- Thread starter
- #1,121
Super shiny!again! I'm guessing the cap and gown are a high brix shade of green
.
Now if i can just grow out a High Brix plant...
Amy Gardner Of Eden: Forest Adventures With Doc Bud’s HBB
- Thread starter Amy Gardner
- Start date
Now if i can just grow out a High Brix plant...
Derbybud
Well-Known Member
congrats Amy on getting your certificate. you'll always be Amy to us. 
- Thread starter
- #1,123
Elixir of Cannabis: CBD Dosing Oil
Chemovar/strain: Candida CD-1 by Medical Marjuana Genetics 20:1 (14-20% CBD less than 1% THC)
This is my first CBD only oil. I’m excited to try it on it’s own and guage the results. Then i will begin to experiment blending it with the other dosing oils I have made which are THC high to find blends an balances that work best for me in different circumstances.
This kind of infused oil is a kind of tincture - technically an elixir in fact.
I’ve promised a new pic-tutorial so here goes!
Ingredients:
I use a ratio of approximately 1g of dried bud to 1oz of carrier oil. This batch used only 1cup of oil.
You get better results with high quality resin encrusted flower. Using leaf and trim makes great oil too, but if you’re making a medicinal oil, using high grade flower means that the final product will have a lower amount of other plant compounds in it than an oil made from leaf and/or trim.
Here is 8.6 g of beautiful dried CBD flowers
Decarboxylate the bud:
This activates the cannbinoids, transforming them from the acid forms to the active forms (CBDa > CBD, TCHa > THC etc.). Acid forms have their uses too and I plan to make an infusion with non-decarb’d bud at some stage as well.
Decarboxylation occurs when specific temperatures are maintained for specific times. It is now well known that CBDa requires higher temps than THCa to decarb’. In the course I have just completed, Samantha Miller, cheif scientist at Pure Analytics, informed us that CBDa requires 295ºF (146ºC) for 90 minutes. At lower temps conversion will be either incomplete and sometimes not happen at all so she recommends doing your best to hit that temperature.
Opinions differ about whether buds should be covered for decarb or not. I cover them. I use Shed’s innovation of making a foil pouch that looks something like a Cornish pastie made out of foil
It’s advisable to put the herb in prior to starting the 90minutes to allow for drying time.
I also sometimes use this time in the oven to sterilise my jars and bottles - if you do this, make sure the bottles and jars go in when the oven is still cool, so they warm up slowly, and spend about 20minutes at 120-140ºC.
Once the oven is stabilised, relax while some chemistry happens.
Once this is done you can run the infusion stage straight away, but some oilers like to put the buds, unopened, in the freezer for 12hours as there is some thought that this helps to retain terpenes. There’s a whole thread dedicated to these efforts, which is beyond my capacity for engagement, but I’ve adopted the freezer stage and always had good results with my oils retaining some nice flavours of the infused cannabis. Using this freezer step means I like to run my decarb’ cycles in the late afternoon/evening, put the foil pasties in the freezer overnight and then run the infusion the following day.
A NOTE on decarboxylation:
This oil I’m making is with CBD rich flower which as stated requires 295ºF/146ºC.
THC requires only 212ºF/100ºC
Infusion:
Take out the cooked buds and place them into a 500ml Mason Jar. I use a clean spoon to crush them up a bit. You can use your fingers but it’s not so hygienic, plus the stem bits can get very sharp - don’t find that out the hard way like I did once!
Measure out 1 cup of carrier oil. I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil becasue that always gets reported as being the “best” for medicinal use because of it bio-availability. You can also use coconut oil, grapseed oil, avocado oil, hemp oil and probably more. It is possible that different oils would be better depending on how you take it (either ingestion or sublingual/buccal). I mix the methods up a bit so for now I’m continuing with EVOO - it’s been working with all methods of delivery for me.
Cover the jar with some tinfoil and use the screw on lid to keep it in place - this is why Mason jars are the specific choice here.
Place a tiny pinprick in the foil to allow for pressure regulation (I think that what this does - I don’t know, but it was recommended to me by a few folks and it works, so I don’t argue )
Heat the oven to about as low as it can go 80ºC is a good ballpark. You ideally dont wan’t it to get above 100ºC. I figure the Magical Butter machine uses 160ºF for infusing, which is about 70ºC so I aim for around there but my oven has trouble wth that and is usually around 90ºC. This seems to be ok. If you’re guage is Fahrenheit then around 160ºF is good
Infuse for 6-8 hours, shaking gently occasionally if you can, just to help the steeping (like jiggling a tea-bag). Doesn’t matter if you can’t do this.
Some oil makers on site have had success putting a pause in the middle of infusion time and letting things cool and sit for a while before running again (so 3-4 hours > cool > 3-4hrs). I didn’t do that this time, and have made plenty of great oil without it so you don’t have to. It can reportedly make a slightly more potent oil.
Liquid Sunflower Lecithin!
This is an imperative step for a dosing oil or oil for making edibles (which are effectively the same thing, used differently). The lecithin contains molecules that bind directly to both the cannabinoid molecules and the oil molecules, forming a bond between them. This allows the cannabinoids to piggyback their way into the system on the Olive oil molecules and makes them far more bioavailable. Don’t skip the lecithin.
Use anywhere from 1tsp to 1TBSP of liquid sunflower lecithin to every cup of oil used. I like to mix it in afterwards, right into the jar while the oil is still warm.
Stir it up till it’s well blended and then strain the oil into your bottle using the small funnel and some clean cheesecloth. I like to layer the cheesecloth a few times for a nice smooth oil (the pegs holding the cheesecloth to the funnel are another innovation I picked up from @InTheShed).
Then you have a bottle of oil!
