As weed is gaining in popularity among medical cannabis users and recreational users, dispensaries offer a wide variety of cannabis products. The most common ones include different kinds of topicals, tinctures, salves, and dabs, although cannabis butter and cannabis oil are also being used a lot.
We have already covered how you can make your own cannabutter as well as a recipe for weed brownies from it, and now we are focussing on making canna oil. If you’ve ever thought of making your own cannabis oil, below you’ll find the method for making homemade cannabis oil, and how you can use it afterward.
Types of Weed Oils
Before we get into the method of making cannabis oil, first we need to explain what types of oils you can make from the cannabis plant species.
THC Oil
THC oil, cannabis oil, or marijuana oil are only different names for one of the most common oils you can make from the cannabis plant. This is an oil that is made with a high concentration of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and it can be used both medicinally and recreationally.
CBD Oil
This compound oil consists of several compounds that don’t contain THC. Cannabidiol (CBD) is the main compound in this oil, and apart from CBD, it can contain cannabinoids like CBDA, CBC, CBGA, CBD, CBCA. As CBD oil doesn’t have THC in it, it doesn’t provide psychoactive effects in users and is most commonly used for medical marijuana patients.
Hemp Oil
Hemp oil refers to the oil from the hemp seed. The seeds of hemp are a byproduct of the production of hemp which is used in the clothing industry, the car industry, and others. It also doesn’t have psychoactive effects on users since it doesn’t contain THC.
How to Make Cannabis Oil and Why You Should Make It?
Infusing your carrier oil with cannabis is a fairly easy method, all it takes is some time and a few simple ingredients. Cannabis oil is a great way to consume your medical marijuana if you’ve grown tired of your vape pen or joint. Also, it’s a good way to spice up your cooking, and you can also use up excess marijuana trim, kief, or hash you have lying around. Moreover, when infusing your cooking oil with cannabis, the terpenes which are present in marijuana can give your canna-oil a unique flavor.
In order to make it, you’ll need to mix your carrier oil and your decarboxylated cannabis. You can choose from coconut, canola, vegetable, avocado, or olive oil. Different kinds of oils will give a specific flavor to your finished product, so choose the one you like best. All that’s left is to choose your favorite Indica or Sativa strain and get cooking.
What to Do Prior to Making Homemade Cannabis Oil?
What You Need
Before you start making your cannabis oil, you’ll need all the ingredients and kitchen equipment needed. Those include:
- 1 cup of ground cannabis flower (use more or less depending on the desired potency);
- 1 cup of cooking oil at room temperature (whichever you prefer);
- Mesh strainer or cheesecloth;
- Grinder;
- Double-boiler, slow cooker, crockpot (depending on the method you choose to make your cannabis oil);
- Glass bowl;
- Storage container (mason jar with a lid);
- Recommended: a probe thermometer.
After you have all your ingredients, all that’s left to do is to decarboxylate your weed.
Decarbing
Decarboxylation is needed to activate the raw compounds found in weed by losing their carboxylic acid. When you decarb tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) and Cannabidiolic acid (CBDa) you get weed’s main cannabinoids Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD).
In order to decarb your weed, you’ll need to grind it and heat it at the appropriate temperature which is about 235 degrees Fahrenheit (120 degrees Celsius) for about an hour. Afterward, you can proceed to make your canna-oil by using your already decarbed weed.
Recipe for Cannabis Cooking Oil on the Stove Top
This simple cannabis oil recipe will give you your own homemade cannabis oil in about an hour. For this recipe, we’ll be using coconut oil.
The Method
- Grind your decarbed cannabis, but be careful not to grind it into a small powder, since you won’t be able to strain it properly after you make your oil.
- Add water to the bottom part of your double-boiler, place your coconut oil inside, and heat it until it melts.
- Combine the melted oil with the decarbed cannabis and infuse it over low heat for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Stir your cannabis occasionally and if you have a thermometer, check to see if your oil is below 200 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) during the infusion time.
- After you’ve infused the oil, line a mesh strainer with a cheesecloth, and place it over a glass bowl. Pour the concoction over the strainer in order to separate the plant matter from the oil. Don’t squeeze on the cheesecloth so you don’t get more chlorophyll in the oil. You can either discard the remaining plant material or use it in other dishes.
- Place the oil in a mason jar and leave it to cool at room temperature.
Storage and Dosing
Ok, you’ve now learned how to make canna oil, but how do you store it?
First of all, your cannabis oil should be stored in a cool dark place, or in the fridge. The cannabis oil’s shelf life is between 6 months and a year. After that time, if your oil doesn’t get moldy, you can still use it. Keep in mind that THC naturally degrades after time and converts to a sleepy cannabinoid called CBN.
The strength of your cannabis oil will depend on the amount of cannabis and the amount of oil that you’ve included in the infusion, and also the THC levels of the cannabis strain. When dosing your marijuana oil, make sure that you adjust the amounts of cannabis to your tolerance. It’s best to start with a low dose and see how it affects you.
Using Your Weed Oil
You can use your homemade cannaoil to make delicious homemade edibles like weed brownies, use it to make capsules, pain salves, in your skincare method, incorporate it into your tea, coffee, peanut butter, or smoothies. Your cannabis-infused oil is a great way to test different cooking and baking recipes. Make sure that you don’t burn the oil if you’re reheating it when cooking in order to keep the amount of THC the same as when you initially made it.
Final Thoughts on Making Canna Oil
Canna oil is one of the most versatile cannabis products and can be used in cooking, baking, skin treatments, and pain salves. Making it at home is a fairly easy procedure which requires infusing your preferred oil with your decarbed cannabis on the stove or in the crockpot.
Infused butter and oil are a great way to get your daily dose of medical marijuana, or a new way of consuming cannabis if you want to try something new. Just make sure that the dose you take is appropriate to your tolerance since edibles take a longer time to kick in compared to vaping and smoking.
