Here is a simple, easy-to-make recipe for topical cannabis cream. I took a quick read through this forum section and found several recipes with similar ingredients, but many of those required one form or another of special equipment. This recipe uses only readily available ingredients and hardware that should be available in any kitchen. I have made and used this for many years and found it to be very effective.
The combination of cannibinoids, essential oils and coconut oil as the carrier oil provides a three-hit approach to what ails you. It’s good for easing those annoying aches and muscle pains, and is a very good moisturizer for chapped lips or other dry skin. I’ve also found the wintergreen scented variety to be effective for hemorrhoid relief, relieving both the itching and swelling. Now, if you have chapped lips AND hemorrhoids you’re already having a bad day. So be careful to not get your hands mixed up when applying.
This recipe uses readily available coconut oil as the carrier oil, which is available at any grocery store. If I were going to consider any one modification to this recipe, it would be the partial or complete substitution of soy lecithin for the coconut oil. Lecithin is widely used in the foodstuffs and pharmaceutical industry. Some of its positive effects include attaching to neurotransmitters, theoretically making them more efficient and increasing the analgesic properties of your topical ointment. Lecithin is also more effective at penetrating the skin barrier than most other oils, so it should be more effective at delivery of the various cannabinoids in topicals. But, lecithin is not as readily available as coconut oil, and I have not yet tried it yet, so I have not included it here.
In writing this, credit goes out to a couple of Gents from a past life. Ironhead for providing much of the how-to, and Hemi4Spd for the essential oil data. Thanks Bro’s, wherever you are! Step-by step instructions are my work, so if they are not clear you can blame me for that.
Will this product make you high? If made as outlined here, no. But depending upon how it is made, there is some very limited anecdotal evidence that if applied heavily over a large body area immediately after a hot shower or bath, some mild body flushing may occur. But with limited topical use, I have experienced no sensation.
About your plant material: The analgesic properties of cannabis come from the non-psychoactive ingredients (CBn, CBd, etc.), so you’re best served by using the fan leaves that normally get thrown out. I am told these contain about as much of the non-psychoactive ingredients as finished bud. While you CAN use sugar trim leaf, popcorn buds or even smoke quality buds, this is really a waste. The only reason to use higher quality trim is if you also intend to use the coconut oil solution for edibles. In this case DO NOT USE essential oils. But I think CannaButter would be a better product for that purpose?
About
decarboxylation -if you intend to use this for topical healing only, it won't hurt, but is not needed. If topical AND edible use is intended, then do decarb your cannabis material as your first step. The plant material should be thoroughly air dried until crunchy, frozen overnight, then crushed by hand onto a large cookie sheet (you do NOT want powder, hand crush only). Place in a preheated oven set to 250F, for 15 minutes.
Another school of thought is that decarb’ing will occur during the simmering portion of this recipe. But I always seem to have a large paper grocery bag sitting around that has been stuffed with fan leaves or low grade trim. If your plant material has been allowed to thoroughly dry and cure for several months, decarb will have already occurred naturally. Your choice – follow my simple methods or research on your own if you feel the need.
Ingredients:
2 cups dried / frozen / crushed trim (if using fan leaves, remove the stem. Not mandatory but makes crushing & straining much easier. They don't strain well)
2 cups coconut oil (I’ve used LouAna brand from the baking section of the grocery)
2 oz beeswax (2oz by weight or volume are the same for natural beeswax)
Approx ¼ to ½ oz. / 7 - 15mL therapeutic grade essential oil, more or less per notes
One ream of cheesecloth (enough for multiple batches of ointment)
1 wide mouth quart Mason jar with sealing ring; insert seal not needed
Paper towels
Optional, move your carbon scrubber & fan to the kitchen – this will smell when making.
Beeswax - Coconut oil liquefies at around 74 degrees Fahrenheit; adding beeswax helps prevent your topical from liquefying when stored at room temperatures. Beeswax also has strong antibacterial and other health properties, and may discourage the coconut oil from turning rancid after long periods of storage at room temperature. Refrigeration of the finished product solves this as well, but makes application a bit less pleasant.
The proper ratio of coconut oil to beeswax is 5 to 1. I bought a 1# block at my local craft store; it’s also available in pellet form. I like the less refined properties of the wax blocks but use what you can get.
Essential oils are well documented in various forums and their acceptance is fairly established. While some are recommended here, this is solely from my research and limited experience. But let’s be clear - if your intentions are exclusively for topical ointment, then I STRONGLY RECOMMEND the use of any preferred essential oil. Their benefits aside, if you eliminate this from your finished recipe, you will REEK of cannabis when using this product. Enough to be socially embarrassing, or worse if you encounter any fine member of our law enforcement community while operating a motor vehicle.
OK, let’s get on to one of my favorite activities, that of playing mad scientist.
Instructions:
Measure two cups of dried, hand-crushed material and set aside.
Measure 2 oz. of beeswax and set aside. I measured by both fluid volume and weight, and found that 2 oz. of beeswax by volume also happens to weigh in at two ounces. If you purchased a 1# block, cut it into eight equal sections to get close enough to 2 oz. Half the block, half-the-half for ¼, then half the quarter for 1/8 of a pound or 2 oz. It’s easier than it sounds. If using pellets, go by weight.
