Hosting a Friendsgiving gathering can be a fulfilling way to spend the holiday and celebrate the bond between friends.
For cannabis lovers, Friendsgiving often doubles as Danksgiving, a celebration of foods infused with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to elevate the occasion.
With ample planning, Danksgiving can be your winter’s greatest moment for delicious food, abundant warmth and laughter, and relaxation beyond the everyday.
With our guide on how to host a Friendsgiving with cannabis, you and your guests can enjoy responsibly and have a great time.
Quick first steps for a potent Danksgiving
Kick off your Danksgiving planning by setting a date for your festivities.
From there, make a guest list. Groups of six to 10 may feel more intimate, and groups of 11 to 15 may feel bigger but still manageable. All guests should be 21 years of age or older to partake.
Once your list is finalized, send your invites out — and be sure to ask about dietary restrictions when guests RSVP.
Now, you’re in prime shape to put your menu together.
Setting an infused menu
To set your Danksgiving menu, get contributions from your guests, serve homemade infused foods, use THC drink mixers, and end the night with THC-infused desserts from a licensed cannabis dispensary.
Share the work and make it a potluck
Make your event a potluck so that everyone brings something to share.
This way, everyone feels involved and shares responsibility. After all, a truly elevated Danksgiving starts with community.
Decide as a group how many sides, appetizers, mains, and desserts should be on your menu and what they should be.
For reference, groups of six to 10 often fare well with two appetizers and three sides, and groups of 11 to 15 do well with three appetizers and four sides.
As for mains and desserts, three big-batch options each — think a giant turkey or a rich pumpkin cheesecake — should do the trick.
Make your own THC-infused foods
For an especially fun Danksgiving, make your own cannabis-infused holiday recipes.
The process starts with decarboxylating cannabis flower. Decarboxylation is the process of gently heating cannabis flower to convert THCA into its active form of THC, so that it takes effect when you ingest it.
Once your flower is ready, add it to butter or oil to make, respectively, canna-butter or canna-oil.
Use your infused fats in classic recipes such as crispy roasted potatoes and holiday mac and cheese.
Not everything on your menu needs to contain THC, but infused starters elevate the occasion from the beginning.
It’s important to note that these effects may take a while to kick in, and once they do it may last a while. The onset time of effects when ingesting THC may take up to two hours, and the THC high may last for from six to 12 hours.
Spotlight homemade infused mocktails
Prepare infused drinks to pair with your scrumptious meal. THC syrup, mixers, and drink packets make it easy and quick to infuse virtually any beverage.
These products’ clear dosing guidelines help you incorporate manageable amounts of THC into your drinks, and their flavors brighten up any occasion.
Plus, setting up a self-serve THC beverage station keeps the vibes rolling all night long.
Make your drinks the day of your event and present them in ice-filled pitchers or a glass dispenser.
These will make your drinks look especially fancy while ensuring your guests can fill up as they please.
There’s also the question of which THC drink mixers you should choose for which effects.
For example, infusing your virgin screwdrivers with Bosky Labs’ Orange Tangie Hash Rosin Syrup may help your guests settle into relaxation without feeling sedated.
And when it comes to hosting and food prep, energizing and focus-friendly cannabis products may help you stay centered.
On that front, we love Journeyman’s Watermelon Lemonade Syrup for an invigorating, alcohol-free spin on a tart, fruity, refreshing beverage.
Serve THC-infused desserts
For high-tolerance guests, THC-infused desserts may help keep the party elevated well into the evening.
Serve THC-infused baked goods, or THC-infused chocolate edibles or caramels, for dessert to continue the relaxing, euphoric mood.
Stocking up on desserts from a licensed cannabis dispensary means you can skip making them yourself, and as lovely as homemade apple pie is, you don’t have to make everything from scratch.
Assuming you have guests who won’t be spending the night, desserts that lean energizing, such as Encore’s Sativa RSO Milk Chocolates, may be preferable.
For overnighters, The Cannabis Philosophy’s Brownie Bites are often associated with feeling sleepy — and waking up the next day refreshed and restored.
Getting ready for Danksgiving
To get fully ready for Danksgiving, establish a cooking schedule, prepare your space, make a playlist, and figure out how to clean your space and store leftovers.
Set your cooking and prep schedule
You’ll have an easier, lower-stress Danksgiving if you make some of what you’re serving in advance.
