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How to Make Homemade Cannabis Salve (CBD or THC)

Five small glass jars are each filled with cannabis salve. Cannabis flowers surround the jars.

To grow and make your own medicine… that is the stuff that dreams are made of, am I right?! We like to use our organic homegrown cannabis in a variety of ways, but making topical cannabis salve is on the top of the list. Cannabis salve can help to reduce inflammation, soothe skin irritation, joint pain, and more! It also happens to be quite simple to make your own cannabis salve, and easy to customize it to suit your needs.

Read along to learn how to make cannabis salve in 4 simple steps. With this recipe, you can use marijuana, hemp, high CBD, high THC, raw cannabis, decarbed cannabis, or any combination thereof! (Depending on what is legal and available in your area of course.) Let’s talk about benefits of each of those, how cannabis salve works, and what awesome healing potential it has.


What is Cannabis Salve


Maybe we need to step back a moment. How about, “what is a salve?”. A salve is simply the term for a healing solution that you put on your skin, including creams, ointments, or balms. Generally, salves are fairly thick, shelf-stable, and include nourishing oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, sweet almond oil, or others.

In our cannabis salve recipe, we prefer to use mostly coconut oil, because it is full of saturated fat that binds well with cannabinoids. It is also ultra-moisturizing. We also add a dash of olive oil to increase absorption and smoothness. To learn more about various carrier oils, check out our homemade calendula oil article – where I discuss the pros and cons of a dozen different oil options!

Salves also typically contain waxes or butters to bind the ingredients and make them semi-solid at room temperature. Beeswax is a popular option because it is readily available, easy to work with (especially when purchased in pastilles), and creates perfectly smooth results. See the ingredient list below for recommended vegan substitutions.

When cannabis is added to salve as an ingredient… voila! You’ve got yourself a cannabis salve. The most common way to add cannabis to a salve recipe is to create a cannabis-infused oil first, and then combine the oil with the other salve ingredients.


A half pint mason jar is full of freshly made cannabis infused coconut oil. It is cooling so the oil is still in a liquid state, it is glowing yellow in the sunlight and there are two cannabis flowers flanking the front of the jar, their trichomes sparkling in the sun.
Our homegrown, homemade cannabis coconut oil.

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Therefore, that is exactly what we’re going to do in this recipe: make cannabis oil, and then the salve. But first: “what kind of cannabis should I use in my oil or salve?”


Using Decarboxylated or Raw Cannabis in Salve


How about a little bit of both? 


If you aren’t familiar with the term, decarboxylation is the process of heating cannabis at an ideal time and temperature to transform raw cannabinoid compounds from their “acid” form to more active and potent versions. For example, CBDA and THCA are changed into CBD and THC respectively. Decarboxylation naturally occurs when cannabis is smoked or vaporized, but it needs to be accomplished by other means when using cannabis in oil or salves – such as by heating it in the oven. (Read more about decarboxylation here)

The medicinal benefits of decarboxylated THC and CBD are well-documented. Both are anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, high in antioxidants, relieve pain, relax muscles, and suppress tumor growth. This is especially true when they’re used and work together, known as the “entourage effect“. THC is a particularly powerful analgesic (pain-reliever). CBD has even more expansive healing applications, and can help relieve seizures, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis. That said, we definitely want to reap those benefits and use decarbed cannabis in this salve recipe! 

On the other hand, emerging studies are revealing that raw THCA and CBDA have some pretty groovy perks too. THCA is showing a promising ability to reduce inflammation, muscle spasms, arthritis, and cancer. CBDA also fights inflammation and tumor growth. 


A list of cannabinoids and what the cannabinoid is converted to after decarboxylation.
Cannabinoids are converted from their raw acid form to their arguably more potent “decarbed” form through heat, and the subsequent removal of a carboxyl group from their molecular compound. Image via VeriHeal



Beyond CBD and THC, there are dozens of other compounds found in cannabis that may produce individual, interactive, or synergistic benefits, including phytocannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes. It should be noted that THC is psychoactive and CBD is not, though that doesn’t matter all that much when making a cannabis salve intended for topical use only. 

