Cannabis Olive Oil: Benefits & How to Make It

Cooking with cannabis has become a verified art form. In the past few decades or so, since legal cannabis has become a multi-billion dollar cash cow, we've seen the rise of top-notch cannabis chefs like Andrea Drummer, Scott Durrah, Gwenelle Parks, and Unika Noiel and the massive spike in the popularity of edibles as a whole. Thanks to the extended global lockdowns on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, many decided to toss out their failed attempts at sourdough starters and opt to try and make some homemade edibles instead! And a key component of making pretty much any homemade cannabis edible is mixing up some cannabis olive oil. 

For those out there wondering if they can make some DIY cannabis oil for cooking purposes, this article will serve as your one-stop guide! We're here to dig into detail on how to make cannabis olive oil step-by-step, what ingredients you'll need to make that marijuana olive oil recipe, and how exactly you're supposed to use and dose that olive oil cannabis hybrid in edibles! Think of this article as your one-stop guide for all things involving DIY cannabis-infused cooking oils and how to make cannabis oil for cooking! So without further ado, let's get right into it! 

The Basics of Cooking with Infused Olive Oil

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Before we break down the many cannabis olive oils uses in the kitchen, let's first go over how and why cannabis-infused olive oil is a great thing to have on hand for any cannabis connoisseur's kitchen! 

The Health Benefits

Not only is regular olive oil full of healthy fats that are good for our hearts, brains, and eyes. It has strong anti-inflammatory properties and reduces the risk of diseases like cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. It can be quickly and easily infused with cannabis, making it the perfect cooking oil. That's why so many see cannabis-infused olive oil as a fantastic and healthy way to consume cannabinoids without actually smoking them. After all, we all know the risks of smoking pretty much any organic matter. Pretty much any doctor will tell you that. So why not figure out a way to reduce the impact that smoking has on your lungs while still giving your body the healing cannabinoids it needs via edibles?  

The Versatility 

Cannabis-infused olive oil can easily be used in pretty much anything. Whether you're making a dish that you've already planned to have cannabinoids in it or trying to spice up a dish that normally doesn't contain anything weed-related, cannabis-infused oils will do the trick. Whether you're baking pastries and tasty treats, cooking meat, or even just mixing up a big salad full of oil and vinegar as a topping, a splash of cannabis-infused olive oil will spice up any dish with a hint of cannabinoid power! 

How to Make Cannabis-Infused Olive Oil  

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Now that we've covered the basics of how and why cannabis-infused olive oil is simple and easy to use, along with its many health benefits, let's break down how you go about making some. Before you start infusing anything, however, you'll need a few ingredients:

• About a cup of the highest quality extra-virgin olive oil
• Between 7-10 grams of decarboxylated, ground cannabis flower
• A baking sheet
• A saucepan
• A mesh strainer or cheesecloth

Once you have assembled all of those ingredients and supplies you'll need, it's time to follow those good old cannabis olive oil recipe steps below.

Step 1: Decarb Your Cannabis Flower

This first step is vital for the cannabis oil you're making to be as potent as possible. To start this process, you'll need to heat your cannabis flower on low heat (somewhere in the ballpark of 245-250 degrees) for about 30-40 minutes. This time will help activate the cannabinoids in the plant matter, which will then transfer better into the olive oil itself. Trust us, while this might seem like an annoying extra step, it's one of the most important on this list! 

Grind/Break Up Your Cannabis Flower

Once your cannabis flower is decarbed correctly, the next step is to break it up. You'll get the most bang for your buck by using a grinder, which will allow you to shred that now decarbed cannabis flower down into an easier-to-use consistency. You'll want the flower to be nice and ground up but not so powdery that it can fit through the mesh of a metal strainer. 

Mix Into the Oil and Heat

Once the cannabis flower is ground up, mix it in with your olive oil in a saucepan. You'll want to heat that mixture for about 2-3 hours at about 160-200 degrees. That temp and time frame will be more than enough to transfer those activated cannabinoids from the cannabis flower into the oil! If you're looking to make that cannabis olive oil dosage higher, decrease the amount of oil you use. 

Strain and Store Your Oil for Later   

After that 2-3 hour simmering process, it's time for the final step! Take that mesh strainer or cheesecloth and pour that oil cannabis mix through it. The cannabinoid-rich oil should pass right through while all the ground-up cannabis flower gets caught and sifted out. Transfer that oil into a container, one preferably made of glass, and store for later in the fridge for desired freshness. That oil you just made will have about two months of shelf life, extended even more if you choose to refrigerate it. And there you go, just like that, you have some top-notch cannabis cooking oil! 

Get Creative With Your Oils!

Once you've made some cannabis-infused olive oil for yourself, you can always try to experiment a little bit. This process works about the same with other common cooking oils as well, like canola, vegetable, coconut, avocado, sesame, and peanut, so feel free to sub in different oils and see if you like those better! 

At the end of the day, making any infused cooking oil is simple, easy, and totally worth the extra work if you're looking to enjoy the cannabinoids power of weed without putting your lungs at risk!