Mashed potatoes, for example, reheat beautifully in the oven. Homemade desserts also last a good while in the fridge, so you can just pull them out after the big meal.
Laying out a schedule in advance, from getting the groceries to actually doing all the kitchen work, clears more of your big day for spending time with your loved ones.
Consider starting your shopping a week or two ahead of time, though you should buy perishables closer to day-of.
Then, on Danksgiving, you can prepare whichever menu items are best served as fresh as possible, especially your infused beverages.
Get your space ready beforehand
As you go grocery shopping, you may want to assemble another shopping list for silverware, cups, plates, and decor.
You may also want to shop for extra chairs and tables if you’re short on kitchen space or seating, or if you’re hosting in a small space.
Consider using folding chairs or a small folding table in the latter case. This way, you accommodate everyone while getting plenty of room back afterward.
As for decor, small wooden turkeys, hanging streamers with fall leaves, and other seasonal decorations may help cultivate relaxing, comforting Danksgiving vibes.
Consider placing a potpourri with gorgeous fall aromas near your entrance as well, or lighting a few candles to create a warm ambiance.
You don’t need to go all out with decorations — the food and friends are more important — but a few delicate touches can set the scene.
Create a playlist
Background music can further enmesh your guests in the mood you’ve set.
Go for chill, quiet tunes that, when played at a low volume, don’t interfere with the conversation but do keep the atmosphere cozy.
Not great with music? Ask a friend to make the playlist, or collaborate on it with a few people.
The more you can share in the night’s creation, the more memories you’ll make.
Plan for cleaning and how you’ll store leftovers
Even without any messy eaters present, you’ll have plenty of cleaning to do afterward: dishes, countertops, floors.
If you’ve infused your menu with focus-friendly cannabis, cleaning may be a great group activity.
If you’ve instead gone a more relaxing, chill route, it’s okay to save cleaning for the next day if anyone else you live with is fine with that too.
Don’t leave food out overnight, though. Clear space in your fridge or gather enough food storage containers that you can send folks home with leftovers.
The more containers, the merrier — your crew will be delighted to take food home, and there will be a lot to share.
Do keep some for yourself, though. Revisiting your experience the day after is one of the best parts of Danksgiving.
How to keep enjoying Danksgiving after dinner
Danksgiving is a time to bring everyone together, and that’s as true after dinner (and desserts) as before. To end the night on a high note at home:
- Spend time together being mindful. Just as cannabis and yoga pair powerfully, cannabis and mindfulness practices may help everyone feel centered. Lead your friends through a brief meditation session — soothing music and incense may help — to keep the chillness going.
- Be creative together. Cannabis and creativity have long been associated with one another. It’s why transitioning from Danksgiving dinner into a brief craft night keeps everyone vibing.
- Play a party game. Simple, familiar games — think Scrabble or Uno — may feel more adventurous, if not hilarious, with the blissful, social vibes you’ve cultivated.
- Put on a movie. Get lost in another universe with a great film, though be sure to keep blankets and pillows around. Especially if you infused the night’s menu with relaxing, chill cannabis products, post-Danksgiving movies might have folks drifting off for the night.
Tips for a responsible Danksgiving
Alongside the vital guidance in our primer on responsible cannabis use, you should:
- Ensure nobody drives under the influence. Anyone who drives to Danksgiving should not do so again until your cannabis’s effects wear off. Choose designated drivers, public transit, or ridesharing apps instead.
- Label your foods clearly. Indicate which of the foods and drinks you’re serving are THC-infused and in what amounts. This way, sober guests can still enjoy the night, and anyone partaking can pace themselves.
- Support anyone who has consumed too much THC. It happens — maybe the appetizers just tasted too good, or maybe someone pushed their tolerance. Knowing what to do if someone consumes too much THC ensures you can help them through the experience. So can reminding folks beforehand that, sometimes, less THC is more.
Stock up for Danksgiving at Blue Oak
Whether you’re shopping for whole flower to make canna-butter or THC drink mixers to stir up homemade infused mocktails, Blue Oak is your one-stop shop.
Our vast menu includes these products and more, and we pride ourselves on offering personalized guidance for any shopper’s needs.
We’re here to support experienced Danksgiving hosts and first-timers alike — we’ll guide you in-store or make your big day easier with curbside pickup or delivery.
Browse our menu now to start your Danksgiving prep on the right foot.