Considering all of this, we like to use both decarbed and raw organic cannabis (containing both THC and CBD) to create a full-spectrum, well-rounded, ultra-healing finished product.


What Can Cannabis Salve Be Used For? 


Cannabis salve is stellar at relieving many ailments! First of all, coconut oil and olive oil are extremely nourishing on their own – so you’re going to get plenty of moisture from your salve to heal dry, cracked, or otherwise irritated skin. If you add a few drops of essential oils to your salve, you’ll also get the benefit of aromatherapy.

The healing properties of your homemade cannabis salve may vary slightly depending on what type of cannabis you use. In general, cannabis salve can be used to treat or relieve the following :

  • Psoriasis
  • Eczema
  • Rashes, itching, or other skin irritation
  • General inflammation
  • Sore joints
  • Arthritis
  • Muscle aches
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Irregular cell growth (e.g. skin cancer cells)


Personally, I like to rub a little cannabis salve on my tight and sore neck muscles, shoulders, wrists, knees, elbows, ankles, bottom of my feet, and behind my ears. Hey, all this gardening (and sitting to blog) does a number on my body!


A chart diagram showing the health effects of cannabis and the different cannabinoids that are associated with specific benefits.
The beneficial effects of various cannabinoids. Chart courtesy of PotGuide


How Does It Work?


Did you know we all have an Endocannabinoid System? Yep. Just like we have an endocrine system, immune system, digestive system, and so on. Our bodies have natural receptors, literally made to interact with cannabinoid compounds. This includes both internal, naturally-synthesized cannabinoids and those from external sources – like those from marijuana or hemp. Neat, huh?

When cannabis salve or medicated topicals are applied to our skin, the THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids present in the solution penetrate the skin to bind and activate our localized endocannabinoid receptors. They won’t enter the bloodstream however, so topically-applied salve will not get you “high”. 




HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CANNABIS SALVE 


Supplies Needed


  • 7-10 grams of decarboxylated cannabis (ground or torn to fairy small pieces). If your cannabis is not yet decarbed, see Step 1 in the instructions below.
  • 1 ½ cups of coconut oil OR, 1 ½ cups of already-infused cannabis coconut oil (*see notes about using different types of oil below)
  • Optional: 5 grams raw cannabis, dried and cured. 
  • 1/3 cup olive oil 
  • 1/3 cup beeswax pastilles (vegan option: replace with the same amount of organic soy wax, candelilla wax, or carnauba wax)
  • Optional: Essential oils of choice. Up to 1 tsp of essential oils (100 drops maximum) for a very strong-scented salve. I recommend using ¼ to ½ that amount or less. Lavender, roman chamomile, eucalyptus, rosemary, and peppermint are a few popular options. We like to use certified organic essential oils from Plant Therapy.
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon of shea butter or 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil for additional antioxidants and moisture
  • A double-boiler, or make-shift double boiler – such as a glass pyrex bowl or stainless steel bowl perched on top of a saucepan with water below
  • Cheesecloth (if your cannabis oil is not already made)
  • Mixing bowl
  • Glass jars or salve tins, for storage
  • Recommended: probe thermometer


Makes: Approximately 2 cups (16 ounces) of finished salve


*Notes: If you want to scale this recipe up or down: the general rule of thumb for salve is to use about 1 part of beeswax to 4 or 5 parts oil, including both coconut and olive oil. Since we use virgin coconut oil that is solid at room temperature, we can get away with lesser beeswax and the salve will still set up well. If you use a different carrier oil that is liquid at room temperature, either omit the extra 1/3 cup olive oil mentioned above, or increase the amount of beeswax pastilles to 1/2 cup.

Learn more here: 11 Best Carrier Oil Options for Skin Care, Salves and Infusions


The ingredients to make cannabis salve- Small ramekins filled with decarbed cannabis, oil, beeswax pastilles, and coconut oil. Dried cannabis flowers are scattered throughout the area.


