Home Infusions 101 – How To Make Cannabis Oil

How to make cannabis oil?  Infusion can be one of the trickiest parts of cooking with cannabis. It takes time, attention to detail, and patience but is well worth it. 

Due to this, many people shy away from trying to make their own cannabis-infused cooking oils at home, which removes a lot of options when it comes to customizing your edibles and medicated meals.

If you’re new to the world of cannabis or haven’t yet uncovered the secrets behind making the best edibles, (we still think Sugar Jack’s are the best!)  then we’ve got some great news for you! The edible cannabis experience is much more decadent and rich when compared to common inhalation methods such as smoking. 

And luckily, we’ll be here to show you the ropes and guide you in making your first batch of cannabis-infused cooking oil!

What is Canna Oil and Canna Butter?

Canna oil is a cannabis-infused oil used to create many of the cannabis edibles available on the market today (with the exception of Sugar Jack’s, which only uses premium THC distillate!)

In fact, many canna oils and canna butters serve as the foundation of many delicious cannabis-infused treats! 

Canna oils and butters are one of the most versatile mediums for incorporating cannabis into your daily life. The options for creating medicated foods are nearly limitless.

Cannabis-infused oils can be made with butter, olive oil, or various other oils like coconut or peanut oil. Whatever your particular favorite oil may be, chances are you can infuse it with cannabis.

How to Make Cannabis Oil

Equipment and Ingredients:

• 1 cup of fresh ground cannabis flower (You can add or remove some depending on how potent you want the oil)
• 1 cup of the cooking oil of your choice (We recommend coconut oil, but any oil will suffice)
• A saucepan, double boiler, or slow cooker
• A strainer or cheesecloth
• A weed grinder

Picking the Right Cooking Oil

The cannabinoids in marijuana are known to be fat-soluble, making them easily infusible with many cooking oils. Because of the cannabinoid’s fat-soluble properties, infused oils are easily absorbed by the body due to the presence of fats.

Choosing the oil to infuse your cannabis really boils down to personal preference. Although you should keep in mind that different oils have different properties from one another. 

This could range from anything like different consistencies at room temperatures to different flavor profiles. When it comes down to it, there really is no right oil to infuse your cannabis with, so you should choose the oil that fits best with the foods you enjoy.

Step 1

Grind your cannabis so it can be easily mixed and coated with the oil. One thing you’ll have to make sure of is to not over-grind your cannabis so that it can slip through the strainer (If it can get through the strainer, it will be stuck in the final product).

Step 2

In your saucepan, double boiler, or slow cooker, combine your cooking oil and ground cannabis and mix it until the ground cannabis is evenly distributed throughout the oil.

Step 3

Decarboxylate your weed. This is an essential step to activating the cannabinoids in your weed. 

Simply cook the oil mixture on low heat (below 245°F), checking and stirring the mixture occasionally to prevent scorching. If you’re concerned with burning, a tiny amount of water can be added to the mixture to help avoid it.

Depending on if you have chosen to use a saucepan, a double boiler, or a slow cooker, you’ll have to adjust the cooking time:

Saucepan: Heat your oil and cannabis on low heat for about 3 hours, checking and stirring the mixture frequently to avoid scorching.

Double Boiler: Heat your oil and cannabis on low heat for 6-8 hours, occasionally checking and stirring the mixture.

Slow Cooker: Heat your oil and cannabis on low heat for 4-6 hours, checking and stirring the mixture occasionally.

Step 4

Strain the remaining plant material from the oil with your strainer. You can strain the oil several times to ensure that you get every bit of weed out of the oil. 

From this point on, you can either throw away the filtered cannabis or add it to the dishes of your choice.

Step 5

Store your cannabis-infused oil in an air-tight container or mason jar and keep it in a cool and dark area. These types of cannabis-infused oils typically have a shelf life of 2 months and can be prolonged if kept in the refrigerator.

Get Cooking With Your Cannabis Oil

Here comes the fun part! Now that you’ve prepared your infused cooking oil, you can pull out the recipe book and start creating some medicated dishes! We suggest experimenting a bit as it may take a while to perfect the dosage.

Tip: Be extra careful when using your oil to prepare foods that require extra heating. If you do require to heat your cannabis oil, avoid using the microwave and always opt for the lowest heat possible as the oil has already been decarboxylated and high temperatures will damage the compounds within it.

How to make cannabis oil: Final Thoughts

With your newly infused cannabis oil, you can now get creative and enjoy your favorite foods with a touch of cannabis! 

Make sure you get a little taste of your oil and try out small batches before you fully commit to making full course meals as you’ll have to gauge the potency you want. Dine alone or share some with friends, who knows, you might inspire them to make their own cannabis creations!

At any rate, if you can’t think of anything special to make, save yourself some trouble and purchase a pack of naturally flavored, Cane Sugar and Manuka honey sweetened Sugar Jack’s edibles. Unlike traditional edibles, our tasty treats are made with premium THC distillate and only natural flavours!

Best of luck, and as always, happy trails!