Encapsulation:
This needs to go in the fridge for 24hrs to allow time for all the molecules to “combobulate” (not the technical term for it
). Basically as i understand it it takes sometime for the bonding effected by the lecithin to take place and 24hrs in the fridge will do this.
I keep my oil stored in the fridge and decant small amounts into 25-30ml dosing dropper bottles because this is how I like to dose it. It’s a good idea to let the oil come to room temp and give it a gentle shake before decanting into the dosing bottle.
Oh - the left over mash can be used to make brownies, cookies, cakes, or put into capsules or just added to food as a garnish. I used to do the garnish thing a lot but it’s good to be careful with it because more is not always more with cannabis, even CBD, so I have become less inclined to use it loosely. I don’t have the energy, canna-loving social circle or consumption capacity to do things like making brownies or capsules so my compost worms get the full benefit of the mash on most occasions
I’ve tried to make this pretty detailed because I plan to link a few non-members to it who may be interested in making their own oils.
If anyone notices an error or if something just isn’t clear pls let me know so I can edit/correct it!
My dear Shed, if you would be so kind as to crunch those numbers for me please. I’m comfortable estimating that my sativa leaning Candida CD-1 has close to 18% CBD (and I used 230ml of oil).
Topical oil process coming up soon.
Chemovar/strain: Candida CD-1 by Medical Marjuana Genetics 20:1 (14-20% CBD less than 1% THC)
This is my first CBD only oil. I’m excited to try it on it’s own and guage the results. Then i will begin to experiment blending it with the other dosing oils I have made which are THC high to find blends an balances that work best for me in different circumstances.
This kind of infused oil is a kind of tincture - technically an elixir in fact.
I’ve promised a new pic-tutorial so here goes!
Ingredients:
I use a ratio of approximately 1g of dried bud to 1oz of carrier oil. This batch used only 1cup of oil.
- 8.6g dried and decarb’d bud
- 1cup/8oz/236mls Extra Virgin Olive Oil (preferably organic. A lot of Olive oil is actually really diluted with vegetable and/or other oils))
- 1TBSP liquid sunflower lecithin (“Now” brand purchased online. Must be liquid sunflower, not soy or granules)
- An oven safe container for decarboxylating buds - unless you’re lucky enough to have a Nova
. Magical Butter sell a decarb box, and I want one of those i think, but you can use any tray or a cake tin or baking dish. I wrap mine in foil (a la @InTheShed). - An oven capable of maintaining low temperatures
- Infusion can also be done using a Magical Butter machine but this has a minimum of 2cups of oil, which is a lot of oil. Today I’m only making a cup full. A little goes a long way.
- A thermometer with an oven probe or an in-oven thermometer - oven thermostats are notoriously inaccurate.
- A mason jar for the infusion process
- A small funnel and some cheesecloth for straining the oil
- A tinted glass bottle for the final product and dropper bottle for dosing (or capsules).
- Use quality flower
- Decaboxylate the dried bud/flower (different temps apply for THC and CBD, see below)
- Infuse the decarb’d bud into a carrier oil
- Add liquid sunflower lecithin to the carrier oil (either before during or after infusion).
- Strain into a tinted glass bottle and place in fridge for 24hours.
- Use the @Oldbear designed spreadsheet to get a ballpark idea of the mg/ml of cannbinoids (or just give @InTheShed the relevant information and ask him to do it for you, like I do!)
You get better results with high quality resin encrusted flower. Using leaf and trim makes great oil too, but if you’re making a medicinal oil, using high grade flower means that the final product will have a lower amount of other plant compounds in it than an oil made from leaf and/or trim.
Here is 8.6 g of beautiful dried CBD flowers
Decarboxylate the bud:
This activates the cannbinoids, transforming them from the acid forms to the active forms (CBDa > CBD, TCHa > THC etc.). Acid forms have their uses too and I plan to make an infusion with non-decarb’d bud at some stage as well.
Decarboxylation occurs when specific temperatures are maintained for specific times. It is now well known that CBDa requires higher temps than THCa to decarb’. In the course I have just completed, Samantha Miller, cheif scientist at Pure Analytics, informed us that CBDa requires 295ºF (146ºC) for 90 minutes. At lower temps conversion will be either incomplete and sometimes not happen at all so she recommends doing your best to hit that temperature.
Opinions differ about whether buds should be covered for decarb or not. I cover them. I use Shed’s innovation of making a foil pouch that looks something like a Cornish pastie made out of foil
It’s advisable to put the herb in prior to starting the 90minutes to allow for drying time.
I also sometimes use this time in the oven to sterilise my jars and bottles
- if you do this, make sure the bottles and jars go in when the oven is still cool, so they warm up slowly, and spend about 20minutes at 120-140ºC.Once the oven is stabilised, relax while some chemistry happens.
Once this is done you can run the infusion stage straight away, but some oilers like to put the buds, unopened, in the freezer for 12hours as there is some thought that this helps to retain terpenes. There’s a whole thread dedicated to these efforts, which is beyond my capacity for engagement, but I’ve adopted the freezer stage and always had good results with my oils retaining some nice flavours of the infused cannabis. Using this freezer step means I like to run my decarb’ cycles in the late afternoon/evening, put the foil pasties in the freezer overnight and then run the infusion the following day.
A NOTE on decarboxylation:
This oil I’m making is with CBD rich flower which as stated requires 295ºF/146ºC.
THC requires only 212ºF/100ºC
Infusion:
Take out the cooked buds and place them into a 500ml Mason Jar. I use a clean spoon to crush them up a bit. You can use your fingers but it’s not so hygienic, plus the stem bits can get very sharp - don’t find that out the hard way like I did once!
Measure out 1 cup of carrier oil. I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil becasue that always gets reported as being the “best” for medicinal use because of it bio-availability. You can also use coconut oil, grapseed oil, avocado oil, hemp oil and probably more. It is possible that different oils would be better depending on how you take it (either ingestion or sublingual/buccal). I mix the methods up a bit so for now I’m continuing with EVOO - it’s been working with all methods of delivery for me.