INSTRUCTIONS


Step 1) Decarboxylate Your Cannabis


If you haven’t done so already, the first step is to decarboxylate the cannabis you intend to use in this salve recipe. Or at least some of it, if you want to also use some raw material. 

Grind or tear up the cannabis into fairly small pieces. Spread it evenly on a baking sheet, and heat it in the oven on 250°F for 25-30 minutes for THC-dominant strains. CBD requires about double the time to fully convert from CBDA to CBD, so heat hemp flower at the same temperature for 50-60 minutes instead. Or, meet in the middle at 45 minutes for balanced THC/CBD strains.

Another option is to use an easy Ardent Nova device to discreetly decarb cannabis without the oven.


A two way image collage, the first image shows green and purple cannabis flowers arranged on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. The second image shows the flowers after they have been broken apart by hand to increase the surface are for decarboxylation while being heated in the oven.


Step 2) Create & Strain Cannabis-Infused Oil 


If you tuned into our “How to Make Cannabis Oil” tutorial, you will recognize these steps. The process is virtually the same, except we are going to use slightly more coconut oil here. If you’re interested in making medicated edibles, check out that article!

When making cannabis oil, it is important to not overheat it. Because we are starting with already-decarboxylated cannabis, maintaining a lower temperature will preserve the already-active THC and CBD content as well as the terpenes. Avoid heating it over 200 degrees F. 120 to 180°F is even better.  

That is where a double-boiler comes in handy! Even over the lowest flame, heating oil in a pot directly on the stove is much more difficult to prevent overheating, and can create “hot spots” – destroying our precious cannabinoids. 

I suggest monitoring the oil temperature with a probe thermometer if possible. Because oils have a higher boiling point (or “smoke point”) than water, the oil will not appear to be as hot as it really is! For example, the oil may be well over 212 degrees but not visibly bubble and boil like water would at the same temperature.


Steps to Make Cannabis-Infused Oil:

  • Add water to the bottom pan of your double-boiler. Now add 1.5 cups of coconut oil to the top section of the double-boiler. Heat until it melts.

  • Stir in 710 grams of decarboxylated cannabis to the melted oil. Add an optional few grams of raw ground cannabis if you desire.

  • Continue to heat the cannabis and oil over a low heat for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a probe thermometer to check the temperature, and adjust the heat as needed to maintain the oil below 200°F. We aim for a target temperature range of around 130 to 150°F and infuse for one hour.

  • When the time is up, line a strainer with cheesecloth and position it over a glass bowl. Pour the cannabis and oil mixture through the strainer. Gather the cheesecloth and gently squeeze out the excess oil from the cannabis. Warning: the oil will be hot, and your hands will get greasy! You may want to wear food-grade gloves.

  • Keep the strained cannabis oil aside for now. It will be added to the salve mixture soon.


A four part image collage, the first image shows a fine mesh stainless steel strainer perched over a glass bowl, a piece of cheese cloth is laid over the top of the strainer. The second image shows and electric probe thermometer testing the temperature of the cannabis and oil mixture. The third image shows the cheese cloth and strainer after a pot of cannabis infused coconut oil has been poured through it, there is a mound of spent cannabis that is left behind as the oil has be strained from the plant material. The final image shows a close up image of the cannabis oil sitting in the glass bowl. It is golden in color.



Step 3) Mix the Salve Ingredients


Just like the last step, we want to avoid excessively heating the cannabis oil in order to preserve cannabinoids. If you happen to be using solidified cannabis-infused coconut oil that you previously made, I highly suggest mixing everything in a double-boiler once again (since you’ll need to heat it longer and hotter to re-melt your oil).

On the other hand, if you just made your cannabis oil and it is still liquified, you can do this step straight in a pot on the stove – keeping the heat as low as possible once the cannabis coconut oil is added.  

In either a pot or double-boiler, add ⅓ cup of beeswax. Heat until it is completely melted. Now turn down the heat to low. Next, stir in 1.5 cups of strained cannabis coconut oil and ⅓ cup olive oil. Stir until everything looks completely combined. Once it is, remove the liquid salve from the heat and add optional vitamin E plus a few drops of optional essential oils as well. Finally, quickly transfer it into your storage containers of choice.


