How to Make CBD Oil at Home: A Complete Guide

June 20, 2022

Do you want to be transported to a realm of total relaxation with just a few drops of something magical? Learn how to make CBD oil, and you’re halfway there. Everyone and their dogs have heard the rage about CBD oil, and you can join the movement too.

Making CBD oil is easy and rewarding. You won’t believe how little it costs you compared to burning a hole in your pocket getting it at a store.

Keep reading as we unpack everything you need to know about cannabidiol oil, including the available types, benefits, dosage, and which strains to use. We’ll also give you two essential CBD oil recipes and tips to create powerful stuff.

Why make CBD oil at home?

CBD products have a wide array of potential health benefits. The main reasons people make CBD oil are for pain relief and mental health advantages like improving mood disorders or soothing anxiety.

Pain relief

People have been making CBD oil to relieve pain since 2900 BC. As science advanced, we now know why CBD is beneficial for pain.

Our endocannabinoid system has neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors derived from CBD, THC, and natural cannabinoids. CBD may soothe pain by reducing widespread inflammation.

When you make CBD oil, you get a powerful anti-inflammatory easily absorbed by the human body. A few drops of a tincture interacts with neurotransmitters in the endocannabinoid receptors and promotes total body unwinding.

It relaxes your nerves, acting like a numbing ointment causing you to feel less severe or no pain. CBD alone has shown promise for certain types of issues, including nerve, back, and neuropathic pain,

Mental health benefits

Mental health disorders are a common problem in today’s stressful work and home environments. They’re typically treated with pharmaceutical drugs that may be addictive or cause a range of undesired side effects such as insomnia and headaches.

Common anti-anxiety and antidepressants like benzodiazepines can be addictive and lead to substance abuse. They can also cause dangerous or fatal overdoses.

If you learn how to make CBD oil, you create a natural alternative to addictive and sometimes dangerous medications. CBD may ease racing thoughts, overstressing, and paranoia associated with anxiety disorders.

Other uses of CBD oil

Apart from pain relief and mental health support, there are several other reasons why people buy or use homemade CBD oil. Here are some other potential benefits of cannabidiol:

Anti-cancer properties.
Neuroprotective abilities: preventing the development of degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Anti-inflammatory features bring symptomatic relief to many conditions such as Crohn’s disease, arthritis, and COPD.
Heart protective properties by lowering blood pressure and increasing circulation.
Anti-seizure effects; hence CBD is found in the common seizure drug Epidiolex.
Applied topically for acne and other skin conditions.
A healthier alternative to smoking cannabis

Homemade CBD oil vs. store-bought

It’s effortless to pick up a bottle of CBD oil at a store, but it’s not easy on your pocket. Commercial versions average at around $150 per 30-milliliter bottle. If you learn how to make CBD oil from scratch, you save a significant amount of money.

For example, buying CBD 1-CA Ratio 1:20 Feminized Cannabis Seeds would cost you around $100 for four seeds. You get approximately 29 oz. per plant, so you’d collect 116 oz. from the four cannabis seeds. This harvest is enough to triple the amount of CBD oil you’d get at the store.

Another reason to make your own CBD oil is to avoid the refined oils, preservatives, and additives that go into many store-bought varieties. You can use healthy fats and avoid the nasty when you do it yourself.

DIY CBD oil: 3 types

What is CBD oil? There are typically three common versions of CBD oils available on the market. These varying types have a different range of cannabinoid and terpene content. Let’s unpack them:

Full-spectrum

This DIY cannabis oil is the kind you typically make at home. It contains the entirety of the plant matter, including small traces of THC. Full-spectrum tinctures have a wide range of cannabinoids and terpenes, making them incredibly beneficial to medicinal users.

The THC levels are usually too low to create a psychedelic buzz. It improves the overall potency of CBD oil by creating an entourage effect. The sprinkling of THC enables your body to absorb the terpenes and CBD better and experience a more powerful reaction.

The only possible downfall of making CBD oil that’s full-spectrum is the possible strong cannabis or dank flavor. This taste won’t turn you off if you’re a seasoned smoker, and you can always infuse other aromatics like cinnamon into the final product.