Safety check – beeswax blocks are HARD. If you try to force a cut with a knife you are probably going to cut or stab yourself. Yes, Chicks dig scars, but pain hurts, is guaranteed to leave a mark, and blood messes up your ointment. It’s easier to cut with a hacksaw blade or coping saw. When the blade fouls (it will), clear under hot running water or flame.
Place your sealed coconut oil container in a pan filled with hot tap water until the entire container is completely liquefied. Measure 16oz / two cups, and pour into a 2.5 to 3 qt pot. Add the two cups of dried crushed plant material and simmer on low for 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. I like to use a potato masher to really give it a good squeeze. As the oil simmers and infuses with the plant material, you will lose some volume. That’s accounted for later.
Cut a thick (multi-layer) section of cheesecloth large enough to fit over the mouth of the Mason jar with a significant pocket pushed down inside the jar. How significant? Enough to strain all the plant material that has been simmering, but less than halfway down the inside of the jar. Something less than 18 fluid oz. is going to fill the jar slightly more than halfway. You don’t want the filtered liquid touching the bottom of the cheesecloth pocket inside the jar or it will stop filtering at that point.
Secure the cheesecloth pocket by screwing the lid ring (minus the seal insert) over the cheesecloth and onto the jar.
Safety check - when using glass containers to receive the hot oil, it’s a good safety measure to condition the glass by first soaking the bottom of the container in hot water. Cold glass and hot oil does not make a good combination.
After the oil and plant material have simmered for 30 minutes, pour the concoction through the pocket of cheesecloth. CAREFUL – it will be HOT. Allow to drain, remove the lid ring, and carefully squeeze as much oil through the cheesecloth as is practical without forcing any extra plant material through the mesh. CAREFUL – it will still be hot. Don’t worry if a few specks of material get through.
As soon as the infused oil has been filtered, measure 10 fl. Oz. of the beautiful green mixture and save the remainder for future use. Wipe out the original pot with a paper towel to remove any residual plant material, then pour the 10 oz mixture back into the pot and place on low heat. Add the 2 oz. of beeswax to the infused oil mixture and stir occasionally while the beeswax melts (about 5 minutes).
The last step is to add your essential oil. Prepare your measure in advance per the instructions below. Remove the pan of infused oil mixture from heat, add the essential oil and stir well. Pour the finished product into your storage container and allow to cool thoroughly at room temperature before closing the lid.
Safety check - condition your glass storage container by soaking in hot water until ready to add the hot liquid.
AS SOON AS you have poured the finished mixture into your storage container, quickly wipe the pot with paper towels. This greatly simplifies clean-up versus waiting until later when the mixture has solidified. Follow with a standard scrub and wash and don’t tell your wife you used her good cookware. Or tell the truth and say it won’t hurt it. IF you wash it.
About essential oils:
A former acquaintance’s wife is an aromatherapist, and she made the usage recommendations listed below. She strongly recommends the use of only therapeutic grade oils. I’ve been very pleased with products from
https://www.100pureessentialoils.com/ and
https://www.puritan.com/essential-oils-679?sort=1&page=8 I’m sure there are many other fine brands available as well. Tangerine and orange are my personal favorites, as the aroma is pleasing and does a very good job of masking the cannabis odor.
As to strength of the essential oils, they should be blended with your infused coconut oil at a 1 - 5% ratio by volume. I have had good results with 2%. It’s simple to re-melt and add more if lacking but you can’t take it out if you’ve added too much. Do not exceed 3% if the salve is to be used on the face or genital area.
The following formulas are for this recipe of 10 oz. measured infused oil and 2 oz. of beeswax, totaling 12 fl. oz.
1% 0.12 oz. or 3.5mL
2% 0.24 oz. or 7mL (a ½ oz / 15 mL bottle will “treat” two batches)
3% 0.36 oz. or 10mL
4% 0.48 oz. or 15mL
e-Cigarette shops, and most hydro shops, sell small graduated syringes that make measurements simple. Or you can “eyeball” it and use one half of a ½ oz bottle and save the second half for another batch.
Here are some aromatherapy recommendations for various oils:
Arthritis - copaiva, rosemary, wintergreen
Burns & general healing – lavender (almost universal and good for everything)
Headache – peppermint
Muscles & joints - rosemary, cinnamon, lavender, wintergreen
Respiratory – clove
Sports injuries / General analgesic – rosemary, cinnamon; & wintergreen, which has specific aspirin-like properties and is great for any general sports injuries.
Finally, I am not sure exactly what causes this, but on a couple of occasions my solidified ointment has retained a rather grainy texture that makes application feel strange until your skin temperature liquefies the mixture. If this happens to you, all you need to do is re-melt the mixture in a container of hot water. It does not need to be boiling, just hot from the tap. Once liquefied, stir well and cool to restore the smooth, pleasing texture. This is a good time to add a bit more essential oil if your original ointment smelled too strongly of cannabis.
OK, hope this helps. Go make some & enjoy.