A three part image collage, the first image shows a pot with beeswax pastilles in the bottom of it, the second image shows a half pint mason jar filled with cannabis oil to make salve, and the third image is a hand holding a small bottle of lavender essential oil with a cooking pot of salve ingredients in the background.



Step 4) Cool & Store


When it is ready, I pour the liquid salve straight into these 2 ounce glass jars, or these 4 ounce glass jars. You can also use these shallow wide aluminum salve tins. The cannabis salve will harden as it cools, and then it is ready to use!

It is best to store your finished cannabis salve in a cool dark location because light degrades cannabinoids. The amber and cobalt jars we use block UV light, which protects the salve if I leave it out.



Glass 4 ounce and 2 ounce jars full to the brim with freshly poured cannabis salve made using a cannabis infused oil base.


Note: Sometimes, the surface of the salve may crack just a little bit as it cools. See the photos below. I have found that salve in our 2-ounce glass containers don’t crack, but larger volumes may. This is really only an aesthetic “issue” if you care. Personally, I don’t mind. It disappears as soon as you begin to dig in and use it!

However, some folks may not like the appearance of the cracks – particularly if the cannabis salve is going to be sold or given as a gift. To avoid settling cracks, put the cannabis salve in a mixing bowl before transferring it into a storage container. Allow it to only partially cool and solidify, whip and mix it up, and then pack into your containers. 


Four small glass jars filled with cannabis salve.
In this case, the crack doesn’t kill.
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Step 5) Feel Good


Lather up! Apply a thin, even layer to the affected area. You should start to feel the results within 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the severity of your issue and strength of your salve. Repeat several times per day as needed. 


Will this make me smell like weed?

Just slightly! I find our salve to have a mild cannabis odor, but nothing overpowering. The coconut aroma also stands out. If you add essential oils to your recipe, that can also help to mask the smell. I often apply salve after showering (including before going to work) and don’t think there is much of a noticeable odor after a half an hour or so. No one has ever said anything to me at least!


How long does cannabis salve last?

When stored in ideal cool and dark conditions, homemade cannabis salve should last up to a year. The potency will only slightly decrease during this time. I try to use clean hands when I dig into my salve jars, to avoid introducing any contamination that could make it potentially mold or spoil faster. You could also use a salve spoon.


Five small jars filled to the top with cannabis salve. Dried cannabis flowers garnish the surrounding area.


Ready to make your own medicine?


I hope you found this tutorial to be useful, interesting, and informative! I also hope that it helps you soothe your trouble spots, whatever those may be. Finally, please remember to heed caution depending on your local laws, and always be careful with your cannabis products around curious kiddos or pets.


If you enjoy this article, be sure to check out:


Please feel free to ask questions, or spread the love by sharing or pinning this post! Thank you for tuning in.

How to Make Homemade Cannabis Salve (CBD or THC)

Learn how to easily make potent and healing homemade cannabis salve at home.. Cannabis salve can help to reduce inflammation, soothe skin irritation, joint pain, eczema, psoriasis, and more!
4.77 from 244 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Decarb Time (if not already done) 25 minutes
Servings 2 cups

Equipment

  • A double-boiler, or make-shift double boiler (such as a glass pyrex bowl or stainless steel bowl perched on top of a saucepan with water below)
  • Cheesecloth, like this organic unbleached cheesecloth
  • Fine mesh strainer
  • Glass bowl
  • Glass storage jars or salve tins
  • Recommended: a probe thermometer
  • A baking sheet, if not using already-decarboxylated cannabis

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 cup Coconut oil
  • 1 cup Loosely ground decarboxylated cannabis. To be more precise, I suggest to use a kitchen to weigh out approximately 7 to 10 grams (a quarter ounce or just over) (If not yet decarbed, see Step 1 below)
  • Optional: 5 grams of raw cannabis, dried and cured
  • OR 1.5 cups already-infused cannabis coconut oil (see notes about using different types of oil below)
  • 1/3 cup Olive oil
  • 1/3 cup Beeswax (vegan option: replace with the same amount of organic soy wax, candelilla wax, or carnauba wax)
  • 1 tsp Vitamin E oil, or 1 Tbsp shea butter (optional)
  • 4-5 drops Essential oils of choice (optional) Up to 1 tsp of essential oils (100 drops maximum) for a very strong-scented salve. I recommend ¼ to ½ that amount or less.