CBD isolate

When it comes to making cannabinoid oil, CBD isolate is the most difficult. It requires more steps than making full-spectrum CBD oil. You must remove every non-CBD element, including phospholipids, terpenes, and other cannabinoids.

It lacks the entourage effect of full-spectrum CBD oil, and the therapeutic uses are limited. Terpenes and cannabinoids are known for having a wide range of health benefits. This product is 99% CBD, perfect for those who want no odor and to travel with CBD oil.

We don’t recommend making CBD oil that lacks all the beneficial terpenes. You’d also need a lot of expensive equipment like an extractor vacuum and a heated rotating plate. Use a low THC strain with less than 1% and high CBD levels if you want to avoid psychoactive effects.

Broad-spectrum

You can make CBD oil that’s broad spectrum at home, but you’d require solvents and flash chromatography equipment. This product has all the compounds of full-spectrum CBD but has no THC.

It’s a great choice for anyone who wants to completely avoid THC and still reap the benefits of terpenes and CBD. Bear in mind that THC boosts the effects of CBD and also has a range of proposed medicinal benefits.

How to dose your DIY CBD oil

One of the essential steps in learning how to make CBD oil is getting the dosage correct. Figuring out how strong your final product will be, helps you stay within the realm of your tolerance or raise dosages correctly.

We’ve got an easy formula to help you work out how potent your oil will be and how to make CBD oil stronger. All you need to know is the CBD levels of your strain or industrial hemp and some simple math. Gather your pencil and a notepad, and let’s start calculating.

Take the CBD percentage of your buds and move the decimal to the right. This step shows you how many mg of CBD is in your herb.

Eg. 20.0% of CBD = 200mg/g of CBD

Multiply the number of mg by the number of grams you’re using. This sum shows you the total CBD mg in your batch before decarboxylation.

Eg. 200×14 = 2800mg total CBD

Divide the total CBD by the amount in ml of oil you’re using. This last step reveals the CBD range per milliliter (ml).

Eg. 2800mg / 250 ml oil = 11.2 mg/ml of CBD oil

How to make CBD oil stronger

If you want to know how to make CBD oil stronger, here are our top three tips to get the most potent extracts possible:

Always decarb

There are people who believe decarboxylating is a myth—don’t be one of them. If you skip this step, you waste buds and create an inactive product that won’t have as many potential benefits as a properly done homemade CBD oil.

When it comes to cannabinoid oil and how to make it, decarbing is essential for the final product to produce the desired effects.

Only decarboxylated CBD can pass the blood-brain barrier activating the cannabinoid receptors. This process allows your body to experience the effects commonly associated with consuming cannabidiol.

Slow and steady wins the race

If you ever cooked anything, you know, haphazardly raising the heat only gives you a burnt dinner. Many people make the mistake of infusing cannabis at extremely high temperatures thinking it’ll speed up the process.

If you want to know how to make CBD oil without messing it up, cooking at temperatures below boiling point is key. Once your weed concentrate starts bubbling, you lose potency. At that point, you might as well go outside and bite into a fresh bud for the same effect.

Oil has a higher boiling point than water, so it’ll start bubbling at much hotter temperatures. For example, if you’re figuring out how to make CBD oil with coconut oil, it’ll reach boiling point at 350ºF. This range is too high for cannabis.

For the best results when making CBD oil, regardless of the base you use, keep temperatures between 120–180º F. This is the ideal range for extracting cannabinoids.

More flower, more power

The most obvious yet still effective solution for how to make CBD oil stronger is to use more bud or a stronger strain. Putting more flower in your oil makes it more potent regardless of the CBD range.

If you choose a low CBD strain, using more of it increases the power of your end product. The only downside to using more flower is your oil will have a more intense marijuana smell.

