DIY Florida Medical Cannabis Oil (Oil Tincture)
Raise your hand if you like to save money.
Me too! (I just did a little dance).
There are a variety of cannabis oils, often referred to as tinctures, available in Florida dispensaries, but the cost adds up quickly. I don't mind paying for medicine that brings me relief, but if I have the opportunity to obtain it cheaper with a little Do It Yourself I'm all for it.
Making your own oil is as simple as mixing a concentrate with your preferred oil and transferring it to a bottle for storage and use. Using Surterra's 1:1 concentrate to make my own sublingual oil I am saving roughly $30-$75+ per every 900mg of medicine when compared to pre-made 1:1 tinctures on the market. That's HUGE!
I've done the dosage math for you on the recipe below, but if you change up any of the amounts you'll want to calculate your mg per mL (mg/mL) of cannabinoids in your final product. To do this divide the total amount of added cannabinoids (mg) by the amount of carrier oil (in mL).
For example: 900mg/60mL = 15mg/mL
This means 1 mL of tincture provides a 15mg dose of cannabinoids.
For those of you who are math challenged like I am, Google's unit converter makes figuring out the ounce to mL thing (of your carrier oil) much easier. A measuring cup with mL labelled helps too. 60mL = ~ 2oz.
DIY Florida Medical Cannabis Oil Tincture
Required
60mL (~2oz) of carrier oil: MCT/fractionated coconut, avocado, olive, or another high fat liquid oil
1 gram of cannabis concentrate oil (Disillate or RSO)
Metal fork
This recipe will make a 15mg/mL concentration.
Recommended Items:
These items aren't required, but will make your life much easier.
Glass measuring cup (ounces or mL)
I measure, heat, and mix my tincture in this small glass measuring cup to keep things simple. Doing everything in one vessel also minimizes any potential product loss due to residual oil.
Glass tincture bottle
Cannabis oil/tincture is best stored in a tinted bottle in a dark cool place. I make lots of various oils and tinctures, so I purchase my bottles in bulk. You can also You can also reuse an old tincture bottle purchased from a dispensary. I've yet to find a tincture bottle with a graduated dropper, so if you would like to measure out specific doses be sure to keep an old medicine dropper or 1mL syringes on hand.
Small funnel
Makes transferring the oil from the measuring cup to the tincture bottle a breeze.
Method:
Heat your carrier oil in the microwave until hot to the touch, but not burning - about 35-45 seconds.
Warm your Pure Reserve Oil (or other concentrate) with a hairdryer or in a sealed bag in a cup of warm water to make it easier to dispense.
Empty contents into the heated carrier oil. Stir continuously with the of a fork until completely dissolved.
Using a small funnel, transfer your tincture to a tinted glass bottle. Store in a dark cool place.
Choosing Your Cannabis Concentrate
There are a variety of cannabis concentrates on the Florida market that can be used to make your own cannabis oils and tinctures. Available CBD:THC ratios, strains, and extraction method varies by MMTC company.
Why Cannabis Oil?
In my experience working with cannabis patients (and my own personal journey), individuals who dose with a regular oral application of cannabis oil often report a greater reduction in symptoms when compared to medical patients who only use inhalation methods. Sublingual or oral dosing helps to maintain more stable levels of cannabinoids in the body. Inhalation can still be used as an add on method, especially for breakthrough symptoms. When I added an 1:1 daily tincture into my regimen, the intensity and severity of my flares and symptoms substantially decreased over time. I stopped taking the oil to see what would happen and slowly my pain increased.
To learn more about the Florida Medical Cannabis program and obtaining your card check out www.flmedcannabis.org.