How to Make Cannabis Cooking Oil
Ingredients & directions
The olive oil recipe
Ingredients
Equipment A gram scale, measuring jug, double boiler or heat-safe bowl and saucepan, fine sieve, cheesecloth, and a clean labeled container.
If your recipe calls for activated THC, follow the separate decarboxylation guide. Record the flower weight and any tested label strength before infusing.
Directions
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Measure the oil and flower
Measure one cup of olive oil. Weigh the dried flower in grams and break it into coarse pieces. Combine the oil and prepared flower in a heat-safe bowl.
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Hold gentle heat for about an hour
Set the bowl over gently simmering water and start timing when the bath returns to a steady simmer. Stir the oil occasionally and check the water level throughout. Top up the pan with hot water as needed.
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Strain and measure
Take the bowl off the heat and let the oil cool enough to handle. Pour through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a clean, dry jug. Let it drain, then record the oil you actually recovered.
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Label and refrigerate
Transfer the oil to a clean, dry container, label it as cannabis-infused with the date, and refrigerate promptly. Use within four days or freeze for longer storage.
Storage Refrigerate promptly. Use within four days or freeze. Label as cannabis-infused and keep secured away from children and pets.
After straining
Plan around the oil you recover
Measure the yield
Straining usually leaves less than the cup you started with. Record the recovered volume before portioning. If you have tested starting information, the THC potency calculator can help you estimate strength using your measured inputs.
Chill and label
Use the CDC four-day refrigerator limit for homemade herb oils as a conservative storage rule. Refrigerate promptly or freeze. Label the oil and secure it away from children and pets.
Edible effects can take 30 minutes to 2 hours to appear. Keep the batch labeled and secured apart from ordinary ingredients.
Common questions
Why use a water bath for about an hour?
A water bath gives you indirect heat. A controlled olive oil study used 60 minutes at 100°C as one benchmark. It tested small batches under lab conditions, so use the hour for planning and test the finished oil for a measured strength.
Can I use coconut oil instead?
Yes. If you want an oil that firms when chilled, use the coconut oil recipe for its own timing and method.
How should I measure oil for a recipe?
Measure the strained oil before you divide it. Stir it into the full mixture before you portion. The measured volume tells you how much oil is in each portion. THC strength requires a separate measurement.