Are you interested in making your very own cannabis oil? Perhaps you’ve had a big harvest and are sitting on leftover weed buds or maybe you’re just curious. Whatever the reason, there are a few things you’ll need to consider before you can start.
The most important thing to decide is what type of dagga olie you are going to make. With both CBD and THC to choose from, you need to know a little bit more before deciding. Not only that, but there are different ingredients that you can use to make it.
But don’t worry, this article has everything you need to become a master at making cannabis oil.
Types of Cannabis Oil
The two types of cannabis oil that you can make are THC and CBD oil. Although they both come from cannabis, these two dagga oils don’t have the same effects on our body.
CBD oil has many benefits which are different to THC oil. You might be wondering “What is CBD and THC and what does it have to do with cannabis oil?”. Well, don’t panic because the answer is simpler than you might think.
Differences Between THC and CBD:
- THC and CBD are two unique compounds (cannabinoids) found in cannabis.
- THC causes the psychoactive (‘high’) effect associated with weed.
- CBD is non-psychoactive and will, therefore, not result in a ‘high’.
Now that you know more about these two critical cannabis compounds, you’re ready to learn how to extract THC from weed (or CBD if you prefer). Well lucky for you, it is very easy to get the cannabinoids from your cannabis buds – you can even do it at home!
How to Make THC Oil
When considering whether to make THC oil or not, you have to start at the beginning. Do you have enough weed? Because of the laws surrounding cannabis, the best way to go about it in South Africa is to grow your own dagga. Do you have the right strain of weed? Remember that if you want to make a strong THC oil you will need a type of bud that is high in THC.
There are other factors to consider when choosing strains of weed. Some strains are good for pain relief while others specialise in reducing anxiety. Each strain is unique and offers their own benefits. Once you have chosen the right strain and have your weed ready, you can start with the extraction process.
There are many ways to get THC from weed, but only some are suitable for doing at home. The most home-friendly methods are using butter or coconut oil. THC is fat-soluble. That means that weed will break down into THC when it is introduced to fats at a medium-high temperature over a long period of time.
Making Cannabis Oil at Home
Using butter: This is by far the most common method of making THC-infused oil. All you need is butter, decarboxylated weed buds (find out more about decarboxylation here) and some basic kitchen appliances like a stove and some pots.
Using coconut oil: Coconut oil has gained popularity in recent years. This is due to its amazing health properties versus fats like butter or other cooking oils. There are those who argue that it is the best oil for making THC because of its high saturated fats content.
Whether you decide to use butter or coconut oil, the method stays the same:
- Start by setting up a double boiler system on your stove and insert the butter/coconut oil. (You can also use a normal pot but then you need to add water to your butter/coconut oil and cannabis solution to prevent it from burning). Make sure that the water is simmering – not boiling.
- Once your butter/coconut oil is melted, add your dried weed buds or trim. The basic rule of thumb is that you add roughly 15g (30g if it’s trim) of dried cannabis to 250g of fat.
- The next part is mostly a waiting game. It can take anywhere from 7-12 hours for the THC to properly absorb into the fats. It’s up to you whether you want to wait that long but the longer it extracts, the more THC will be present in the final product.
- Once you have sufficiently extracted the THC, you can strain the butter through a cheesecloth and put it in the fridge to set. It will separate into a liquid and a solid. Remove the solid portion and drain the liquid (this is mainly water that was present in the solution).
- The solid portion that’s left is your cannabis butter and it is ready to be used. Enjoy!
Note: The cannabis and butter/coconut oil solution should not get hotter than 120 degrees celsius. So, remember to keep replacing your water as it evaporates!
How to Make CBD Oil
You’ve probably heard somewhere that CBD is just light weed. Well, you wouldn’t be wrong to make this connection because CBD doesn’t give you the high associated with weed. You might be thinking then “Well, what’s the point?”, but CBD actually helps with a lot of different ailments.
In order for your oil to be mostly CBD, you must find the appropriate strain. There are many CBD strains that you can grow and they come in different ratios of CBD to THC. Some will still be able to get you high, so if you are looking to avoid any psychoactive effects, make sure to choose a strain that has negligible amounts of THC.
A lot of CBD products are being made with hemp strains these days. Hemp is a strain of weed that has almost no THC and has much more CBD present. If you want to know how to make hemp oil then follow the same method as for making CBD oil.
By now you’re probably wondering how to make CBD oil at home, so let’s get to it!
Recipe for Homemade CBD Oil
- Gather your ingredients: most importantly, you need your CBD cannabis buds and either butter or coconut oil.
- Follow the same recipe as above.
- Store your CBD cannabis oil appropriately and use it to make your favourite non-psychoactive edibles or topical creams.
Final Thoughts on How to Make Dagga Oil
Marijuana oil is such a versatile product that can be used in creams, foods or even tinctures. It is a product that can easily be made at home and uses up a lot of your leftover buds and trim that may have otherwise gone to waste. We recommend experimenting with weed oil using the butter or coconut oil method as they are the easiest to make. Now, it’s time to go out and make your very own cannabis oil – happy cooking.
