Weed Oil – Benefits & How to Make It

weed oil

While you can find various forms of cannabis edibles on the market today, many opt for the more straightforward option of making or purchasing weed oil due to its versatility.   

Edibles have certainly come a long way in recent years, but the tried and true classic weed oil remains popular for multiple reasons, with one of the most prevalent being the fact that you can use it to make your own weed-infused goodies at home.

While the idea of making your own edibles may be intimidating, it’s a lot easier than you might think! All you need is some weed oil (also known as canna oil) or budder and simple ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen.

Many opt for edibles as their go-to cannabis product of choice because they are discreet, accurately dosed, and present an awesome alternative to harsher ingestion methods, such as smoking or vaping your bud.

While edibles are available from most online dispensaries, you can’t exactly purchase an 8-inch cannabis-infused space cake from home and have it shipped to your door. 

This reason is why some tokers choose to channel their inner Master Chef and whip up their own weed-infused culinary creations. 

If you would like to try your hand at creating your own edibles, you have come to the right place! 

Today, we are breaking down one of the most basic cannabis concentrates out there, weed oil, and showing you how to make it so you can up your weed cooking game. 

What is Weed Oil?

Before we dive into describing how to make weed oil, we should rewind a bit and outline what it is. 

Weed oil, known by many other names, including cannabis oil, canna oil, and hash oil, is an edible oil that is infused with cannabinoids, such as THC, to supply the therapeutic effects of the cannabis plant. 

Since cannabinoids are fat-soluble, meaning they are absorbed by the body through fats and can be stored in your body’s fatty tissue, weed oil typically comprises of cannabinoids sustained in a carrier fat, with some of the most commonly used being coconut, olive, or MCT oil.

Weed oil is used as a base ingredient for a wide variety of cannabis edibles available on the market today, from baked goods to gummies. 

Tokers love it because it is easy to use, discreet, and versatile while providing powerfully potent, soothing effects.

Cannabis Oil vs Cannabis Butter – What’s the Difference?

cannabis oil and butter

The only difference between cannabis-infused butter and weed oil is the type of substance that ends up being infused with cannabis and THC. Both butter and oil are fats that have been infused with THC.

If you’re an avid baker, you might prefer making cannabis butter since butter is more commonly used in pastries and desserts. 

Weed oil, on the other hand, is more versatile and has applications outside of baking. One recipe that we enjoyed making during the sweltering summer months was a THC infused Caesar salad. 

We made our salad the way we normally would and added a drizzle of our weed oil at the end before we tossed it.

Simple yet effective.

Blazers love cooking and experimenting with weed oil because there are just so many ways to use it. 

While cookies, brownies, and cakes are great to infuse with THC while also being ridiculously delicious, sometimes, you don’t need those extra calories bloating you up before the munchies even kick in. 

Placing a small amount of weed oil under your tongue and waiting for the righteous effects to kick in is one surefire way to enjoy the edible experience while still indulging in your favourite snacks that you will inevitably crave once the munchies kick in. 

Really, it’s a win-win situation. 

How to Make Weed Oil at Home – 3 Quick Steps

weed oil how to

As with any recipe, making weed oil follows one basic rule – quality ingredients produce quality results.

If you want to make great tasting, potent weed oil, you need to use more than trim, shake, or whatever dry weed you have lying around.

At the end of the day, it’s something that you, and maybe your friends, are going to eat. If you want it to be a delicious, enjoyable experience, respect yourself, respect the plant, and splurge on some higher quality weed.

The weed oil you make will also play a larger role in determining the quality of the edible you are aiming to produce.

Olive oil and canola oil are great options, but coconut oil comes highly recommended, too. The cooking oil you use will impact the taste and dankness of your oil, with olive oil being a bit more pungent and coconut oil and canola oil being more flavourless. 

Coconut oil works extremely well since its higher fat content allows for more THC absorption.

Whatever base you choose is up to you and ultimately comes down to personal preference. 

With that said, let’s get into teaching you how to make weed oil!

What You’ll Need

  • Grinder
  • 1 Cup Premium cannabis
  • Baking Sheet/ Parchment Paper
  • Double boiler or slow cooker
  • Coffee filter, cheesecloth, or similar strainer
  • Mason jar
  • 1 cup Coconut Oil, Canola, MCT or Olive Oil

Step 1. Prepare Your Flower

grape ape

Ever wonder why we have to burn joints and spark our bowls? Without heat, the THC within our flower remains as THCA, an inactive compound that won’t get us as high as its psychoactive cousin. 

To actually get high from cannabis oil, you need to facilitate a process known as “decarboxylation.”

It’s a fancy word, but it basically means that you have to heat your weed until its compounds are “activated.”

You can do this by grinding up your flower, spreading it over a baking sheet or parchment paper-lined baking tray, and preheating the oven to 220°F /105°C. 

Make sure your cannabis is spread evenly and thinly to maximize the surface area.

Let your flower vibe out in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned. 

Once it’s slightly crispy, it’s decarboxylated and good to go.

Step 2. Give Your Cannabis an Oil Bath

Now that our flower is activated and ready to go, grab your double boiler or slow cooker and prepare to give your weed an oil bath.

This step is simple, and you only need time and patience not to mess it up.

If you’re using a double boiler, set the heat to its lowest setting and mix your oil and flower. You’ll want to cook it over low heat for 4-8 hours, occasionally checking and stirring the mixture to ensure it doesn’t stick and burn to the bottom.

For those using a slow cooker, follow the same directions above and stir the mixture over an extremely low simmer for 2-4 hours.

Step 3. Strain and Drain

Once your weed oil is infused with all of weedy goodness, run the mixture over a strainer to remove all of the excess plant matter. 

Take your cheesecloth or coffee filter, place it over a mason jar or similar container, and sieve the mixture through. To make sure that nothing gets through, strain it more than once.

Once strained and drained, store your weed oil in an air-tight container and keep it away from light and heat.

Weed Oil – The Very Versatile Concentrate 

While you may not be able to make more complex dishes, such as cannabis chow mein or cannabis stir fry (the heat will denature the compounds within), you can drizzle a bit of weed oil on your finished dishes as a garnish or use it in your baking to make cannabis-infused edibles!

The beauty of weed oil is in its simplicity and, in turn, its versatility. It can be used in various ways, whether you choose to ingest it directly or inject it as an extra-special ingredient to bring an additional element to your cooking. 

It is also not necessarily something you have to fork out the big bucks for. You can make weed oil from the comfort of your very own home, which is a massive appeal to many novice and seasoned tokers. 

Part of the fun is experimenting with all the different uses of weed oil and determining your favourites and what you would like to try next. 

Whether you are making it at home or purchasing online, make sure that the flower or weed oil products you are buying come from a reputable, certified dispensary to ensure the highest quality possible.

Bon appetit, friends!

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