Cover the jar with some tinfoil and use the screw on lid to keep it in place - this is why Mason jars are the specific choice here.
Place a tiny pinprick in the foil to allow for pressure regulation (I think that what this does - I don’t know, but it was recommended to me by a few folks and it works, so I don’t argue
)Heat the oven to about as low as it can go 80ºC is a good ballpark. You ideally dont wan’t it to get above 100ºC. I figure the Magical Butter machine uses 160ºF for infusing, which is about 70ºC so I aim for around there but my oven has trouble wth that and is usually around 90ºC. This seems to be ok. If you’re guage is Fahrenheit then around 160ºF is good
Infuse for 6-8 hours, shaking gently occasionally if you can, just to help the steeping (like jiggling a tea-bag). Doesn’t matter if you can’t do this.
Some oil makers on site have had success putting a pause in the middle of infusion time and letting things cool and sit for a while before running again (so 3-4 hours > cool > 3-4hrs). I didn’t do that this time, and have made plenty of great oil without it so you don’t have to. It can reportedly make a slightly more potent oil.
Liquid Sunflower Lecithin!
This is an imperative step for a dosing oil or oil for making edibles (which are effectively the same thing, used differently). The lecithin contains molecules that bind directly to both the cannabinoid molecules and the oil molecules, forming a bond between them. This allows the cannabinoids to piggyback their way into the system on the Olive oil molecules and makes them far more bioavailable. Don’t skip the lecithin.
Use anywhere from 1tsp to 1TBSP of liquid sunflower lecithin to every cup of oil used. I like to mix it in afterwards, right into the jar while the oil is still warm.
Stir it up till it’s well blended and then strain the oil into your bottle using the small funnel and some clean cheesecloth. I like to layer the cheesecloth a few times for a nice smooth oil (the pegs holding the cheesecloth to the funnel are another innovation I picked up from @InTheShed).
Then you have a bottle of oil!
Encapsulation:
This needs to go in the fridge for 24hrs to allow time for all the molecules to “combobulate” (not the technical term for it
). Basically as i understand it it takes sometime for the bonding effected by the lecithin to take place and 24hrs in the fridge will do this.I keep my oil stored in the fridge and decant small amounts into 25-30ml dosing dropper bottles because this is how I like to dose it. It’s a good idea to let the oil come to room temp and give it a gentle shake before decanting into the dosing bottle.
Oh - the left over mash can be used to make brownies, cookies, cakes, or put into capsules or just added to food as a garnish. I used to do the garnish thing a lot but it’s good to be careful with it because more is not always more with cannabis, even CBD, so I have become less inclined to use it loosely. I don’t have the energy, canna-loving social circle or consumption capacity to do things like making brownies or capsules so my compost worms get the full benefit of the mash on most occasions
I’ve tried to make this pretty detailed because I plan to link a few non-members to it who may be interested in making their own oils.
If anyone notices an error or if something just isn’t clear pls let me know so I can edit/correct it!
My dear Shed, if you would be so kind as to crunch those numbers for me please. I’m comfortable estimating that my sativa leaning Candida CD-1 has close to 18% CBD
(and I used 230ml of oil).Topical oil process coming up soon.
Derbybud
Well-Known Member
Nice write up Amy. Thanks
CBD Dosing Oil: CD-1 v1.0
Chemovar/strain: Candida CD-1 by Medical Marjuana Genetics 20:1 (14-20% CBD less than 1% THC)
This is my first CBD only oil. I’m excited to try it on it’s own and guage the results. Then i will begin to experiment blending it with the other dosing oils I have made which are THC high to find blends an balances that work best for me in different circumstances.
This kind of infused oil is a kind of tincture - technically an elixir in fact.
I’ve promised a new pic-tutorial so here goes!
Ingredients:
I use a ratio of approximately 1g of dried bud to 1oz of carrier oil. This batch used only 1cup of oil.
Equipment required:
- 8.6g dried and decarb’d bud
- 1cup/8oz/236mls Extra Virgin Olive Oil (preferably organic. A lot of Olive oil is actually really diluted with vegetable and/or other oils))
- 1TBSP liquid sunflower lecithin (“Now” brand purchased online. Must be liquid sunflower, not soy or granules)
Steps to making a dosing oil are (I’ll elaborate on each one below):
- An oven safe container for decarboxylating buds - unless you’re lucky enough to have a Nova
- An oven capable of maintaining low temperatures
- Infusion can also be done using a Magical Butter machine but this has a minimum of 2cups of oil, which is a lot of oil. Today I’m only making a cup full. A little goes a long way.
- A thermometer with an oven probe or an in-oven thermometer - oven thermostats are notoriously inaccurate.
- A mason jar for the infusion process
- A small funnel and some cheesecloth for straining the oil
- A tinted glass bottle for the final product and dropper bottle for dosing (or capsules).
Quality flower:
- Use quality flower
- Decaboxylate the dried bud/flower (different temps apply for THC and CBD, see below)
- Infuse the decarb’d bud into a carrier oil
- Add liquid sunflower lecithin to the carrier oil (either before during or after infusion).
- Strain into a tinted glass bottle and place in fridge for 24hours.
- Use the @Oldbear designed spreadsheet to get a ballpark idea of the mg/ml of cannbinoids (or just give @InTheShed the relevant information and ask him to do it for you, like I do!)
You get better results with high quality resin encrusted flower. Using leaf and trim makes great oil too, but if you’re making a medicinal oil, using high grade flower means that the final product will have a lower amount of other plant compounds in it than an oil made from leaf and/or trim.
