How to Make CBD Oil at Home (With Ease)

How Does CBD Oil Work?

Before you make CBD oil, it’s important to understand how it works within the brain and body. CBD is just one of over 100 active cannabinoids found within the cannabis plant. Each cannabinoid has been found to provide its own health benefits – though, it’s important to note that more research is required to truly understand this impact.

• Appetite
• Cardiovascular function
• Digestion
• Immune function
• Learning
• Memory
• Metabolism
• Mood
• Reproduction
• Sleep

Beyond this, the ECS is also responsible for responding to illnesses that enter the body. CBD has the ability to regulate our endocannabinoid system. When consumed, CBD indirectly balances our ECS back to normal levels. This is why it has so many different therapeutic benefits.

How to Make CBD Oil

With an understanding of how CBD works within our bodies, talking about how to make CBD oil will become more clear. Keep in mind, many companies are developing different formulas for their tinctures using all-natural alternatives. The purpose of this is to directly impact certain ailments. For example, people looking to treat anxiety with CBD may also incorporate chamomile or ashwagandha.

The Oil Method

The “Oil Method” is by far the safest way to extract CBD oil. All you need is a carrier oil – some popular choices are coconut and olive oil. By using this method, you can safely assure your final product will not have unwanted residues.

It’s important to note, the quality of your CBD oil is highly determined by the cannabis you use. It’s best to find a high-quality strain from a reputable supplier in order to make the most out of your DIY CBD oil experiments.

Here is a step-by-step guide for developing a tincture through the “Oil Method.”

1. Choose which cannabis you’d like to use and pick out the buds, leaves, and stems. To ensure quality, you’ll want to make sure your cannabis has gone through a decarboxylation process. If you’re unsure how to do this, simply bake your buds and leaves at a temperature of 220°F for 90 to 100 minutes. This process will activate the beneficial chemicals within the plant.
2. Take your decarboxylated cannabis and grind it up. From there, you’ll want to place it in a mason jar with your carrier oil. This is where you have the freedom to adjust the quantity of the oil in comparison to the cannabis. For stronger CBD oils, you’ll want less of your carrier oil and for less potent CBD oils, you’ll want more.
3. Once your mixture is finely mixed, you’ll need to bring it to a boil. Make sure the lid of the mason jar is screwed securely so no steam or water makes its way into your mixture. To boil the mixture, you’ll want to place a towel at the bottom of the pan with the mason jar on top. From there, you’ll want to fill the pan with water. Once the water reaches 200°F (make sure you use a thermometer), you’re in the clear.
4. Keep an eye on the pan, you don’t want the water to evaporate. Once your oil mixture has simmered for three hours, turn off the stove and let it sit for another three hours.
5. Once you’ve completed this step, many recommend letting the oil mixture heat again for another three hours. From there, you’ll want to let it sit overnight.
6. The following morning, your CBD oil will be ready for consumption. All you need to do is strain the oil mixture through a cheesecloth and place it in a cool, dark, and dry place.

The Alcohol Method

Sometimes referred to as the “Ethonal Method,” the “Alcohol Method” is just as easy as the “Oil Method” and just as safe. The following is a step-by-step guide on making your tinctures through this method.

1. Taking your ground cannabis and place it into a ceramic or glass bowl. Mix this with alcohol and stir for around 6 minutes. This will produce resin which you can extract with a wooden spoon.
2. Grab yourself a straining bag/sieve to filter out the solvent from the bowl. You’ll want to make sure you squeeze as much of this extract out as possible.
3. Using a double boiler, you’ll want to pour the extracted oil and heat it. Once bubbles start to arise, you’ll want to let it simmer for about thirty minutes (make sure to use a very low flame). This process allows the alcohol to evaporate.
4. Once the alcohol is evaporated, mix the remaining oil and turn off the flame. You’ll then want to let your mixture cool down.
5. From there, you can take this extract and store it into a bottle with a sealed lid in a cool, dark, and dry place.

Conclusion

Homemade CBD oil is slowly gaining popularity as people are starting to realize how easy it is and how much more affordable it is in comparison to buying CBD products. It may take some trial and error before you effectively master your tincture, but once you do, you’ll have knowledge that can last a lifetime.

Remember, it’s vital for you to only find high-quality cannabis – either marijuana or hemp – to make your CBD oil. The quality of cannabis highly determines the quality of your final product. With that said, you may want to learn how to grow your own hemp in order to optimize specific strains. But that’s a whole other process you’d have to look into.

Lastly, if you live in an area where THC is legal, you may be able to develop psychoactive concoctions. For example, you can have high-THC CBD oil in Canada.

We wish you the best of luck in developing your CBD oil and hope you too find the therapeutic benefits that have already come to help so many!

Featured Image credit: Hinterland