Harness the benefits of cannabidiol (CBD) by making homemade CBD oil. Personalize it by customizing the potency, consistency, and flavour to your likes and needs. Take this versatile product on its own or use in recipes or topical salves. Even better, it costs a fraction of the price of pre-made options, is easy to make, and only requires two ingredients.
In this guide, you’ll learn which are the best ingredients to use, how to make your own CBD oil, figure out the potency of your mixture, and considerations before starting your regime. Check out the other guides in this CBD for Beginners series and this supplementary Pinterest board that supports each section below.
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Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are two of the primary 144+ phytocannabinoids found in marijuana and hemp plants. THC, the psychoactive component, is known for producing a high. CBD, known for its calming and sedative effects, is a non-intoxicating component and believed to be responsible for many of the medicinal effects of cannabis.
The most straightforward and efficient way to make your own CBD oil is to start with CBD isolate.
CBD isolate is what it sounds like. CBD that’s been isolated from all other compounds in the plant. The purification and filtration process removes all the compounds, including the THC. The resulting crystalline powder is 99%+ pure, making it the purest form of CBD available.
The powder form is perfect for making custom doses. While it can be consumed in its powdered form, it’s often easier to use as an oil. Making your own oil is simple and inexpensive as it only requires two ingredients – isolate and oil.
When CBD is extracted from the plant, it takes an oil-based form. Like any oil, it is hydrophobic, meaning it will not dissolve in water. Due to its low oral bioavailability, CBD isn’t absorbed well by the gastrointestinal tract. To address both issues, add the CBD isolate to a carrier oil. As the isolate is neutral in taste, the oil in which it is dissolved will dictate the flavor of the final product. MCT oil is perfect if you want a tasteless mixture, and is great for mixing with food or smoothies.
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People, and their pets, use CBD for a variety of reasons. Before you start using CBD, consult with a medical professional. Be prepared to list the vitamins, supplements, prescriptions, and over-the-counter medications you’re taking.
Even though CBD is well tolerated and safe to use, it can cause side effects and impact metabolism. It also has the potential for contraindications and interactions with medications, food, and herbs and supplements.
Until more studies are done on interactions, a good rule of thumb is to avoid CBD if your medications have a grapefruit warning on the label.
The amount of CBD you should take varies by individual and your needs or condition. The goal is to find your optimal or “sweet spot” dosage. Taking either too low or too high of a dose is a common mistake. If your dose is too low, you may not feel any effects. If your dose is too high, it can be sedating, or you may experience undesirable side effects like headaches, nausea, or a general worsening of symptoms.
The best rule of thumb: start low, go slow. The typical method is to start off with a minuscule amount. For instance, start with 3-5 mg dosage for the first week. If no change, increase to 6-10 mg. And repeat as needed. Give it a couple days in between increases so you can judge whether the dosage is working for you.
The same advice is true for pets. The general rule of thumb for a starting dosage for dogs is 1 mg of CBD per 10 pounds of animal weight, twice a day. Slowly increasing to 5 mg/10 pounds.
Dosages are usually determined on your weight, the type of condition you’re treating, and the severity. This dosage calculator takes that all into consideration, for both humans and pets, and provides a standard guideline.
As CBD isolate is 99%+ pure, it’s easy to measure dosages as there’s nothing else to account for. With other CBD-based products, such as broad-spectrum and full-spectrum, the CBD is mixed with other ingredients, making it more difficult to quantify the exact amount of CBD being consumed. A different mathematical equation is needed for these products and is not included in this guide.
The way retail CBD oil is labeled can be confusing. The label often only indicates the total amount of CBD, in weight, in the bottle. The amount you want to know is the mg amount of CBD in each 1 ml, a typical dropper size, as dosages are usually given in mg weight.
It’s surprisingly easy to figure out how many mg are in each 1 ml, or even a drop, of your bottle. Knowing this will also help you figure out the best amount of CBD to put into your bottle for the most convenient dosing.
Here’s the math. A standard dropper holds 1 ml, and each 1 ml holds 20 drops (or 0.05 ml). Simply divide the amount of CBD (mg) going into the bottle by the size (ml) of the bottle to get the amount per 1 ml. Then divide that amount by 20 to get the amount per drop.
Here are some calculations
Now you can figure out how much to use from any bottle size. For example:
Prefer automation? Use this online calculator to get your results.
There are a few more articles in the works. What other CBD related questions do you have? Let me know in the comments.
I am NOT a doctor, NOR a medical health professional. This is simply a compilation of my experiences and material collected over the years. It is intended strictly for informational purposes. Also,
Buying and using CBD – for dogs and humans – isn’t so straight forward for the uninitiated, This is a collection of basic, easy to understand information on CBD – what it is, terminology, benefits, and ways to use – for those beginning their CBD journey. Read More about “CBD for Beginners”…
