I have spent a lot of the day researching cannabis lotions, creams, and oils. There is so much information out there it's overwhelming. I got through about 26 pages of
Magnus8's Canna Cream thread before I gave up because of the incredibly slow pace that information was being dribbled out. Just looking for easy-to-follow instructions here! I'm going for a massage oil/lotion, but the lotion instructions included too many ingredients including preservative, which he was insistent on. So I think I'll just go with an infused oil like one would use for cooking, only with an oil that is good for skin transmission.
This is what I have so far:
First thing I have to do is kill the botrytis. This will be accomplished with steam
per this page. I'll put the buds in a strainer suspended over a pot of boiling water with the lid holding down the strainer, for as close to 60 minutes as the water will last. There will be some leakage out of the sides where the lid can't meet the pot but it should get steamy enough to kill the mold.
Next thing I need to do is dry and decarboxilate the now-wet bud. Drying will be done on an open cookie sheet at 200° until it feels dry enough to grind. At that point I will let it cool and grind it. Then it goes back on the sheet covered with foil and run at ~240° for 30 minutes.
Then I need to infuse the THC into the oil. I haven't decided on the oil yet, but I have a list of good oils for skin (not ingesting) from the Magnus8 thread above. They include: Grape Seed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, African Raw - Unrefined Shea Butter, Pumpkin Seed Oil, and then he posts a long list with no explanations but includes this: fractionated coconut oil. That's his favorite.
I found
these instructions for infused oil with a crock pot, which I own, or this video:
[video=youtube;YZzyScxEmbg]
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I may add some beeswax when it's done to stiffen it up a bit so it's not so liquid.
What remains after straining, which will have very little THC left, will get blended together with the leaves, stems, and roots of the plants (I was planning on using the roots separately but I've decided to mix all the non THC parts together) and another oil will be made from that. Maybe with coconut oil to end up with a rub per this video (which is about just using the roots):
Amazing Healing cannabis and coconut oil products! Ask Canna Nanna - YouTube
That is the plan for now. I need to buy the oil as a start, so I can't get this done this weekend as amazon is my source. Maybe one night next week if I can get it all organized.
Stay tuned and add your experiences or comments below!