Here is 8.6 g of beautiful dried CBD flowers
Decarboxylate the bud:
This activates the cannbinoids, transforming them from the acid forms to the active forms (CBDa > CBD, TCHa > THC etc.). Acid forms have their uses too and I plan to make an infusion with non-decarb’d bud at some stage as well.
Decarboxylation occurs when specific temperatures are maintained for specific times. It is now well known that CBDa requires higher temps than THCa to decarb’. In the course I have just completed, Samantha Miller, cheif scientist at Pure Analytics, informed us that CBDa requires 295ºF (146ºC) for 90 minutes. At lower temps conversion will be either incomplete and sometimes not happen at all so she recommends doing your best to hit that temperature.
Opinions differ about whether buds should be covered for decarb or not. I cover them. I use Shed’s innovation of making a foil pouch that looks something like a Cornish pastie made out of foil
It’s advisable to put the herb in prior to starting the 90minutes to allow for drying time.
I also sometimes use this time in the oven to sterilise my jars and bottles
Once the oven is stabilised, relax while some chemistry happens.
Once this is done you can run the infusion stage straight away, but some oilers like to put the buds, unopened, in the freezer for 12hours as there is some thought that this helps to retain terpenes. There’s a whole thread dedicated to these efforts, which is beyond my capacity for engagement, but I’ve adopted the freezer stage and always had good results with my oils retaining some nice flavours of the infused cannabis. Using this freezer step means I like to run my decarb’ cycles in the late afternoon/evening, put the foil pasties in the freezer overnight and then run the infusion the following day.
A NOTE on decarboxylation:
This oil I’m making is with CBD rich flower which as stated requires 295ºC/146ºC.
THC requires only 212ºF/100ºC
Infusion:
Take out the cooked buds and place them into a 500ml Mason Jar. I use a clean spoon to crush them up a bit. You can use your fingers but it’s not so hygienic, plus the stem bits can get very sharp - don’t find that out the hard way like I did once!
Measure out 1 cup of carrier oil. I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil becasue that always gets reported as being the “best” for medicinal use because of it bio-availability. You can also use coconut oil, grapseed oil, avocado oil, hemp oil and probably more. It is possible that different oils would be better depending on how you take it (either ingestion or sublingual/buccal). I mix the methods up a bit so for now I’m continuing with EVOO - it’s been working with all methods of delivery for me.
Cover the jar with some tinfoil and use the screw on lid to keep it in place - this is why Mason jars are the specific choice here.
Place a tiny pinprick in the foil to allow for pressure regulation (I think that what this does - I don’t know, but it was recommended to me by a few folks and it works, so I don’t argue
Heat the oven to about as low as it can go 80ºC is a good ballpark. You ideally dont wan’t it to get above 100ºC. I figure the Magical Butter machine uses 160ºF for infusing, which is about 70ºC so I aim for around there but my oven has trouble wth that and is usually around 90ºC. This seems to be ok. If you’re guage is Fahrenheit then around 160ºF is good
Infuse for 6-8 hours, shaking gently occasionally if you can, just to help the steeping (like jiggling a tea-bag). Doesn’t matter if you can’t do this.
Some oil makers on site have had success putting a pause in the middle of infusion time and letting things cool and sit for a while before running again (so 3-4 hours > cool > 3-4hrs). I didn’t do that this time, and have made plenty of great oil without it so you don’t have to. It can reportedly make a slightly more potent oil.
Liquid Sunflower Lecithin!
This is an imperative step for a dosing oil or oil for making edibles (which are effectively the same thing, used differently). The lecithin contains molecules that bind directly to both the cannabinoid molecules and the oil molecules, forming a bond between them. This allows the cannabinoids to piggyback their way into the system on the Olive oil molecules and makes them far more bioavailable. Don’t skip the lecithin.
Use anywhere from 1tsp to 1TBSP of liquid sunflower lecithin to every cup of oil used. I like to mix it in afterwards, right into the jar while the oil is still warm.
Stir it up till it’s well blended and then strain the oil into your bottle using the small funnel and some clean cheesecloth. I like to layer the cheesecloth a few times for a nice smooth oil (the pegs holding the cheesecloth to the funnel are another innovation I picked up from @InTheShed).
Then you have a bottle of oil!
Encapsulation:
This needs to go in the fridge for 24hrs to allow time for all the molecules to “combobulate” (not the technical term for it
I keep my oil stored in the fridge and decant small amounts into 25-30ml dosing dropper bottles because this is how I like to dose it. It’s a good idea to let the oil come to room temp and give it a gentle shake before decanting into the dosing bottle.
The left over mash can be used to make brownies, cookies, cakes, or put into capsules or just added to food as a garnish. I used to do the garnish thing a lot but it’s good to be careful with it because more is not always more with cannabis, even CBD, so I have become less inclined to use it loosely. I don’t have the energy, canna-loving social circle or consumption capacity to do things like making brownies or capsules so my compost worms get the full benefit of the mash on most occasions
I can’t attach any more images to the post (limit of 10 attachments) but I’m about to post the process for the Topical Oil I just made (later today) so I’l include pics of the bottles there. I hope this was helpful to folks. I tried to make it pretty detailed because I plan to link a few non-members to it who may be interested to get into making their own oils.
If anyone notices an error or if something just isn’t clear pls let me know so I can edit/correct it!
My dear SHed, if you would be so kind as to crunch thos numbers for me please. I’m comfortable estimating that my sativa leaning Candida has close to 18% CBD
Topical oil process coming up soon.
You should copy that and create a journal for it. I know thst took some time! Nice write up!
Wonderful tutorial! I'd go with the "bravo" emoji again but they're no longer on sale, so this will have to do:
The only thing I noticed that I do differently is decarb for THC at 240º for 90 minutes in foil (to allow for the heat to penetrate to the buds) rather than 212º. That seems too low to me.
