Have you ever considered the power of coupling cannabis with massage therapy? Immerse yourself in the transformative world of cannabis-infused massage oils, made right in the comfort of your own home. Here I will guide you through an array of infusion options, tailoring the process to fit your unique needs. So let’s embark on this journey together, shaping a healthier, more relaxed you.

Article Features

  • Easy instructions for making a cannabis massage oil at home
  • Multiple different infusion and herbal options to choose from
  • Want to skip the hard work? Skip the lengthy infusion process, order my high-quality cannabis topical products, and have them delivered directly to your door!
A picture of Emily Kyles Bliss relief stick.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

What is the best way to upgrade a regular massage? With cannabis-infused massage oil, of course!

Members of my Well With Cannabis Community love making their own high-quality cannabis products at home, and this massage oil is becoming increasingly popular.

With one simple infusion process, you can blend together the cannabinoids and herbs you desire into a carrier oil, to make a custom infused oil that can be used on the skin.

In this guide, I will show you how to make your own luxurious massage oil at home with your choice of CBD or THC with your choice of flower, concentrates, store-bought oils and more.

What You’ll Need

A picture of cannabis massage oil with the ingredients needed to make it labeled in pink.
  • 7 grams decarbed cannabis flower – For this to be the active ingredient in this recipe, you will want to decarboxylate first. You can choose from THC flower, CBD flower, or CBG flower, depending on your needs. You can also find an option from the alternate infusion section below.
  • Additional dried flowers – In this recipe, I use ½ cup dried lavender, ¼  cup dried calendula, ¼  dried mint, and 2 whole cloves. You can customize this recipe to include any healing herbs you desire.
  • 8 ounces of carrier oil – your choice, see the many options to choose from listed below.

The following oils can be used as carrier oils in this recipe:

Note: a complete list of ingredients with amounts and printable instructions is located in the recipe card below.

Step-by-Step Instructions

A four step image collage showing how to make cannabis massage oil.
  • Step 1 – Preheat a water bath to 185° F. Various water bath techniques are explained in the notes section below.
  • Step 2 – In a 16-ounce mason jar, combine all of the dry ingredients: decarbed cannabis, dried herbs and spices. Then pour in the carrier oil. Wipe the rim of the jar to ensure it is clean and tighten the lid to fingertip tightness. You do not want it to be too loose or too tight.
  • Step 3 – Place the mason jar into the water bath and cook for 4 hours.
  • Step 4 – After 4 hours, remove the jar and allow to cool enough to handle. Strain the oil into a clean mason jar through a filter or cheesecloth. You can use the leftover pulp for other topical preparations, like a sugar scrub.
  • Step 5 – Let the oil cool to room temperature, seal the mason jar, and store in a cool dark place until ready for use.

Note: complete step-by-step printable instructions are located in the recipe card below.

Storage Instructions

The shelf life of this cannabis oil will depend on how you made it and was other ingredients you added.

Store the oil in a dark bottle, like an amber dropper bottle, in a cool, dark, day place.

When stored properly, these oils can last a long time, several months or more.

Cannabis Massage Oil

Alternate Infusion Options

For the recipe below, I infused the oil with dried cannabis flower buds and other medicinal herbs. 

You can easily customize dried herbs you want to use, depending on the experience you’re looking for. 

Don’t forget, you can also decide whether you want a CBD massage oil or a THC massage oil, based on what flower or product you start with. 

You can make your own CBD massage oil using CBD flower, or a THC massage oil using traditional cannabis flower.

I will go over all of the possible infusion options below. 

Flower 

If you have access to stems, leavestrim, or other forms of cannabis flower, they are perfect to use in this recipe.

You can also use kief to make a super potent massage oil, or already vaped bud for a less potent massage oil. 

To use leaves, trim, or flower, follow the oil infusion procedure below.

Store-Bought Oils

One of the easiest ways to make homemade topical products is to use store-bought oil such as full-spectrum CBD oil or THC oil.

It very easy to mix a store-bought oil in with traditional massage oil or another carrier oil of choice, and is a great way to control the mg of CBD or THC added.

To make your own massage oil withstore-bought oil you already have, follow the recipe as is, minus the cannabis flower, and add the CBD product at the end of the infusion process. 

Concentrates 

If you live in a recreationally legal state or have a medical marijuana card, you can easily obtain cannabis concentrates from the dispensary.

Adding a concentrate to this recipe is very easy, all you need to do is combine the concentrate with the carrier oil of choice.

Note: you may need to warm your oil slightly to get them to combine.

Benefits of THC or CBD Massage Oil

As cannabis is increasingly popular in the health and wellness world, so does the desire to make these products at home with all natural ingredients. 

Here are some of the benefits of cannabis massage oil, aside from just a great massage experience!

Relief

While it is not medical advice and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) many anecdotal reports suggest that using cannabis-infused massage oil has the following potential benefits:

  • Relief sore muscles and muscle pain
  • Relieve joint pains
  • Provide pain relief for chronic pain and other conditions that require pain management
  • Bring relief to other serious medical condition
  • Soothe dry skin, itchy skin, and other skin conditions
  • Increase blood flow
  • Reduction of dependence on prescription medications
  • Potential antibacterial properties

Notes and Expert Tips

  • If you want to skip the floral infusion option, you could always add your own favorite blend of essential oils to the carrier oil
  • Ask your massage therapist if they are OK with the addition of CBD to your massage experience
  • Adding a bit of vitamin E oil is the perfect way to get additional anti-inflammatory properties
  • Add some of the homemade oil to hot towels and wrap them around your hands and feet for ultimate relaxation
Cannabis Massage Oil

Will Cannabis Massage Oil Get Me High?

