This step-by-step guide is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to make their own CBD oil to be used as a supplement, in recipes, or for self-care products.
Features
- Just 2 simple ingredients needed: CBD flower & oil.
- Perfect if you want a homemade alternative to storebought CBD oil.
- No special equipment required! You can use a crockpot.
- Stores well so can be made in advance.
- Versatile and can be made with your favorite strain of CBD dominant flowers.
- Dietary Features: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free.
About This Recipe
If you are familiar with making cannabis infusions, this CBD oil recipe follows the same process.
The only difference is the type of cannabis flower you start with and how you decarb that flower.
For this recipe, you need CBD flowers. CBD is the second most abundant cannabinoid, next to THC.
CBD does not produce a high or intoxicating effect like THC, which is why it is preferred by many members of my Well With Cannabis Community.
This guide will show you how easy it is to make your own CBD oil at home with just a few simple ingredients.
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Ingredient Notes
- CBD Flowers - To make a CBD oil at home, you must start with a cannabis flower with CBDA, the precursor to CBD, already present. You can purchase this from your local dispensary or purchase CBD flowers from my online shop here.
- Lecithin, optional: lecithin is a natural emulsifier that will help keep opposing ingredients bound together, like water and oil. If you're new to working with lecithin, you can learn more about adding lecithin to edibles here. If needed, you can purchase liquid lecithin or powdered lecithin. This ingredient is optional.
- Carrier Oil Of Choice- There are many oil options to choose from. Unsure what to pick? Check out my guide to understanding different types of cannabis oils here.
Carrier Oil Options for Making CBD Oil
- MCT oil
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Hemp seed oil
- Sunflower oil
- Avocado oil
- or any other liquid cooking oil you desire
- You can also use this process to make CBD cannabutter
Note: a complete list of ingredients with amounts and printable instructions is located in the recipe card below.
The Step-by-Step Process
Step 1 - The goal is to create a water bath that stays at approximately 180-190° F for the cooking process. The printable instructions in the recipe card below are for using a crockpot to create the water bath.
Step 2 - While the water bath is heating in the crockpot, measure and decarb the CBD flower in the oven at 240° F for 90 minutes.
Step 3 - Evenly divide the decarbed CBD flower and MCT oil between the mason jars you plan on using. If you plan on using sunflower lecithin, add it to the mason jars now.
Step 4 - Carefully place the jars into the water bath. Then, place the lid on the crockpot and leave it alone to infuse for 4 hours. After 4 hours, remove the jars from the hot water and allow them to cool.
Step 5 - Whether it be a paper filter and funnel, cheesecloth, French press, or a simple coffee filter, you will want to set up a straining station to separate the plant matter from the oil.
Step 6 - Once cool enough to handle, strain the prepared oil with your method of choice. You can save the leftover cannabis pulp for use in future recipes.
Step 7 - Return the prepared CBD oil to whatever jar you would like to store it in; I use a small amber tincture dropper bottle.
Step 8 - Store the prepared CBD oil in a cool, dry place. It will last longer if stored in the refrigerator and even longer if stored in the freezer.
Note: complete step-by-step printable instructions are located in the recipe card below.
Start With CBD Dominant Flower
Cannabis comes in a variety of different strains with a variety of different cannabinoids and cannabinoid ratios.
While many people are familiar with traditional, THC-dominant cannabis flower, there is also CBD-dominant cannabis flower, or hemp flower.
Third-party lab tests can help to clarify what cannabinoids are present in your flower, and how much.
CBD-dominant flower may come with either high or low amounts of THC, it all depends on the strain of the plant.
To make a CBD oil at home, you must start with cannabis flower that has CBDA, the precursor to CBD, already present.
If you're still unclear about CBD flower, you can read our full CBD flower guide here.
Decarboxylate For CBDA to CBD Conversion
Once you have acquired the CBD flower needed to make this CBD oil recipe, the next step is to decarboxylate the CBD flower.
While you may be familiar with the traditional decarboxylation process for making traditional THC cannabis-infused oils, it is slightly different for making CBD-infused oil.
This process converts cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) into cannabidiol (CBD), although both forms remain non-intoxicating in their respective states.
It is important to remember that all cannabinoids decarboxylate at different temperatures, so the temperature and time needed to achieve full activation for CBD will differ from THC.
The most common recommendation for decarboxylating CBDA to CBD is to bake the flower at 240°F for 90 minutes.