The only thing I noticed that I do differently is decarb for THC at 240º for 90 minutes in foil (to allow for the heat to penetrate to the buds) rather than 212º. That seems too low to me.
8.6gr at 18% CBD and 230ml EVOO and 80% efficiency in a jar in the oven, gets you to 5.38mg CBD/ml oil.My dear SHed, if you would be so kind as to crunch thos numbers for me please. I’m comfortable estimating that my sativa leaning Candida has close to 18% CBD
- Thread starter
- #1,127
You should copy that and create a journal for it. I know thst took some time! Nice write up!
I wondered about doing that actually - but then it’s just another thread to keep track of 
But it is a good idea - so I may.Wonderful tutorial! I'd go with the "bravo" emoji again but they're no longer on sale, so this will have to do:
I assume you’re meaning ºF Yes - i was surprised that it was so low when she said it. I did my topical oil that i’m About to post at 100ºC and it works, but in future I won’t stress if it climbs a little higher than that during decarb’.Thank you!
That gives me a ballpark to work with. Without testing we can’t be very accurate so it might not translate directly to the potency listed on a commercially available product becasue our mg/ml may be a bit off. I’m comfortable with an approximation and think that so long as I’m using the same method every time my oils should be fairly consistent. And dosing is the same as with any product - start low and go slow
Thank you!
My method is no where near as detailed, 4 steps done. You’re is next level! Times and temperatures, waiting for molecules to...
Molecule!
dynamo1
Well-Known Member
not to Amy Gardner ... I was like... “oh yeah... that’s me” :
I can see it now 
Another excellent
tutorial, KUDOS,
Lots of love
I feel the sirens call, beckoning me to the ocean. 
... I was like... “oh yeah... that’s me” : I can see it now Another excellent
tutorial, KUDOS,Lots of love
I feel the sirens call, beckoning me to the ocean. 
- Thread starter
- #1,131
Heavenly Hybrid
Well-Known Member
Nice oil tutorial Amy! Saved and !!!
!!!
I made some oil from trim off my last harvest. Berry Bomb (Indica Heavy), Northern Lights (Indica), and Kush Auto (Hybrid, %?). Just soaked in grape seed oil for a day and a double boil in the Insta Pot. After collection I use an eye dropper to apply.
Wow, amazing tutorial Amy! 
- Thread starter
- #1,135
Elixir of Cannabis - Topical Oil
I use my topical oil primarily for localised pain associated with a genetic connective tissue disease called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. I also use it for bites and stings and scratches and bruises and becasue I’ve always used oils on my skin, not creams, I use it on my face too and it totally smooths fine lines and wrinkles. That makes it sound magical in an unlikely kind of way - but it really does do all those things!
Again, I’m aiming to make this guide fairly detailed for the purpose of linking others - including non-members who are coming to using and making cannabis oils for the first time.
Process-wise the making of a topical oil is almost identical to making a dosing oil: we decarboxylate the herb, we infuse it into carrier oils. The only differences are the choices of carrier oil and that there is no need to add any liquid lecithin (that’s for internal bio-availability).
I used the Magical Butter machine for this batch becasue I’m happy having a large amount of oil. People Iike it so it tends to get shared and used pretty fast! You can also do the infusion in the oven like I did above for the dosing oil if you want to make a smaller batch.
A lot of the choices of carrier oil are preference based, but the oil needs to be easily absorbed and 2 of the best oils for this are grapeseed oil and pumpkin seed oil. My first batches used grapeseed oil with 30-50% Fractionated Coconut oil (MCT) to give spreadability. These first batches were great but maybe a little too slow to absorb so this time I’ve added pumpkinseed oil to the mix, which absorbs very quickly into the skin. I still used a small amount of MCT, again for spreadability - you don’t want it to soak in before you’ve spread it around!
Ingredients:
. No matter, i just added a little sploosh of each.
NOTE also that you can use more flower/herb for a stronger oil if desired. This one works tho
Equipment required:
You want to get the highest ratio of resin to plant matter so there is more of the active compounds in the oil and less of the other compounds. You can absolutely use trim and larf but i I like to use as much excellent frosty bud as possible . I used 17grams of this Critical Mass I harvested a few weeks ago 
Decarboxylate the bud:
This activates the cannabinoids, transforming them from the acid forms to the active forms (CBDa > CBD, TCHa > THC etc.). Acid forms have their uses too but for this pain oil I want fully decarb’d THC.
Decarboxylation occurs when specific temperatures are maintained for specific times. Reports about ideal temps and times for decarb’ vary. In the course I have just completed, Samantha Miller, cheif scientist at Pure Analytics, listed 212ºF/100ºC for 90minutes as the ideal temp for decarboxylation of THC.
There is a lot of variation in the information about this and InTheShed noted above that 212ºF seemed to low for his liking. I have previously used 110ºC for 110 minutes for multiple batches and that oil worked well too. It’s possible that this depends on whether you cover your buds for decarb’ or not. Samantha Miller was talking about uncovered buds on a tray when she gave that temp/time combo so that’s likely a factor. Let’s say anywhere from 212ºF/100ºC up to 230ºF/110º for about 90 minutes.
Opinions also differ about whether buds should be covered for decarb or not. I cover them. We think it helps retain teh terpenes. I use Shed’s innovation of making a foil pouch that looks something like a Cornish pastie made out of foil. And, if covered, should be slightly on the higher temp side perhaps.
No pic of the foil pouch in the oven this time (see above post if you really need to see it! )
Infusion:
I use the Magical Butter Machine (MB2) for any infusion over 2cups in quantity. I am very fortunate to have one as a result of their sponsorship of this website.
Oils and decarb’d herb go into the MB2.
No need to crumble the buds at all, the MB2 does all the work. Be mindful to remove larger stems tho - better for the machine
Pour on the oils ...