CBD oil recipe: How to make CBD oil at home in 7 steps

Creating CBD oil is easier than you think. Most of the ingredients are already in your cupboards, and anything you might need would only cost you some change. Are you ready to create your own cannabinoid oil? Here’s how to make it:

How to make CBD oil with coconut oil

Ingredients:

Approximately 1– 8 oz. of CBD buds (depending on your tolerance)
500 ml coconut oil (MCT and odorless creates the healthiest and best tasting results)

Equipment:

Baking pan
Parchment paper
Grinder or scissors and a bowl
Double boiler
Glass jar with a lid, such as a Mason jar
Cheesecloth

Steps:

Grind the buds using a grinder or snip them into small pieces in a bowl. Decarboxylate the bud by baking it at 235ºF for between 40–90 mins.
Once the herb is well-baked and dry, allow it to cool completely.
Fill the bottom of the double boiler with water and bring it to a simmer. Ensure the water doesn’t go past 302ºF, or you could lose essential terpenes.
Put the coconut oil and decarbed flower in the double boiler and simmer until the final product is a dark yellow-green shade. This process could take between 2–3 hours.
The hardest part of this CBD oil recipe is done. Remove the top part of the double boiler and set it aside.
Place a cheesecloth on the top of the container and gently pour the mixture into it. Squeeze the cloth to ensure you’ve got as much oil out.
Throw away the leftover buds. Store the mixture in a cool, dry place.

How do you make CBD oil with alcohol?

Ingredients:

Approximately 1– 8 oz. of ground high CBD buds
High-proof, food-grade alcohol

Equipment:

Mixing bowl
Parchment paper
Baking tray
Container
Double boiler
Wooden spoon
Funnel
Fine strainer
Bottle with dropper

Instructions:

Decarboxylate the ground-up buds by baking them on a tray lined with parchment paper. Bake it for 40–90 minutes in an oven preheated to 235ºF. Allow it to cool before moving to the next step.
Using a wooden spoon, mix the decarbed bud and alcohol for 10 minutes until well combined. Ensure the flower is completely submerged in the alcohol. Vigorously stirring helps shake off trichomes and essential cannabinoids, assisting the alcohol in better extracting them.
Pour the liquid through a fine strainer directly into a glass container. Separate the extract from the plant matter. It should be a dark green shade.
Keep straining the mixture until the extract is clear and free of any plant matter.
Set up the double boiler on the stove and pour the alcohol tincture on the top half. Maintain a steady heat at mid to high temperatures because alcohol evaporates at low temperatures. If necessary, turn the heat on and off to keep it stable.
When the mixture is ready, all the alcohol evaporates. Allow to cool and pour into a container using a funnel. The final product has a thick tar-like consistency.
Store it in a bottle with a dropper or use a syringe to put a few drops under your tongue.

N.B. Alcohol is highly flammable so ensure you have a good ventilation system or cook the mixture outdoors. Always be prepared to handle flames and be mindful of the risk of explosion.

Best 5 strains to make your own CBD oil

Picking the best cannabis strain is key to learning how to make CBD oil to suit your needs. We’ve chosen the top five CBD strains ranging from high CBD and high THC levels to high CBD and almost non-existent THC. Take your pick!

CBD Cream & Cheese

This cultivar has a 1:1 CBD to THC ratio, perfect for those looking to make a DIY CBD oil with an equal THC content. It packs the powerful relaxing buzz of the original cheese strains without getting you faded or couch-locked.

CBD Cream & Cheese feminized seeds give you a generous harvest of resinous buds believed to soothe pain and anxiety for hours. Although it has a THC content of 18–22%, there are no extreme psychoactive effects, so you can use homemade CBD oil from this strain while working.

CBD Blueberry

Choosing the correct strain is essential when learning how to make CBD oil. Chase your blues away with the buds from CBD Blueberry feminized seeds.

With only 1% THC, this strain has no psychoactive effects and won’t change your ability to function. The 16% CBD range makes it perfect for creating a mid to high-level CBD oil.

CBD Blueberry is a rare cultivar, but it provides a huge harvest, so you can make a few bottles of DIY cannabis oil. It creates a positive mood boost, removing distractions and negative thinking. Expect mental clarity while treating the body with a calming sensation.

This delicious strain is said to relieve chronic pain and muscle spasms, and you can use its CBD oil for seizures.

