How to Make Cannabis Oil: A Beginner’s Guide

With one-third of American adults personally familiar with the use of CBD oil, many adults are now asking how to make cannabis oil for themselves. You could even do it in your own home.

But do you know how to do this, and would you know what to do with it once you made it?

Lucky for you, this article will help you learn how to make cannabis oil for personal use. By the end, you should understand what the benefits of CBD oil are, how to make it, and what you should use it with.

So read on to find out more.

What Is Cannabis Oil?

Two substances are generally described as “Cannabis Oil”.

First of all, there is a thick substance that you can produce straight from cannabis plants. It is a very concentrated version of cannabis that has large amounts of cannabinoids in it. These cannabinoids include THC and CBD, the active ingredients in marijuana.

Second, “Cannabis Oil” also refers to any form of infused oil. It is more correct to refer referred to these infusions as “CBD Oil” and it comes in a variety of concentrations depending on your need.

Medical CBD oil exists and has a very specific grade and concentration of CBD and THC depending on its use. Any oil made at home, though, will be as strong as you choose to make it.

Is This Form of Cannabis Oil Illegal?

The answer to this, much like many cannabis questions, is “it depends”. Cannabis oil is legal in some states in the USA but will get you arrested for possession in others. On top of that, CBD oil laws are a whole separate matter, as is the legality of possession of cannabis itself.

You are best off speaking to your doctor or local healthcare supplier if you wish to know more about the legality of cannabis-based products. Also, you may wish to know that the federal government may have different laws from your state in this regard.

What Are the Side Effects of Cannabis Oil?

The side effects of using cannabis oil and CBD oil are still under investigation. We recommend that you discuss its use with your healthcare provider before using it for yourself.

As with many medications, it is not recommended that you partake of cannabis in any form if you are pregnant. The same is true if you breastfeed or are trying to conceive a child. At least one study found that doing so may have an effect on the child, so it is best avoided during this specific time.

How Long Does It Take Cannabis Oil to Work?

There is no single number that answers this question. How fast cannabis oil works depends on your metabolism, how concentrated the oil is, and how you take it.

In general, you can speed the whole process up by vaping the oil as this transfers the active ingredients straight into the bloodstream. This can mean the effects start anything as soon as twenty minutes after taking it.

One of the longest methods for the oil to work will instead be if you apply it to the skin. Many people use coconut oil to moisturize or smooth their skin, and cannabis coconut oil can allow CBD and THC to infuse into the body at the same time.

What Methods of Using Cannabis Oil Exist?

Several methods of using cannabis oil exist. Each of them has its benefits and drawbacks.

Food and Edibles

You can use CBD oil in several ways to help cook or enhance food. For example, you can use it in frying, baking, or drizzle it over foods.

A few examples of the kinds of foods that you can enhance with cannabis oil include:

• Guacamole

• Salad

• Pesto

• Mashed potatoes

• Meatballs

• Steak

• Chocolate chip cookies

• Cheesecake

• Icing

• Pumpkin spice lattes

• Whipped cream

As you can see, there are nearly no limits to what you can use CBD oil in. It can be a very rewarding method for enjoying your CBD intake.

Vaping

Vaping is the method of heating flavored oil and turning it into a vapor you can breathe in. This vapor is then metabolized by the lungs and anything suspended in the vapor will then transfer into the bloodstream via osmosis. Often, this is nicotine, but with cannabis oil, this will instead be CBD or THC.

Sprays

Oil sprays are simple to use. You use a small bottle with a spray nozzle to impart a small amount of spray into your open mouth. You can choose to spray it under the tongue or to other locations that you find effective.

Droppers

You can use droppers to pick up small quantities of oil and place them one drop at a time. You can use it to put the cannabis oil straight into your mouth or to combine it with small edibles such as sugar sweets.

The benefit of the dropper is that you can determine exactly how much you have used. You can then judge how much you want on a drop-by-drop basis.

How to Make Cannabis Oil

Producing cannabis oil (or “cannabis-infused oil”) is as simple as mixing two ingredients and then getting rid of the excess. The thing that makes all the difference is the choice of ingredients and your method of preparation.

Ingredients

• One cup of ground cannabis.

• One cup of the oil of your choice (see below)

If you decide this is too strong, you can reduce the potency of future oils by using less ground cannabis. Similarly, if you feel the oil could do with an extra kick, you can increase the amount of ground cannabis you use. Although, remember that there is an upper limit to the amount of potency the oil can infuse into itself.

