Essentially, THC edibles can be made at home in two ways. Baked goods use some kind of fat, like butter or vegetable oil, to extract the THC from the decarbed herb. Then, just add them to the recipe mix and cook as normal.
Some candy recipes call for oil-based extract. But other require clear tincture. This tincture uses high proof grain alcohol (like Everclear) and lot of time to make. Where you can make cannabis butter or oil in 45 minutes (minimum), alcohol-based tincture can take weeks if you want a strong final product.
Now, let’s talk about drinks. These vary greatly in difficulty and may or may not time. With tea, for instance, you can just add dry herb to the blend and let it steep with boiling water.
Alcoholic cocktails, on the other hand, require days or weeks of slowly marinating in their own solution.