This canna oil recipe uses kief, the resin-rich powder that collects under a grinder's screen, to make infused olive oil in about 2 hours. Kief leaves almost no leafy material behind, so there's nothing to strain and less grassy flavor. Flower works too, with a longer infusion and a strain at the end.
Kief or flower: which to choose
Kief suits a finishing oil for bread, salads or canna-pesto and is stronger by weight; flower suits bigger batches. Our guide to what kief is covers collecting it, and our canna oil guide compares other methods.
Dosing: estimate mg per half teaspoon
Grams × 1,000 × THC% is the most THC your oil can hold, spread across the 96 half teaspoons in a cup. One gram of kief labeled 40% THC gives 400 mg, about 4 mg per half teaspoon at most. Kief from your own grinder has no label, so assume it's strong. Try a quarter teaspoon by itself and let at least 2 hours pass before you cook with more. For starting amounts, see our THC dosage guide.
What you need
- 1 cup olive oil or another oil
- 1 gram kief, or 3.5 grams ground flower, decarbed
- A canning jar with a lid, a saucepan deep enough to submerge most of it, and a cooking thermometer
- Cheesecloth, for flower only
You can order flower ahead from your local High Society store's menu for pickup.
The canna oil recipe, step by step
Kief scorches easily, so decarb it in a thin layer at 240°F for about 30 minutes and keep an eye on it; flower takes 30 to 45. Seal it in the jar with the oil, rest the jar on a towel in the saucepan and add water to the oil line. Keep the water just under a simmer, 180 to 200°F: about 2 hours for kief, 3 to 4 for flower. Vent once, halfway through. Kief oil is ready as is, while flower oil gets strained while warm.
Picking the oil
Infused oil stays off high heat, so choose by flavor:
| Oil | Flavor | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Extra-virgin olive | Fruity, peppery | Drizzling, dressings |
| Avocado, canola or sunflower | Mild | Baking, gentle sautés |
| Coconut | Mild; firms when chilled | Baking, coffee, canna-honey |
Storage and labeling
The CDC says to refrigerate homemade oils made with herbs and toss them after 4 days, and University of Georgia Extension notes that a dried herb doesn't make the oil safe on its own. So keep only what you'll use within 4 days in the fridge, and freeze the rest in cubes right away. Write "infused," the date and the mg per half teaspoon on the jar, and park it where children and pets can't reach.
