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It’s always a good idea to be thrifty and take care of yourself. One way to do both is by making your own cannabis oil.

Cannabis oils, especially those made from flower high in CBD cannabinoids, have various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. These oils provide users with relaxation and comfort that can be enjoyed in cooking or baked goods as well as topically in balms or salves.

Making your own oils for muscle rubs, salad dressings, and therapeutic uses is surprisingly simple to do at home.

To get started, you’ll need one cup of your favorite strain of cannabis and one cup of your preferred carrier oil. Popular carrier oils include avocado oil, olive oil, and coconut oil. Each of these will allow you to create personalized cannabis oil to meet your edible and topical needs.

When it comes to picking your preferred strain for your oil, it’s all about considering your goals. Are you looking for therapeutic relief? Then consider strains that have high levels of CBD present in their cannabinoid profile.

If it's the psychoactive effects of cannabis you're after, then you should select a THC-heavy strain for your cannabis oil.

To properly activate the cannabinoids so they can be absorbed by the carrier oil, you've got to decarboxylate the cannabis buds. Decarboxylation is the process of heating marijuana to activate cannabinoids such as THC and CBD.

Some decarboxylation happens when the buds are cured. When marijuana is smoked, most of the process occurs when the flower meets the flame. In the kitchen, we use an oven to induce decarboxylation.

Simply place your favorite ground cannabis buds on a baking sheet. Heat your oven to 220 degrees, and let the flower roast for 40 to 50 minutes.

Once heated, your flower will be decarboxylated and ready to be introduced to the carrier oil.

Now for the fun part.

The ground and decarboxylated flower will soak in the carrier oil of your choice in a saucepan on a stovetop for at least three hours. Stir occasionally.

Always keep the heat below 245 degrees so as not to burn the cannabinoids.

After your oil and decarboxylated flower soak together, filter the mixture through a cheesecloth to remove raw plant product from the oil. Place the cheesecloth over a measuring cup or mason jar to collect the filtered oil.

What’s left is a fresh batch of homemade cannabis oil to be enjoyed in your favorite salad dressing or baked good or even used as a body oil.

Pro Tip You can save even more money by growing your own cannabis plants at home. In Arizona, adults are legally allowed to grow up to six marijuana plants for personal use. The average yield per plant hovers around 150 grams, depending on whether the plant is grown indoors or out. Purchasing that amount at a retail store could cost buyers more than $600 at a retail store. Happy growing!

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