Instructions
 

Decarb Cannabis

  • If your cannabis is not yet decarboxylated, grind or tear it up into fairly small pieces. Spread evenly on a baking sheet, and heat it in the oven on 250°F for 25 to 30 minutes for THC-dominant strains, 50 to 60 minutes for high CBD strains, or 45 minutes for balanced THC/CBD strains.

Make Cannabis-Infused Oil (skip to next section if you already did this)

  • Add water to the bottom pan of your double-boiler. Now add 1.5 cup of coconut oil to the top section of the double-boiler. Heat until it melts.
  • Stir in 7-10 grams of decarboxylated cannabis into the melted oil. Feel free to also include an optional few grams of raw ground cannabis if you desire.
  • Continue to heat the cannabis and oil over a low heat for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a probe thermometer to check the temperature. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain the oil below 200°F. (We aim for 130 to 150°F, and infuse for one hour)
  • When the time is up, line a strainer with cheesecloth and position it over a glass bowl. Pour the cannabis and oil mixture through the strainer. Gather the cheesecloth and gently squeeze out the excess oil from the cannabis. Warning: the oil will be hot, and your hands will get greasy! You may want to wear food-grade gloves.
  • Keep the strained cannabis oil aside for now. It will be added to the salve mixture soon.

Mix Salve Ingredients

  • If you're using solidified cannabis-infused coconut oil that you previously made, I highly suggest mixing everything in a double-boiler once again (since you’ll need to heat it longer and hotter to re-melt your oil). OR, if you just made your cannabis oil and it is still liquified, you can do this step straight in a pot on the stove – keeping the heat as low as possible once the cannabis coconut oil is added.  
  • In either a pot or double-boiler, add ⅓ cup of beeswax. Heat until it is completely melted. Now turn down the heat to low.
  • Next, stir in 1.5 cups of strained cannabis coconut oil and ⅓ cup olive oil, along with optional vitamin E plus a few drops of optional essential oils as well. 
  • Stir until everything looks completely combined. Once it is, quickly remove the liquid salve from the heat and transfer it into your storage containers of choice.
  • The cannabis salve will harden as it cools, and then it is ready to use!

Storing & Using Cannabis Salve

  • Store the finished cannabis salve in a cool dark location because light degrades cannabinoids (amber/colbalt glass jars or salve tins will block UV). Keep out of reach from children.
  • Apply a thin, even layer to the affected area. You should start to feel the results within 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the severity of your issue and strength of your salve. Repeat several times per day as needed.
  • When stored in ideal cool and dark conditions, homemade cannabis salve should last up to a year. The potency will only slightly decrease during this time. I try to use clean hands when I dig into my salve jars, to avoid introducing any contamination that could make it potentially mold or spoil faster. 

Notes

Notes on Strength:
It is nearly impossible to determine the exact potency of homemade oils and salves (without lab testing, not practical or affordable) no matter if you are using homegrown or dispensary cannabis. There are simply too many variables and opportunities (time/temp) for the THC or CBD to increase or decrease in concentration throughout the process.
 
Notes regarding oil options and scaling:
If you want to scale this recipe up or down, the general rule of thumb for salve is to use about 1 part of beeswax to 4 or 5 parts oil, including both coconut and olive oil. Since we use virgin coconut oil that is solid at room temperature, we can get away with lesser beeswax and the salve will still set up well. If you use a different carrier oil that is liquid at room temperature, either omit the extra 1/3 cup olive oil mentioned above, or increase the amount of beeswax pastilles to 1/2 cup.
Keyword Cannabis Oil, Cannabis Salve, Cannabis Salve Recipe, Cannabis-infused salve, CBD Oil, CBD Salve Recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!



