CBD oil is incredibly simple to make provided you have access to hemp flower and a carrier oil, such as coconut or virgin olive oil. It has a vibrant herbal flavor and a gentle, calming spirit. You can take it off the spoon, as a supplement or use it in recipes that have low heat and cooking times to preserve cannabinoids and terpenes. You could add the hemp oil to ‘no bake’ cookies, chocolate recipes, add oil to warm tea with honey, spread it on toast, or add it to cooked pasta, like butter. You can also use it in topical skin creams, by rubbing it into achy muscles, etc.
Ingredients:
· 7 to 10 grams CBD hemp flower
· 1 cup coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
· A double-boiler, or make-shift double boiler (such as a glass pyrex bowl or stainless-steel bowl perched on top of a saucepan with water below) OR a crockpot/slow cooker
· Cheesecloth, like this organic unbleached cheesecloth
· Fine mesh strainer
· Glass bowl
· Storage container, such as a mason jar with a lid
· A baking sheet, if not using already-decarboxylated Hemp
Instructions:
Activating or “decarbing” the hemp.
1. If your hemp flower is not yet decarboxylated, grind or tear it up into fairly small pieces. Spread evenly on a baking sheet, and heat it in the oven at 250°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
2. Add water to the bottom pan of your double-boiler. Now add 1 cup of coconut oil to the top section of the double-boiler. Heat until it melts. (OR, on the low/warm setting in a crockpot)
3. Stir in 7-10 grams of decarboxylated hemp flower into the melted oil.
4. Continue to heat the hemp flower and oil over low heat for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can continue this process for several hours if desired, though many recipes call for only 20 to 30 minutes. If available, use a probe thermometer to check the temperature. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain the oil below 200°F. We aim for a target temperature range of around 130 to 150°F and infuse for one hour.
5. When the time is up, line a strainer with cheesecloth and position it over a glass bowl. Pour the hemp and oil mixture through the strainer. Gather the cheesecloth and gently squeeze out the excess oil from the hemp. Warning: the oil will be hot, and your hands will get greasy! You may want to wear food-grade gloves.
6. Transfer the strained hemp-infused oil into a storage container. It is best to use a glass storage container with a tight-fitting lid. Store the finished oil in a cool dark location. We keep ours in the refrigerator.
Ideally, use your hemp oil within 6 months to 1 year. As long as it doesn’t mold, the oil doesn’t “go bad” over time – through the potency can decrease.