with cannabutter.

Here’s how to make cannabutter (use a 1:1 ratio with the cannabis and butter — i.e. 1 cup butter to 1 cup ground cannabis):

1. Decarb by preheating your oven to 245ºF. Place cannabis buds on a parchment-covered baking tray. Cook for 30-40 minutes while gently shaking the tray every 10 minutes or so.
2. Remove the cannabis from the oven and grind coarsely (with a grinder or your hands). Be careful not to grind it up too fine into a powder.
3. Melt the butter on low heat. Mix in one cup of water with 1 cup of butter to prevent scorching.
4. Once the butter is fully melted, mix in the ground cannabis (approximately 1 cup, unless you want milder effects, then less).
5. Let it simmer at around 160-200ºF for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally as the mixture should never come to a full boil.
6. Strain your mix into a jar by pouring it through a strainer or cheesecloth.
7. Put the jar in the refrigerator for at least a few hours, or even better, overnight.

What to Make With Cannabutter

Once you have the cannabutter made, the world is your oyster when it comes to making cannabis-infused foods. If you aren’t sure where exactly to put it to use, worry not, here are some suggestions.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes & Cannabis via Herb

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cooked, and mashed
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup evaporated low-fat milk
• 1/3 cup cannabutter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a casserole dish (9″x13″) in preparation.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. With a mixer, beat until smooth.
3. Transfer potato mix to a casserole dish. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the top begins to brown.

High-Bird Stuffing via Herb

• 5 cups rye bread crumbs
• 2 1/2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1/3 cup chopped onions
• 1 clove of garlic (optional)
• 3 tablespoons cannabutter, melted
• 1/2 cup Cannabis bud
• 2 tablespoons red wine

1. Mix all ingredients together and stuff a turkey.

Cannabis-Infused Gravy via Cannadish

• 1/4 cup fat skimmed from drippings 
• 1 tbsp cannabutter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups liquid (juices from roasted turkey, broth, water)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Transfer the fat to a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Let the fat melt and then sprinkle on the flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir continuously until the fat and flour have formed a homogeneous mixture (otherwise known as a roux). Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes. 
3. Whisk in the hot drippings slowly into the roux. Keep whisking until the liquids are fully incorporated.
4. Bring the gravy to a simmer and continue simmering until it reaches your desired consistency.
5. Season with salt and pepper and 1 tbsp of cannabis butter.

Don’t Forget to Give Thanks

No matter how you decide to do Danksgiving, whether it’s pre-meal, during the meal, or directly into the meal, there’s good reason to add cannabis to your holiday plans. And don’t forget to acknowledge all of the things you’re thankful for, like friends and family…and obviously, cannabis.Looking for more cannabis-fueled Thanksgiving ideas? Check out our guide to throwing a cannabis-fueled friendsgiving party.