How to Determine The Dosing
Want to get a more accurate guesstimate of the potency of your cannabis infusions and extractions? Try our popular edibles calculator!
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some of the most frequently asked questions I receive in my Well With Cannabis Community about making CBD oil at home.
If you want to make this recipe at home using high-quality CBD flower, I have them available for purchase in my shop.
Yes! You should choose an oil that suits your desired final product outcome. Different oil options are listed above under Ingredient Notes.
Yes, if you want a stronger, more potent infusion, you can make CBD oil with full-extract cannabis oil, also known as FECO. This is a different process than what is outlined here and involves making a tincture first, so be sure to follow my FECO guidelines here.
The answer depends on the cannabis flower you're using. Some flower can contain high amounts of both CBD and THC, while other flowers, like CBD hemp flower, contains low amounts of THC. If you want to ensure you are not getting high from your final product, you want to opt for a CBD-dominant flower with little to no THC.
Many people feel nothing at all when they use CBD. Using CBD is not about what you feel; it is about what you don’t feel – a lack of unwanted symptoms. Just like all things cannabis, how you feel will be entirely dependent on your own unique tolerance to cannabis.
When it comes to getting drug tested, it is important to know that using a CBD product containing any THC amount can result in a positive drug test result. If you need to be free of THC, you need to ensure the product you are using is labeled as broad-spectrum CBD or CBD isolate products.
Yes, you can. If you want to make a smaller batch first, to see if homemade CBD oil is right for you, use this ratio guide below:
Want To Make This Easier? Use A Machine!
If the process of decarbing and infusing feels like too much work, these countertop devices may be a perfect all-in-one solution!
Two of the most popular brands include the LĒVO and the Ardent. Review the six most popular infusion machines here.
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How to Make CBD Oil
Ingredients
- 16 ounces MCT oil
- 1 ounce CBD-dominant cannabis flower
- 1 teaspoon liquid sunflower lecithin optional
Instructions
- Lay a clean tea towel down on the bottom of the crockpot. This will create a buffer between your mason jars and the crockpot, potentially preventing any jar from moving or cracking during cooking.
- Fill your crockpot with enough warm to hot water to cover the top of the mason jars you plan on using by an inch to create a water bath.
- Place the digital instant-read thermometer into the water. Start the crockpot heat on high. When a temperature of 185°F is reached, turn the crockpot to low.
- While the water bath is heating in the crockpot, measure and decarb the CBD-dominant cannabis flower in the oven at 240° F for 90 minutes. Click here, for a full CBD decarboxylation tutorial, if needed.
- Evenly divide the MCT oil between the mason jars you plan on using. You can either use pint-sized or half-pint-sized jars; it's you're preference; just be sure they fit in your crockpot. No matter the size, be sure to leave a ½ inch headspace from the top.
- If you plan on using sunflower lecithin, add it to the mason jars now.
- Evenly divide the decarbed flower between the MCT oil-filled jars. Wipe the rim of the jars with a clean towel and place the lid on. Tighten the metal ring to finger-tip tightness; it does not have to be tightened all the way. Do not tighten too tightly.
- Once the water bath has reached a temperature of 185° F, carefully place the jars into the water bath.
- Place the lid on the crockpot and leave it alone to infuse for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, carefully remove the lid, followed by the jars from the hot water. Set them aside to cool.
- Once cool enough to handle, you will want to strain the cannabis oil through a paper filter and paper filterpaper filterfunnel, cheesecloth, or French press to separate the plant-matter from the infused MCT oil.paper filterfunnel
- Save the leftover cannabis pulp for use in future recipes. Then return the prepared CBD oil to whatever jar you would like to store it in, like an amber glass jar with a dropper.
- Store the prepared CBD oil in a cool, dry place. It will last longer if stored in the refrigerator and even longer if stored in the freezer.
Notes
- Yield: ~16 ounces / ~2 cups
- Temperature Control: The water bath does not need to stat perfectly at 185° F the entire time. Any temperature between 170°-190°F is OK.
- Safety First: I recommend you sanitize your jars by keeping them submerged in the 185° F crockpot for 10 at least minutes. This step is not necessary, but good practice for safety and hygiene.
- 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.
- Alternative Carrier Oil Options Include:
- Olive oil
- Avocado oil
- Hemp seed oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Coconut oil