Make sure it hits the ‘minimum’ mark.
I mentioned earlier that some folks have found a rise in potency from putting a ‘rest period’ in the middle of infusion, and I did that this time.
I use the 160ºF setting on the MB2. You can either run it for 8hrs straight or 2 lots of 4 hours with a cooling/steeping break in between.
Once that’s done - it’s done!
The machine is a little noisy - FYI. Running it overnight is only a good idea if it in another building!
Strain the oil off into a tinted glass bottle. I use a 500ml bottle which I keep in the fridge and keep a smaller 50ml bottle by my bed for daily use (every few hours in fact )
Kinda messy but easier to clean up than it looks!
I use kitchen paper to wipe any excess oil and mash off the MB2 adn then run the cleaning cycle - which is as simple as filling it to between the min and max markers, adding a few drops of dish detergent, putting the lid on and pressing the “Clean” button. I usually rinse gently wipe it down again afterwards.
A caveat about the MB2 if you have a disability that affects strength in hand and arms. It’s kinda heavy. It’s very heavy with the lid on - the lid holds the motor and it’s pretty weighty. And it’s a little heavy without the lid. In the past I’ve needed someone else to pour it out for me and clean the machine. This time I was ok with it (suggesting I’ve had some improvement
) but I couldn’t hold it up for long to strain off the last of it (or hold it up withone hand while scraping it out using a spatula with the other hand). This meant a little got wasted - but lots of it got on my hands drying clean up which was perfect becasue the process makes my hands a little sore, and the oil helps!
Here’s my final ‘take home’ oil Sweet relief in a bottle!
There’s no way of capturing the usage of this oil in a photograph that doesn’t just look plain sleazy so I’ll leave it to you to imagine the joy of applying this to areas of chronic pain and the comfort it can bring. I get full-on burning sensations in my quad muscles. It’s similar to severe post-workout burn when you think ‘oh dear, I’ve over done it a bit’ except I get it if I just walk a bit. I also get joint pain all over from early onset osteoporosis-arthritis due to joint degeneration. This oil makes it feel like things have been wrapped in a warm soft blanket I love this plant so much.
I will also say that a potent topical can be a godsend for women who suffer from menstrual cramping and pain. It can be applied to the lower abdomen and also to the genital area and brings great relief. I so wish I had know about this while i was still ‘active’ in that area as I had a terrible time hovering on the border of endometriosis all my life (also a part of the connective tissue issues - but we didn’t know, I was diagnosed very late). So if that’s you, then get a great topical! And anyone who has a partner who suffers cramping and pain with menses, there’d be no better way to show the love than to make a batch of oil and apply it lovingly to what ails her
It starts to work in about 5-15 minutes and last around 2hours, sometimes 3.
A note on potency: This oil will come out at around 6mg of THC to every ml of oil. It could probably be stronger. It works, don’t get me wrong. But I know that @InTheShed aims for 10mg/ml (i think - pls correct me if i’m wrong) so I may use more bud next time. There is a saturation point for oils beyond which they cant hold the cannabinoids and information about this varies. Ive seen it on a random website that anything much beyond a 1g of bud to 1oz of oil tips over thos saturation point and becomes wasteful but I’m yet to come across anything definitive or backed by science. I would suppose that different oils may have slightly different saturation points too. SO next time I’ll add some herb and see if it’s more potent. For now, this recipe works really well.
For people new to cannabis therapies it’s important to note that topicals are not psychoactive. The skin is actually almost impermeable to cannabinoids. While this might seem like topicals would therefore be a waste quite the opposite is true. Our skin and peripheral nerves are covered in CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. The cannbinoids in the oil interact right in the epidermis, stimulating the Endocannbinoid system (ECS) in general and effecting pain relief locally. There’s also a lot of emerging evidence about the role of the ECS in various skin conditions and a good topical can be helpful for this too.
Finally (I’ve learnt a lot lately so bear with me, I need to get to out!), different cannbinoids can penetrate into the skin to varying degrees. Recent research is showing that CBD and CBN may be 10x more efficient in penetrating the skin than THC. Once I have another CBD plant growing and healthy, I’ll be comfortable to use some of my precious CBD buds to make a topical to try. I’ll make one on it’s own fisrt to test it and develop a blend if it turns out to be successful.
In the next post I will include some links that I always share with people looking for a good intro to the subject of using cannabis medicinally.
Again - if anyone spots an error or unclear instruction, pls let me know!
I use my topical oil primarily for localised pain associated with a genetic connective tissue disease called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. I also use it for bites and stings and scratches and bruises and becasue I’ve always used oils on my skin, not creams, I use it on my face too and it totally smooths fine lines and wrinkles. That makes it sound magical in an unlikely kind of way - but it really does do all those things!
Again, I’m aiming to make this guide fairly detailed for the purpose of linking others - including non-members who are coming to using and making cannabis oils for the first time.
Process-wise the making of a topical oil is almost identical to making a dosing oil: we decarboxylate the herb, we infuse it into carrier oils. The only differences are the choices of carrier oil and that there is no need to add any liquid lecithin (that’s for internal bio-availability).
I used the Magical Butter machine for this batch becasue I’m happy having a large amount of oil. People Iike it so it tends to get shared and used pretty fast! You can also do the infusion in the oven like I did above for the dosing oil if you want to make a smaller batch.
A lot of the choices of carrier oil are preference based, but the oil needs to be easily absorbed and 2 of the best oils for this are grapeseed oil and pumpkin seed oil. My first batches used grapeseed oil with 30-50% Fractionated Coconut oil (MCT) to give spreadability. These first batches were great but maybe a little too slow to absorb so this time I’ve added pumpkinseed oil to the mix, which absorbs very quickly into the skin. I still used a small amount of MCT, again for spreadability - you don’t want it to soak in before you’ve spread it around!
