How to Make Cannabis Coconut Oil

Why use coconut oil for cannabis infusions?

Cannabinoids like THC are fat soluble, so the more fat your base has, the more of them it can hold. Coconut oil is around 90% saturated fat, one of the highest of any common cooking fat, which makes it an efficient sponge for the cannabinoids you worked to activate.

It is also dairy-free and vegan, keeps for months, and is far more versatile than it looks. The same jar works in baking, stirred into coffee or a smoothie, packed into capsules, or used in savoury cooking and dressings. If you want a single base infusion to build edibles around, coconut oil is hard to beat.

How do you make cannabis coconut oil?

1. 1. Decarb the flower. Grind your cannabis coarsely and heat it in the oven first so the THCA converts to active THC. See the decarboxylation guide for exact time and temperature.
2. 2. Combine oil and flower. Add the decarbed flower to melted coconut oil in a slow cooker, double boiler, or saucepan. A rough starting ratio is 1 cup of oil to 7 to 14 grams of flower.
3. 3. Infuse low and slow. Hold it at 160 to 200°F (70 to 95°C) for two to three hours, stirring now and then. Keep it below a simmer so you extract the cannabinoids without burning them off.
4. 4. Strain. Pour through a cheesecloth-lined strainer and let gravity do the work. Squeezing hard pushes through chlorophyll and bitterness without adding much THC.
5. 5. Store. Keep it airtight in a cool, dark place, or the fridge for longer life. Label it clearly with the dose.

A Herb grinder for an even grind and a Decarboxylator for hands-off, consistent decarb are the two pieces of kit that most improve your results here, because steadier decarb means more predictable potency.

How do you dose cannabis coconut oil?

Potency depends on the THC in your flower, how complete your decarb was, and how efficiently the infusion pulled cannabinoids into the fat. None of those steps is perfectly efficient, so the finished oil is usually milder than the raw label math suggests.

Estimate the total THC in the batch, then divide by how many servings the oil will make to get milligrams per serving. Run your specific numbers through the dosage calculator. Whatever the math says, start low and go slow the first time you cook with a new batch.

Coconut oil or cannabutter: which is better?

Both are excellent infused fats; the choice is about the dish and the diet. Coconut oil holds more cannabinoids per spoonful, is vegan and dairy-free, and shines in no-bake treats, capsules, drinks, and savoury cooking. Cannabutter has a richer flavour that suits classic bakes like brownies and cookies, where a buttery taste is part of the point.

If you want one base that does the most jobs, make coconut oil. If you are baking something where butter is the star, make cannabutter instead. The infusion method is nearly identical, so once you can make one you can make the other.

Common questions