Putting cannabis on the skin is a great way to use cannabis for the first-time because it does not induce an intoxicating ‘high’ like inhaling or edibles.

it can, however, provide relief from various conditions by interacting with the cannabinoid receptors found within the endocannabinoid system.

A CBD oil massage or any topical CBD products will not get you or your massage clients ‘high’ or cause any intoxicating effects.

It is rare that THC oil applied directly to the skin to induce any psychoactive effects.

This is because cannabinoids cannot penetrate the skin deep enough to pass through the tough outer layer of the skin to reach the bloodstream.

Additionally, a case report published in Forensic Science International reports that it is not believed that topically applied cannabinoids like THC will show up in the bloodstream or urine for a drug test.

You can learn more about how cannabis topicals work here.

A glass bottle filled with cannabis massage oil.

Cannabis Infused-Massage Oil

4.79 from 64 votes
Discover the benefits of combining cannabis with massage therapy and learn how to make your own cannabis massage oil at home for topical application, complete with options multiple different infusion options.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total: 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 ounces

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat a water bath to 185° F. Various water bath techniques are explained in the notes section below.
  • In a 16-ounce mason jar, combine all of the dry ingredients: decarbed cannabis, dried herbs and spices. Then pour in the carrier oil. Wipe the rim of the jar to ensure it is clean and tighten the lid to fingertip tightness. You do not want it to be too loose or too tight.
  • Place the mason jar into the water bath and cook for 4 hours.
  • After 4 hours, remove the jar and allow to cool enough to handle. Strain the oil into a clean mason jar through a filter or cheesecloth.
  • Let the oil cool to room temperature, seal the mason jar, and store in a cool dark place until ready for use.

Notes

  • Temperature Control: The water bath does not need to stat perfectly at 185° F  the entire time. Any temperature between 180°-190°F is OK.
  • Floating Jars: Sometimes the mason jar will float when placed in the water bath. This is no need for concern, simply put something heat and water safe over the top of the jar to weigh it down, a clean rock works well.
  • Make sure the cannabis flower is decarbed prior to adding it to this recipe or you may not experience the activated effects of CBD or THC.
  • If you are using an Immersion Cooker or Sous Vide Cooker, fill a vessel deep enough to hold a 1-quart mason jar with an inch of water above lid with hot water. Preheat the water to 185° F.
  • If you are using a Crock-Pot or Instant Pot for your water bath, fill the cooking vessel with enough hot water to cover the mason jar with an inch of water above the lid.
  • If using an Instant Pot; set the slow cooker mode to 185°F and preheat.
  • If using a Crock-Pot; preheat on high until 185° F is reached, then turn to low, a digital probe thermometer is recommended for Crock-Pot to ensure accurate temperature control.
Alternative Carrier Oil Options Include:
    • Olive oil
    • Avocado oil
    • Grapeseed oil
    • Coconut oil

Nutrition

Calories: 10kcal

Additional Info

Course: Topical
Cuisine: Cannabis Recipe
Did you make this recipe or have a question?Join hundreds of members inside private Well With Cannabis Community for help, support, and to share your edible creations!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know how potent to make it?

You will want to add your desired mg CBD or THC depending on your pwn personal tolerance.

Is this massage oil OK for everyday use?

Yes! You can add this massage oil to your daily routine in many different ways, from a simple temple massage to a full-blown deep tissue massage.

More Topicals You Will Love

Conclusion

About Emily

Hi, I’m Emily Kyle and I teach people just like you how to use cannabis to find joy, enhance productivity, improve relationships, and naturally support your overall health and wellness.

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Recipe Rating




20 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Hi Em,

    I used your method today, it was my first time making a topical. I did a double batch using 2 cups of grape-seed cold pressed oil 7 Grams of THC Flower at 29.8% and 7 grams of CBD Flower at about 20%. I added Vitamin E oil and a few of my favorite E.O’s during the bottling process, I strained and then re bottled into 4 oz amber bottles for long term storage. I have already applied and have experienced great releif already and I just know after it sits for 24-48 hours it will only get better.. I did lose a little of my yield with what the cheesecloth absorbs and accidentally spilling a bottle but still have about 14oz of usable product. THANKS FOR SHARING!

  2. Hey Jennifer! Thank you so much for sharing your process with us, it sounds amazing. So excited to hear you’ve already gotten relief 😀

  3. can this be made with just a concentrate like an isolate or distillate & if so, is it the same process?!

  4. Hello Mikia! Yes, you can use a concentrate or isolate. You can skip the 4-hour infusion process and simply mix your concentrate or isolate with the oil until it is well combined, and then follow the recipe as normal 🙂 I hope this helps!

  5. Hi, what can I substitute with calendula flowers as I don’t have access to them in Asia.
    Thanks so much in advance.

  6. Hi Dee. A different herb with similar soothing and healing properties like chamomile or comfrey would be best. I hope this helps!

  7. Hi there, can anything be done with the left over AVB or is it given all it can now that its been vaped and Infused 🙂 Thanks so much

  8. Hi Tania. It is thought that already vaped bud can contain upwards of 10-30% of any remaining cannabinoids, so that makes it well worth saving and using for edibles. If you have already used your vaped bud for infusions, there likely isn’t anything left so you can toss that. I hope this helps!