Ingredients:
- 17g of dried, decarboxylated cannabis flower (preferably high grade, and high THC)
- 1cup/8oz/230ml Grapeseed oil
- 1cup/8oz/230ml Pumpkinseed oil
- 1/4cup/2oz/60ml Fractionated Coconut oil (MCT)
. No matter, i just added a little sploosh of each.NOTE also that you can use more flower/herb for a stronger oil if desired. This one works tho
Equipment required:
- An oven safe container for decarboxylating buds - unless you’re lucky enough to have a Nova . Magical Butter sell a decarb box, and I want one of those i think, but you can use any tray or a cake tin or baking dish. I wrap mine in foil (a la @InTheShed).
- A Magical Butter machine or an oven capable of maintaining low temperatures.
- If using an oven, use a Mason jar with foil for the inside lid (see above post for detail)
- A thermometer with an oven probe or an in-oven thermometer - oven thermostats are notoriously inaccurate.
- A small funnel and some cheesecloth for straining the oil
- A tinted glass bottle for the final product.
- Use quality bud (not essential - but preferable, to me)
- Decarboxylate bud/herb
- Infuse into carrier oil
- Strain into dark glass bottle.
- Use it and be relieved!
You want to get the highest ratio of resin to plant matter so there is more of the active compounds in the oil and less of the other compounds. You can absolutely use trim and larf but i I like to use as much excellent frosty bud
as possible . I used 17grams of this Critical Mass I harvested a few weeks ago Decarboxylate the bud:
This activates the cannabinoids, transforming them from the acid forms to the active forms (CBDa > CBD, TCHa > THC etc.). Acid forms have their uses too but for this pain oil I want fully decarb’d THC.
Decarboxylation occurs when specific temperatures are maintained for specific times. Reports about ideal temps and times for decarb’ vary. In the course I have just completed, Samantha Miller, cheif scientist at Pure Analytics, listed 212ºF/100ºC for 90minutes as the ideal temp for decarboxylation of THC.
There is a lot of variation in the information about this and InTheShed noted above that 212ºF seemed to low for his liking. I have previously used 110ºC for 110 minutes for multiple batches and that oil worked well too. It’s possible that this depends on whether you cover your buds for decarb’ or not. Samantha Miller was talking about uncovered buds on a tray when she gave that temp/time combo so that’s likely a factor. Let’s say anywhere from 212ºF/100ºC up to 230ºF/110º for about 90 minutes.
Opinions also differ about whether buds should be covered for decarb or not. I cover them. We think it helps retain teh terpenes. I use Shed’s innovation of making a foil pouch that looks something like a Cornish pastie made out of foil. And, if covered, should be slightly on the higher temp side perhaps.
No pic of the foil pouch in the oven this time
(see above post if you really need to see it! )Infusion:
I use the Magical Butter Machine (MB2) for any infusion over 2cups in quantity. I am very fortunate to have one as a result of their sponsorship of this website.
Oils and decarb’d herb go into the MB2.
No need to crumble the buds at all, the MB2 does all the work. Be mindful to remove larger stems tho - better for the machine
Pour on the oils ...
Make sure it hits the ‘minimum’ mark.
I mentioned earlier that some folks have found a rise in potency from putting a ‘rest period’ in the middle of infusion, and I did that this time.
I use the 160ºF setting on the MB2. You can either run it for 8hrs straight or 2 lots of 4 hours with a cooling/steeping break in between.
Once that’s done - it’s done!
The machine is a little noisy - FYI. Running it overnight is only a good idea if it in another building!
Strain the oil off into a tinted glass bottle. I use a 500ml bottle which I keep in the fridge and keep a smaller 50ml bottle by my bed for daily use (every few hours in fact
)Kinda messy but easier to clean up than it looks!
I use kitchen paper to wipe any excess oil and mash off the MB2 adn then run the cleaning cycle - which is as simple as filling it to between the min and max markers, adding a few drops of dish detergent, putting the lid on and pressing the “Clean” button. I usually rinse gently wipe it down again afterwards.
A caveat about the MB2 if you have a disability that affects strength in hand and arms. It’s kinda heavy. It’s very heavy with the lid on - the lid holds the motor and it’s pretty weighty. And it’s a little heavy without the lid. In the past I’ve needed someone else to pour it out for me and clean the machine. This time I was ok with it (suggesting I’ve had some improvement
) but I couldn’t hold it up for long to strain off the last of it (or hold it up withone hand while scraping it out using a spatula with the other hand). This meant a little got wasted - but lots of it got on my hands drying clean up which was perfect becasue the process makes my hands a little sore, and the oil helps!Here’s my final ‘take home’ oil
Sweet relief in a bottle!There’s no way of capturing the usage of this oil in a photograph that doesn’t just look plain sleazy
so I’ll leave it to you to imagine the joy of applying this to areas of chronic pain and the comfort it can bring. I get full-on burning sensations in my quad muscles. It’s similar to severe post-workout burn when you think ‘oh dear, I’ve over done it a bit’ except I get it if I just walk a bit. I also get joint pain all over from early onset osteoporosis-arthritis due to joint degeneration. This oil makes it feel like things have been wrapped in a warm soft blanket I love this plant so much.I will also say that a potent topical can be a godsend for women who suffer from menstrual cramping and pain. It can be applied to the lower abdomen and also to the genital area and brings great relief. I so wish I had know about this while i was still ‘active’ in that area as I had a terrible time hovering on the border of endometriosis all my life (also a part of the connective tissue issues - but we didn’t know, I was diagnosed very late). So if that’s you, then get a great topical! And anyone who has a partner who suffers cramping and pain with menses, there’d be no better way to show the love than to make a batch of oil and apply it lovingly to what ails her
It starts to work in about 5-15 minutes and last around 2hours, sometimes 3.