DeannaCat signature, keep on growing.

555 Comments

  • Fran

    4 stars
    The recipe doesn’t state when or how to add the optional raw cannabis without decarboxylating…can you tell us how to do this? Thanks.

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      We add the raw cannabis along with the decarbed cannabis when make the cannabis oil. We only heat the mixture for 30 to 60 minutes and don’t feel that we heat the temperature of the oil to a point that would be considered decarboxylation. There is an in depth chart in the How to Make Homemade Cannabis Oil (or CBD Oil) article that shows different temperatures and time and their affect on THC. Hope that helps.

  • Loser24

    5 stars
    Thanks for caring and sharing. My wife is a
    cholangiocarcenoma (liver) cancer survivor and suffers from neuropathy, a side effect of chemo. She says her feet always feel like they are asleep or frozen. She has been through hell and anything to help her feel better is always welcome. I’ve made 2 batches of CBD/CBG salve and she has started using it with wonderful results. It soothes her feet and eliminates the constant tingling. I started using it on my feet (12 hour work days on a concrete floor) and shoulders and it definitely soothes and relaxes, eliminating the aches I normally live with. I followed your detailed instructions and had fun making the salve. Keep up the great work and thank you again for this wonderful information.

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      That is so great to hear, we are so glad that it has brought you and your wife such relief. Thanks for reading and good luck in the future!

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      Hello A, a 1/3 cup measurement of our beeswax pastilles weighed in at 45 grams. Hope that helps and good luck!

      • Colin

        How do I make this without it being really oily/greasy when applied. I followed recipe but both times it applies really greasy. Thanks

        • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

          Hello Colin, coconut oil can sometimes be more “greasy” feeling than others, we suggest using coconut because it is easily assessable and works great for edibles for those that choose to use the oil for more than just salve. Substitute the coconut oil with sunflower or almond oil when you first make your canna oil and that should give the salve a different feel. Another tip we’v heard to reduce oiliness (but haven’t yet tried) is to “whip” the salve once it’s partially solidified. Hope that helps and good luck!

        • Ruth

          To reduce the greasiness, I not only whip it but add up to 1/2 cup of tapioca flour after adding essential oils in the cooling downstage before whipping it. I find it helps too to rub it into the area until you feel it has absorbed well. Also, I have not found any adverse affect of adding tapioca flour on shelf life.

    • Ken

      5 stars
      I made the salve yesterday.tried it on my severely arthritic hands.omg within minutes my pain vanished.i used 10 grams decarbed cannibis.im sold.this stuff works!

  • SeaMon

    5 stars
    Hey! Recipe is looking good, I just have one question.
    I want to go with the option of using RAW cannabis. But if I read the recipe right, after the raw cannabis addition you still heat the RAW herb for 30-60minutes. Wouldn’t most of THCA be decarboxylated this way? even at 130f for 30 minutes I think the decarboxylation is still pretty significant. What is your opinion on that?

  • Rome

    Hopefully my last question here. I read through the recipe (making now) and have one additional question. I looked at your lavender salve recipe and it suggests adding about 43 drops of EO (halved) per cup of salve. This recipe (Canna Salve) suggests 4-5 drops of essential oil. I am confused as the difference between recipes is very big. What do you suggest? I am using lavender EO. Thank You and Happy New Year.

    -Rome

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      Hello Rome, your right, we could probably adjust the ratios and add more essential oils in the canna salve but we were going for a more mild and naturally scented canna salve. Whereas in the lavender salve we wanted to add more essential oil to bring out even more of the aroma of lavender. You could go either way with it or something in between and I think you will be happy with the results. Good luck!

    • Goldenboy

      I’m just curious why you need anything more than the coconut oil? I thought that it set up nicely before wax and olive oil.

      • DeannaCat

        Hi there – You can omit it if you’d like, but keep in mind that the texture of coconut oil changes drastically depending on ambient temperature. Since it’s winter now, your salve may seem fairly firm but come summer time, it may be a gooey mess. Also, the wax helps to give the salve some “staying power” on your skin, making it thicker and less oily. Thank you for reading!