CBD Tangie

How do you make CBD oil that tastes good? Use the buds from CBD Tangie feminized seeds. This cultivar is bursting with over 20 terpenoids working together to create the delicious citrus candy flavor.

It has a THC content of 0.1–0.2% and a CBD range of 13–15%. These levels mean it’s ideal for making CBD oil with no psychoactive effects and an almost non-existent THC level. This strain energizes and uplifts your mind while relaxing your body and calming sore muscles.

CBD Harlequin

With a THC range of 3–6% and CBD levels of 11–15%, this strain helps you feel calm, uplifted, and focused. The THC level hits the spot without leaving you overwhelmed or stoned.

It’s a popular recreational and medicinal cultivar. If you want to make your own CBD oil, the buds from CBD Harlequin feminized seeds are perfect. Many claim it has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and gives you a sense of total body tranquility without couch-lock.

CBD ACDC

Rock on with the buds from CBD ACDC feminized seeds delivering a super soothing, zen experience. With 0,8–1% THC and an ideal 16–18%% CBD level, this strain is an excellent choice for any CBD oil recipe.

This cultivar provides a relaxing, sedating cerebral buzz lingering for hours. Thanks to the tranquilizing effects, it’s a good pick for those with anxiety or trouble sleeping. It’s also an excellent strain if you’re learning how to make CBD vape oil because it’s incredibly resinous.

Frequently asked questions about CBD oil

If you’re still unsure or just want the facts, give our FAQ section a read. Here are some typical questions about DIY cannabis oil and our expert responses.

What are the main ingredients in CBD oil?

The main ingredients are cannabidiol (CBD) and oil. Different types of oils are used, like hemp seed oil, coconut oil, and olive oil. Other prominent compounds found in CBD extracts are THC, typically in minuscule amounts, and terpenes found in the particular marijuana strain used when making CBD oil.

How do you extract oil from CBD?

Decarboxylation and infusing the cannabis flower with oil at low temperatures help extract the CBD into the carrier oil. When learning how to make CBD oil, extracting is an essential step. Start by baking the ground buds for 40-90 minutes at 235ºF. Then infuse the nugs into the oil over a double boiler on low heat until it changes color.

How much does it cost to make CBD oil?

The total cost of DIY CBD oil depends on whether you buy the buds at a dispensary or grow the CBD cannabis seeds yourself. Buying CBD flower is around $15 for every 0.5 oz. or 1 gram.

If you bought marijuana seeds, it’d cost approximately $90 for four and reward you with around 120 oz. or 3500 grams after harvest. In the long run, it’s cheaper to grow the buds yourself, giving you more CBD oil for less.

What is the downside of CBD oil?

The downside of homemade CBD oil is the flavor isn’t always mouth-watering. Certain strains can create a bitter, dank taste in the final product. You can always add seasonings like cinnamon or orange peels to give it a better taste.

How do you make CBD isolate at home?

Making CBD isolate at home is possible but extremely difficult. You’d need expensive equipment like a filter press, distillation apparatus, and an extractor vacuum. The easier option is cannabinoid oil; here’s how to make it at home in four easy steps:

Decarboxylate the buds.
Infuse them into the oil of choice by cooking the buds and oil on low heat.
Drain the mixture and allow it to cool.
Pour into a bottle and store in a dry place.

What part of the plant is CBD oil made from?

Any CBD oil recipe you use calls for the buds. You can use the stems and leaves to create tinctures, but their CBD range is extremely low, so you’d create a mild end product. The buds are packed with cannabinoids like CBD and terpenes, so they create the most potent tinctures and extracts.

Now you know your CBDs, make some oil today

If you want to save time and money and ensure you consume only the cleanest and highest quality CBD oil, make it yourself. Learning how to make CBD oil is surprisingly easy and requires only a few basic ingredients.

For the best homemade CBD oil, ensure you choose a strain that suits your needs. Growing cannabis seeds saves you hundreds of dollars and gives you free rein over the type of concentrate you want to create.

At Homegrown Cannabis Co., we offer a wide range of high CBD cannabis seeds perfect for making CBD oil. Buy marijuana seeds from us, and you join our community of happy growers.

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