A note on potency: This oil will come out at around 6mg of THC to every ml of oil. It could probably be stronger. It works, don’t get me wrong. But I know that @InTheShed aims for 10mg/ml (i think - pls correct me if i’m wrong) so I may use more bud next time. There is a saturation point for oils beyond which they cant hold the cannabinoids and information about this varies. Ive seen it on a random website that anything much beyond a 1g of bud to 1oz of oil tips over thos saturation point and becomes wasteful but I’m yet to come across anything definitive or backed by science. I would suppose that different oils may have slightly different saturation points too. SO next time I’ll add some herb and see if it’s more potent. For now, this recipe works really well.
For people new to cannabis therapies it’s important to note that topicals are not psychoactive. The skin is actually almost impermeable to cannabinoids. While this might seem like topicals would therefore be a waste quite the opposite is true. Our skin and peripheral nerves are covered in CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. The cannbinoids in the oil interact right in the epidermis, stimulating the Endocannbinoid system (ECS) in general and effecting pain relief locally. There’s also a lot of emerging evidence about the role of the ECS in various skin conditions and a good topical can be helpful for this too.
Finally (I’ve learnt a lot lately so bear with me, I need to get to out!), different cannbinoids can penetrate into the skin to varying degrees. Recent research is showing that CBD and CBN may be 10x more efficient in penetrating the skin than THC. Once I have another CBD plant growing and healthy, I’ll be comfortable to use some of my precious CBD buds to make a topical to try. I’ll make one on it’s own fisrt to test it and develop a blend if it turns out to be successful.
In the next post I will include some links that I always share with people looking for a good intro to the subject of using cannabis medicinally.
Again - if anyone spots an error or unclear instruction, pls let me know!
- Thread starter
- #1,136
It always happens that I dump a whole lot of these posts at once . It’s always my desire to intersperse them throughout the growing season, I just always run out of energy to post on it while keeping up the garden and the garden journal as well. So now that I’m done with harvest and everything is happily in jars - brain space and energy can come to the processing.
. It’s always my desire to intersperse them throughout the growing season, I just always run out of energy to post on it while keeping up the garden and the garden journal as well. So now that I’m done with harvest and everything is happily in jars - brain space and energy can come to the processing.
15mg/ml is my minimum for topicals
.THC applied to the skin can also disrupt the the transmission of pain across nerve endings close to the skin, which is one of the reasons applying it to the DMR (the part of the spine where the vertebrae meet the cervical vertebrae) is helpful.
- Thread starter
- #1,138
Thanks for reminding me about the DMR! - i use it there a lot and forgot to mention it.
Have you ever found reaserch that talks about the saturation levels for differnt carrier oils? I read something on Leafly the other daythat said anything much above that 1g bud to 1oz oil would likely go beyond the threshold. It was Leafly tho - so I dont know how reliable that is. NOw that I’ve done the Green Flower “Fundamentals” course, later this year I wil do the “Patient Care” course and hope to get more deeply into some of this then.
These are some links I include in a document I’ve made for people coming to me asking about medicinal cannabis (a beginners primer ).
All cannabis is medicinal - that’s my mantra. Getting high can be very powerful for alleviating depression and providing a mental break from the ravages of chronic illness and/or pain. It’s a safe (literally the safest) and versatile medicine that can be used in a variety of ways, both with psychoactivity and without.
I’d recommend anyone to sign up for a free account at Green Flower Media because even their freely available content is jam-packed with excellent info and videos about all sorts of canna-related things from growing to dosing.
Have you ever found reaserch that talks about the saturation levels for differnt carrier oils? I read something on Leafly the other daythat said anything much above that 1g bud to 1oz oil would likely go beyond the threshold. It was Leafly tho - so I dont know how reliable that is. NOw that I’ve done the Green Flower “Fundamentals” course, later this year I wil do the “Patient Care” course and hope to get more deeply into some of this then.
These are some links I include in a document I’ve made for people coming to me asking about medicinal cannabis (a beginners primer
).All cannabis is medicinal - that’s my mantra. Getting high can be very powerful for alleviating depression and providing a mental break from the ravages of chronic illness and/or pain. It’s a safe (literally the safest) and versatile medicine that can be used in a variety of ways, both with psychoactivity and without.
Your Beginner's Guide to the 9 Major Cannabinoids
Your Source for Trusted Cannabis Education
www.green-flower.com
Introduction to the Endocannabinoid System
Dustin Sulak, DO, Healer.com As you read this review of the scientific literature regarding the…
norml.org
Strategies for Non-Psychoactive Cannabis Use - Healer
Do you want the beneficial effects of cannabis without adverse psychoactive effects like impairment and intoxication? This program provides you with a number of strategies to help you get all the health benefits of cannabis without getting high. Let’s get started!
healer.com
Using Medical Cannabis
How to use marijuana. Explanations of different types of cannabis, Indica vs Sativa, smoking vs eating marijuana, cannabis tincures and salves, and cannabinoids like CBD, CBG, and CBN
www.safeaccessnow.org
I’d recommend anyone to sign up for a free account at Green Flower Media because even their freely available content is jam-packed with excellent info and videos about all sorts of canna-related things from growing to dosing.
...
......cheerz......h00k...
...
......cheerz......h00k......
Seedlingmtl
Well-Known Member
Using Medical Cannabis
How to use marijuana. Explanations of different types of cannabis, Indica vs Sativa, smoking vs eating marijuana, cannabis tincures and salves, and cannabinoids like CBD, CBG, and CBN
www.safeaccessnow.org
I’d recommend anyone to sign up for a free account at Green Flower Media because even their freely available content is jam-packed with excellent info and videos about all sorts of canna-related things from growing to dosing.
[/QUOTE]
Ty