Also, if you do not have ground cannabis, you can perform this action yourself. The instructions below include the grinding process.

Choosing a Base Oil

First of all, you will need to pick a suitable oil to use as the base for the end product. It is up to you what kind of oil you use, as the method of infusion will not change if you use a different type. What will matter is if you have particular intolerances or tastes.

On top of this, specific types of oil could be better for use in different ways. If you use coconut oil, for example, it works well as a topical skin ointment. Whereas using olive oil is very popular in people who want to use their CBD oil in the kitchen for frying or baking.

Equipment Needed

When creating the CBD oil you will need the following items:

• A strainer or a cheesecloth to remove impurities

• A grinder to prepare the cannabis

• A method of cooking

Usually, the cooking method would make use of a slow cooker, saucepan, or double boiler. Although you can use any cooking utensil that suits the method. There are instructions for all three of the listed methods below.

The method for actually

1. Grind Down the Plant Into a Powder

The first thing you need to do is grind down your cannabis into powder. During this part of the process, you can choose which part of the plant you wish to include. You could use the stems and leaves, or the flower alone, or you can mix them up.

When grinding down the plant, keep in mind you should not grind it too fine. If you do so, it may end up fitting through the holes in your strainer. So, make sure that you reduce it in size to give it a high surface area without going too far.

2. Mix the Oil and Powder

Put both the powder and the oil into the same container and stir them until the oil gains a uniform consistency. This will mean that you have spread the cannabis through the mixture evenly.

At this point, you should begin to heat the mixture to around 230°F. Do not go higher than 245°F or the mixture will start to burn, and remember to add a small amount of water over time to prevent this. Although, be careful when adding water to oil as there may be a large amount of steam to deal with and you do not want to risk scalding yourself.

When the temperature has reached the level you want, leave it to infuse. As you heat the oil and cannabis, the THC in the cannabis will start to activate, which is the result you want in the finished product.

The length you do this for will depend on what you have used to heat the product in.

Crockpot: You should heat the oil for around five hours, with regular stirring to move the oil around. Keep the heat low to avoid burning the oil and cannabis.

Double-boiler: You should keep the heat low while you boil for around eight hours. Again, you should stir the oil now and then to keep it moving.

Saucepan: This method is the fastest, but also the most likely to cause the oil to burn. While you stir the oil every couple of minutes, heat it for only three hours.

3. Strain the Resulting Cannabis Oil

You should then use a fine-mesh strainer or a cheesecloth to separate the oil and any remaining particulates in the mixture. While most people prefer using a cheesecloth, and it is more fashionable, there is often no difference between the two in practice. You will rarely have any cannabis powder that would get through a strainer but not a cheesecloth.

Remember that if you are using a cheesecloth, refrain from squeezing the cannabis powder left in the cloth to get extra oil out. Doing so will result in byproducts leaking into the oil, such as chlorophyll (the stuff that makes plants green and tastes bad).

The resulting oil from straining should be the final product. You are now free to use it how you want.

4. Store the Oil

If you are not using the oil straight away, you will want to save it for later. Although this may not be as straightforward as you first think.

You should store cannabis oils in dark, glass bottles. This helps keep ultraviolet light from interacting with your oil. UV light can break down the infusions in the oil you have just made, causing them to be less effective.

Another option is to store the CBD oil in a dark place. In that case, you will not need to worry about the color of the glass you store it in as it will not receive light anyway.

A refrigerator is perfect for storing CBD oil. The cold will slow down any possible reaction that could happen in the oil and prevent several other problems. If you keep it in an airtight container, this will also stop contaminants in the air from affecting the oil.

The most important thing you need to keep in mind, though, is that you should not put the oil into plastic bottles. The chemicals found in CBD oil can interact with plastic, causing elements in the plastic to break down and leak into the oil. This can ruin both the bottle and the batch of CBD oil, so make sure that you stay safe by continuing to use glass instead.

5. Flavor the Oil

This step is more of an optional extra, so do not worry if it is not for you. Though you should be aware that while the oils are being stored, that does not mean it is the end of the process.

You can add herbs to the CBD oil while it is in storage. This will influence its flavor, giving you optional methods for making a unique CBD blend for you and those you share it with.

Where Can You Find Out More?

You should now have a much better understanding of how to make cannabis oil and use it for your own needs. You might still have questions, though. Our specialists on staff are more than prepared to help you with any queries you might still have.

If you want recommendations for how best to use cannabis oil, as well as what brands we would suggest, get started. We have the answers you need and the help you seek.