How to Make Cannabis Oil at Home

In this article, we will teach you how to make cannabis oil from scratch. With so many commercially prepared cannabis oil products on the market, why should take the time to prepare your own? There are many reasons you might want to make your own cannabis oil. For example, if you grow your own weed, you can turn your homegrown cannabis into discreet, easy to dose cannabis oil. If you thought this was a long, arduous process—think again! In this article, we’re going to learn all about cannabis oil and explore how you can use nature’s miraculous herb to make cannabis oil from scratch in 3 easy steps! But first, let’s take a quick look at what exactly cannabis oil is and how it’s different from THC oil.

What is Cannabis Oil?

Cannabis oil results from lightly heating (infusing) cannabis flowers in a “carrier oil.” Olive oil and coconut oil are widely used carrier oils for making weed oil, and its non-psychoactive sister, CBD oil. CBD and THC are both hydrophobic cannabinoids. Hydrophobic means they are “anti-water” or repelled by water and instead are "fat-loving" molecules that bind perfectly to the fatty acid chains found in carrier oils. During steeping, the heat activates CBD and THC to meld with the carrier oil.

Benefits of Making Cannabis Oil

You can use cannabis oil to make many cannabis-based products, such as delicious edibles or topical lotions. In addition, cannabinoid healing properties are backed by scientific research. For example, studies show that forms of cannabis oil can help improve mood and that topical use can provide significant relief from the wide-ranging aches and pains people experience from the wear and tear of daily life. Additionally, cannabis oil has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that may help several skin conditions such as acne, rashes, and irritation.

How to Make Cannabis Oil

Making homemade cannabis oil is easy. Three factors can make or break the quality of your cannabis oil: the quality of the flower; the decarboxylation process; and the quality of oil used. Decarboxylation is a fancy word to describe the process of heating and activating the potency of cannabinoid compounds (think using heat to “fire up” smokeable flowers or using heat to vape weed).

What is the Best Carrier Oil for Making Cannabis Oil?

When deciding which carrier oil to use to create cannabis oil from scratch, it’s helpful to consider the texture, consistency, and cost of your oil. Olive oil is commonly used if you plan to take the cannabis oil straight-up or make homemade medicinal edibles. Coconut oil is also a good alternative. It has the benefit of having a solid consistency and texture, which is useful for cannabis-infused topical applications. Most people think coconut oil is best for making cannabis oil from scratch.

Easy 3-Step Cannabis Oil Recipe

Here’s our beginner-friendly method for making weed oil. Make sure to remember to keep a 1:1 ratio of cannabis to oil.

Equipment Needed to Make Cannabis Oil

• 1 cup of hemp or weed flower
• 1 cup of carrier oil
• Cookie Sheet
• Slow cooker (minimizes risk of "burning" your flowers on a too hot stove)
• Cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer
• Mason Jar or other glass storage container

Helpful hint: If you’re using coconut oil, make sure to melt it to a liquid consistency to gauge accurate measurement.

Instructions

Step 1 – Start by grinding your cannabis before you decarb it. Next, place the ground flowers on the cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 260°F for 45 minutes. 

Step 2 – Place your decarbed flower in the slow cooker with carrier oil and simmer on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. It’s best to lean towards the 8-hour mark because the longer it simmers, the better the final product. Let the oil sit for about 30 minutes before moving to step 3 to avoid burns as the oil will be HOT. It’s best not to let the oil re-solidify, as straining will be difficult. 

Step 3 – Scoop the cannabis oil mixture out of the slow cooker with a cup or a soup ladle and use the cheesecloth or fine metal strainer to separate the flower from the oil. Strain over the opening of the storage container. 

* Optional Step 4 - It's worth noting that the latest studies suggest adding sprinkles of raw THC and CBD. Their raw forms, THC-A and CBD-A, are shown to have powerful healing properties. To ensure a more well-rounded, holistic healing oil, it helps to add a few grams of raw flowers to the finished product.

How to Make THC Oil

To make THC oil, use a high-THC strain of flower. Making THC oil is the same as making hemp-based CBD oil. Because CBD and THC flowers are very similar in their composition and molecular structure, you can use the same simple three-step method for both. THC oil has the psychoactive component notably absent from CBD oil. Therefore, it's best to simmer it low and slow to provide ample time to allow all the THC molecules to infuse the oil. And by making THC oil at home, you can make it as concentrated as you desire, based on your desired effect and tolerance level.

How to Avoid Ingesting Too Much THC Oil

A word to the wise: when starting out, it is imperative to take it slow to avoid the potentially disorienting, unpleasant feeling associated with ingesting a high dose of THC. To err on the side of caution, start with “micro-dosing.” To microdose cannabis oil, start with a small amount and based on how you feel, you can increase your dosage based on your earlier response. Edibles must travel the length of the digestive system before hitting the bloodstream and becoming noticeable. If you become impatient and take another dose too soon, you could experience adverse side effects like paranoia or impaired movement or drowsiness. Start with ¼ to ½ teaspoonful of THC oil and increase your desired dose from there to avoid an uncomfortable experience. You can also place the oil under the tongue for a "sublingual" dosage for faster onset and shorter duration than swallowed THC edibles.

One Last Tip

Always make sure to keep your cannabis oils and edibles out of the reach of curious children who are naturally attracted to yummy-looking edibles. Be responsible and creative about where you hide your stash.

Use the Jointly App to Get More Out of Cannabis

Have you started your cannabis wellness journey? Jointly is a new cannabis wellness app that helps you discover purposeful cannabis consumption so you can achieve your wellness goals with cannabis and CBD. On the Jointly app, you can find new cannabis products, rate products based on how well they helped you achieve your goals, and track and optimize 15 factors that can impact your cannabis experience. These 15 factors include your dose, the environment in which you consume cannabis, who you are with when you ingest, how hydrated you are, the quality of your diet, how much sleep you got last night, and more. Download the Jointly app on the App Store or the Google Play Store to get started on your cannabis wellness journey.