        • Goldenboy

          4 stars
          Thank you, that does sound reasonable 😁 . Appreciate the recipe and thorough directions. I went with cinnamon and peppermint to deter insects but I don’t think it is possible to smell it over the weed. Thinking maybe you have a different process for the lavender. Either way thank you, and I’m going to have to check out the edibles recipes.

  • Bethany

    Great instructions! I plan to make the salve. I recently made “cannabutter” from some of my last year’s crop using a crockpot. Could I use a crock pot to make cannabis coconut oil before making the salve? Would using the crockpot work for the salve? Thank you, Deanna.

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      Hello Bethany, making the cannabis oil in a crockpot is perfectly fine. When it comes to making the salve, using a double boiler would work best because the process of making the salve can go rather quickly once you have the all of the ingredients ready. That is of course unless you intended to watch over the crockpot as the salve ingredients are heated until fully combined. Hope that helps and good luck!

      • Jen

        Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m curious, when and how much of the leftover strained cannabis do you add to the salve? I read the recipe and didn’t see it mentioned again. Also can the leftover be used in edible recipes?

        • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

          Hello Jen, the leftover cannabis that is strained from the oil is not added into the salve. That material is usually discarded or used in edibles. Good luck!

  • Albert Mass

    5 stars
    I love the idea of this website. It gives me more knowledge and I really appreciate it. Will love to see more information in the future.

  • KatrinaA

    5 stars
    We were going to be making your salve this week. Thanks for the great recipe. Curious if there is a special strain you would choose to use. We live in Oklahoma and have tons of choices.
    Thanks and we will definitely let you know how it turns out.

  • Rome

    I found your recipe this eve and have a few questions. I grew for the first time this past summer and have a decent yield from 1 plant, but also have a lot of older cannabis I haven’t smoked. I don’t want to waste this and wondering if I can use the older cannabis as well? It’s a mix of loose flower, and joints. I was thinking of using all of the older stuff first, and then supplement the difference with my the flower from my harvest. I have a great muscle rub from Escape Artists that has some menthol in it. So, my next question is have you ever used menthol in your salve? If so, how does this work? Thank You for posting this and I am excited to hear back from you.
    -Rome

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      Hello Rome, using some of your older cannabis should work just fine. We haven’t used any menthol in any of our salves although adding different essential oils can work in a similar way, though we usually stick to mostly using lavender oil. Hope that helps and good luck!

  • Curtis w

    5 stars
    Great recipe ! Just made my first batch and am just wondering if you know if its safe to use on pregnant women? My wifes almost due and we are just making sure if its safe or not on hands or back or even belly ?! Works wonders on dog hotspots and chickens whose been pecked lol thanks again !!

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      Hello Curtis, we aren’t doctors and can’t offer any medical advice. However, all information we have ever seen or experienced is that topical application of cannabis salve does not enter a persons bloodstream which in turn does not get them “high”. I am not sure how it would be considered unsafe otherwise? Hope that helps and good luck!

      • Debra

        Hello, I plan on making a batch for my mom to help with neuropathy and sciatic nerve pain. I have some Blueberry Headband that shows as 19.7% THC and 0% CBD, is this ok, or should I look for something with differing values. Also, can I use jojoba oil instead of olive oil? Lastly, I see that the leftover flower can be used in edibles, but how?

        • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

          Hi Debra, THC rich varieties do a great job as an analgesic so it would work quite well for pain relief. Jojoba oil will work just fine as long as the oil isn’t going to be consumed as it is widely regarded as an oil that should not be eaten. You can use a variety of oils as substitution to the coconut and or olive oil, we make salves with a mixture of almond and sunflower oil as well. And finally, if you don’t end up using jojoba oil, you can use the strained plant material in edible recipes though the edibles will contain plant matter instead of canna oil or butter. We haven’t used the strained material for edibles as of yet but some people do, they essentially would add the strained plant material to cookie dough, brownies, cake etc., though it may be difficult to determine dosage. I hope that helps, let us know if you have any other questions and hopefully your mom can find relief with the salve.

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