How To Make CBD Oil At Home

CBD oil or Cannabidiol has joined the ranks of naturally derived substances which are helping the masses with its inherent therapeutic and medicinal qualities. The world is waking up to its uses in the medical field for being an anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, analgesic and even for managing neurodegenerative disorders plus diseases like diabetes.

Homemade CBD Oil Health Benefits:

Many studies have been made on the benefits of CBD oil on the human body. This can be used orally as tinctures, as food additives (to make it easier to ingest) or even on the skin. Depending on your requirements, the uses are varied and can always be customized. Homemade CBD is as good as the store-bought ones, it is only a matter of preparation.

If we look at the medicinal benefits, the list is extensive. Let’s look at a few:

• Relief from Anxiety: Anxiety issues have become more and more prevalent with each passing year across the globe. While proper medications have been a respite, a lot of people search for more natural remedies. According to a WHO report CBD has been shown to reduce anxiety.
• Pain Relief: CBD oil provides an “analgesic effect in patients with neuropathic pain resistance to other treatments”
• Cardiovascular diseases: Improves cardiovascular health thanks to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

• Inflammatory diseases (including acne): It inhibits inflammatory cytokines and pathways. Additionally, its overall inflammation reduction properties also help in acne management.
• Cancer: CBD oil has “antiproliferative and anti-invasive actions in a large range of cancer types and induction of autophagy-mediated cancer cell death and has chemo preventive effects”. While the research is in early stages, it is a promising prospect for the countless cancer patients across the globe.
• Multiple sclerosis: CBD oil’s anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties can help in multiple sclerosis too.
• Epilepsy: The clinical uses of CBD, according to researchers have been most advanced in epilepsy treatments. In clinical trials, CBD has performed as an effective treatment for some forms of epilepsy, with “one pure CBD product (Epidiolex®) currently in Phase III trials”.
• Opposing a popular misconception, CBD is now also being looked into as a possible way to treat drug addiction. A few preclinical studies have been suggesting that CBD may have therapeutic properties on opioid, cocaine, and psychostimulant addiction. Likewise, the preliminary data also suggests that it may be beneficial in cannabis and tobacco addiction in humans.

CBD preparation at home

Ingredients to be used:

• Carrier Oil of your choice (you can explore from the options we have discussed above. Coconut oil and Olive oil are some of the better-loved carrier oils for CBD)
• Hemp flower/Cannabis
• Double boiler
• Cheesecloth
• Utensils (non-reactive)

Decarboxylation Process:

The CBD present in the cannabis plant is present as acid precursors called Cannabidiolic Acid, CBDA or acidic CBDA. This is an inactive component and needs to be activated to get its benefits. That’s where the decarboxylation process comes in. Through it, we can transform the CBDA in raw cannabis to CBD which is our core component. The decarboxylation process can take place in cannabinoids when exposed to light or heat.

Unlike the professional extraction lab process, when extracting at home the decarboxylation can be done very simply. Ensure that your herbs are ground up finely before you start de-carbing as it gives better extraction.

Heat an oven at 220-225 degrees Fahrenheit, put your herbs on a cookie sheet and ‘cook’ it for about 60 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven once the timer is done and let it cool.

Extraction Process:

The extraction process requires concentration and the best of ingredients so one must be careful with both. Once the decarboxylation process is done put your choice of carrier oil (we suggest coconut/MCT or olive) with the flowers on top of a double boiler.

A double boiler process is a cooking technique that uses controlled heat to melt ingredients without the fear of burning it. While it sounds complex, one can easily make a double boiler for oneself using the utensils at home. You need two boiling pots (preferably glass or pyrex), a larger one for water and a smaller one for the ingredients. The mixing bowl and the saucepan should fit tightly together without any gaps in between. Then add water to the pan and bring it to a simmer. Place the bowl on top and fill it with the de-carbed flower and the carrier oil. Keep the heat low.

Give it about 2 to 3 hours for the CBD to completely dissolve in the carrier oil. Make sure you measure the amount of the carrier oil depending on the potency you require. When the oil is completely mixed and the color turns an earthy brown-green, your oil is ready.

Once the mixture is done pour it through the cheesecloth that will help strain the pure extract of CBD. Store the extracted oil in a glass jar/bottle and keep it in a cool dry place. Keep it away from the sun and light sources.

While this is a more generalized extraction process, there are more focused ways to get it done. On an industrial level CBD extraction can be done in various manners, some of which are Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Extraction, Steam Distillation, Solvent Extraction (using hydrocarbons and natural solvents), Winterization and Water Extraction. However, when it comes to making CBD oil at home, there are two primary methods and you can choose either depending on your comfort.

With CBD oil extraction, it’s important to use only the best quality strain if you want an end product that delivers. While extracting at home, it is not possible to remove other cannabinoids like THC from the end result. A flower containing high amounts of THC will produce an oil high in THC content. THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol is one of the 110-113 cannabinoids found in cannabis. THC has psychoactive properties and is responsible for the ‘high’ which some users of cannabis seek. However, this is not our requirement in medicinal/therapeutic essence thus it would be better for you to invest in good quality cannabinoid content from the start.

Oil Method:

Get a high-quality strain of cannabis.

Use the decarboxylation process as explained above on the plant. Bake the plant extracts at 220°F for around 100 minutes. This will activate the inactive components of the raw ingredients.

Take a mason jar and put the ground-up plant (which is to be done once the baking is over and the extracts are cooled off) along with your choice of carrier oil in it. Adjust the quantity of oil according to your requirement as that would decide the potency of the CBD oil. Let it saturate.

Once the saturation is done the mixture is to be boiled. To do so, shut the mason jar lid tightly so that no steam or water is able to enter and spoil the oil mixture inside.

Take a saucepan and place a towel at its bottom. Put the mason jar on top and fill the pan with water. Heat it to at least 200°F. Keep checking the pot to ensure the water doesn’t evaporate completely. Take the mixture off the heat after three hours and let it rest for another three.

Re-heat the oil mixture for three hours, take it off the heat and then leave it standing for the night.

Strain the oil mix through a cheesecloth the next morning and store the end product in a cool, dry place away from heat and direct sunlight.

Alcohol Method:

Also known as the ethanol method, it is quite popular as one of the easier methods known for CBD oil extraction. It is also beginner-friendly as this does not require any special skills or equipment. Additionally, alcohol does not impart any extra flavor or smell to the final product.

Place the plant extracts in a glass or ceramic bowl. Cover the ingredients with alcohol and stir for 6 minutes.

After 6 minutes use a wooden spoon to extract the resin produced at the end of the process.

Take a bowl and use a sieve or a straining bag to filter out the product squeezing out as much as possible. Repeat until all of the oil is extracted from the plant extracts.

Pour the extracted oil in a double boiler and heat it until bubbles start forming. Double boilers are used for controlled heat and that is the purpose here as we want to evaporate the alcohol without raising the mixture’s temperature. This should be done in about half an hour on a very low flame. Once the alcohol has evaporated take the mix off the flame.

Once the oil has cooled down transfer it into a storage bottle and keep it in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight and heat.

Conclusion

Whether you mix it in your creams and gels, take it orally as capsules or apply it on your skin, CBD has found its way in our lives and we are all the better for it. While its preparation is easy enough, be cautious in its use. Consult a doctor before starting with CBD in your daily life in any form. Understand your condition and its requirements, and only then decide what form of CBD will best suit you. Like all things, this also comes with its bags of caution and its advised that we pay attention to it. The therapeutic potential in CBD oils is vast, and the field is being played well by medical professionals. After all, when it comes to better medicines the world could use all the help it can get!