How to Make Cannabis Olive Oil with Perfect Potency at Home

Written by Lorien Strydom

January 23rd, 2026

You can make cannabis olive oil at home, know exactly how strong it is, and avoid the mistakes that ruin flavor or cause overconsumption.

Conflicting advice online makes this harder than it should be, but the solution comes down to understanding how heat amplifies THCa's effects, choosing tested flower with known cannabinoid content, and applying straightforward math to predict potency.

We'll walk you through safety timing first, then cover heating methods, ingredient ratios, three reliable infusion techniques, potency calculations using lab results, proper storage, and smart usage—everything you need to incorporate cannabis into cooking on your own terms.

Table of Contents

• Before You Start: Legality and Edible Timing
• Heating Your Flower: Oven and Sous Vide Methods
• Choosing Your Oil and Cannabis Ratio
• Three Infusion Methods That Actually Work
• The Straining Rule That Protects Flavor
• How to Calculate Potency Using Lab Results
• Storage, Shelf Life, and Smart Labeling
• Cooking Without Destroying Potency
• Variations: Butter, Concentrates, and Flavor Infusions
• Your Oil Is Ready

Before You Start: Legality and Edible Timing

Verify your jurisdiction allows cannabis purchase, possession, and use for your intended purpose. Local laws vary significantly, and what's permitted in one location may be prohibited in another.

Cannabis consumed orally feels different from smoking or vaping because it metabolizes into 11-hydroxy-THC in your liver. This compound crosses the blood-brain barrier more readily and produces stronger, longer-lasting effects. Onset takes 30 to 90 minutes, which is why redosing too early causes overconsumption.

Start with a small amount—half a teaspoon of finished oil—and wait at least 90 minutes before deciding whether to take more. This isn't condescension; it's practical advice that prevents uncomfortable experiences.

Mood offers millions of users hemp-derived THC, which is 100% legal and fully compliant cannabis. You may have heard that the legality of hemp-derived THC is currently under attack, which could threaten the wellness of so many.

Read here to learn how to join the fight, and help us keep hemp cannabis accessible to all for a long time to come.

Heating Your Flower: Oven and Sous Vide Methods

Raw cannabis contains THCa and CBDa, which become more potent when exposed to heat. This heating step is essential—skip it and your oil won't deliver the effects you're looking for.

The Oven Method

This is the accessible default approach. Coarsely grind your flower—a coarse grind prevents fine particles that slip through straining and create bitter taste. Spread the ground flower on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 220°F for 30 to 40 minutes. A light golden color indicates completion.

Why coarse grind matters: fine grinding releases more chlorophyll, which produces harsh, grassy flavors in your finished oil. Coarser pieces still heat fully while keeping unwanted plant material contained.

The Sous Vide Method

This preserves aromatic compounds that traditional oven heating destroys. Seal your coarsely ground flower in a vacuum bag with a tablespoon of water, heat at 200°F for about 30 minutes, then cool in an ice bath. The lower, more controlled temperature protects terpenes, resulting in better-tasting, more flavorful oil.

Mood's THCa flower is ideal for this process since THCa becomes more potent when heated. Our strain variety lets you choose based on desired effects and flavor profile—citrusy strains like Gushers complement light dishes, while earthy options work well in savory applications.

Choosing Your Oil and Cannabis Ratio

Different oils extract cannabinoids with varying efficiency. Coconut oil's high saturated fat content produces stronger infusions. Olive oil offers distinctive flavor that enhances savory dishes and dressings. Neutral oils like rapeseed or vegetable provide versatility without competing flavors.

Your ratio determines strength. A 1:1 volume ratio of cannabis to oil produces strong infusion suitable for experienced users or topical applications. A 2:1 oil-to-cannabis ratio creates milder oil appropriate for beginners or recipes where you want subtle effects.

Strain Selection

Consider both flavor and desired effects. Citrusy strains complement dressings and light dishes. Earthy strains work well in savory applications. Sweet strains suit desserts.

For CBD-focused readers: if you want to support wellness without intoxication, choose CBD-rich or hemp flower with high CBD and minimal THC. The heating and infusion process remains identical—CBDa becomes more potent when heated, just like THCa.

The Critical Foundation for Potency

Accurate dosing requires knowing your flower's THCa percentage from lab testing. Without this number, you're guessing. Mood's flower products include Certificates of Analysis that list exact percentages, which becomes essential in the calculation section ahead.

Three Infusion Methods That Actually Work

Temperature control matters more than time alone. Keeping oil below 200°F prevents cannabinoid degradation while allowing proper binding with fat.

Stovetop: The Quickest Option

Combine your heated cannabis and oil in a saucepan. Simmer gently over low heat for 20 minutes, keeping temperature between 160 and 200°F. Remove from heat and let steep for 30 more minutes. Total time under two hours makes this the fastest reliable method.

Slow Cooker: Hands-Off Convenience

Set your slow cooker to low and combine ingredients. Let it run for 4 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally. The gradual heat is forgiving for beginners and produces thorough extraction without constant monitoring.

Mason Jar Water Bath: Controlled and Low-Odor

Seal your heated cannabis and oil in a sterilized Mason jar. Place the jar in a saucepan with about 3 inches of water. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 hours. The water bath provides even, indirect heat and contains smell better than open-pan methods.

Equipment Checklist

You'll need a grinder set to coarse, a baking sheet with parchment paper, either a saucepan, slow cooker, or Mason jar, a kitchen thermometer, fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth, and an airtight storage container.

The Straining Rule That Protects Flavor

After infusion, strain your oil through a fine-mesh sieve or doubled cheesecloth into your storage container. This is where many guides give advice that ruins the final product.

Let gravity do the work. Do not squeeze the plant material.

Squeezing forces chlorophyll and fine particles into the oil, producing harsh, bitter taste that overwhelms dishes. Accept the small loss of oil trapped in plant matter. The improvement in flavor and smoothness is worth the minor reduction in yield.

How to Calculate Potency Using Lab Results

This delivers on the "perfect potency" promise from the title. Most guides abandon you here, but the math is straightforward when you have the right starting information.

The Formula

Multiply grams of flower by THCa percentage, then multiply by 0.877 to account for the molecular weight difference. Multiply that by your assumed extraction efficiency—roughly 70% for olive oil. Divide total estimated mg by the number of teaspoons in your batch.

Worked Example

Let's use 7 grams of flower at 20% THCa. That's 1,400mg THCa total. Multiply by 0.877 for the molecular weight adjustment, which gives us 1,228mg. Multiply by 0.70 extraction efficiency, and we get 860mg estimated in the batch.

One cup of oil equals 48 teaspoons. Divide 860 by 48, and you get approximately 18mg per teaspoon, or about 54mg per tablespoon.

State Your Assumptions

We're estimating, not measuring. Coconut oil may extract at higher efficiency than olive oil. Lab-verified potency requires professional testing. But this calculation gives you a reasonable target range rather than complete guesswork.

This math only works if you know your starting THCa percentage. With unlabeled flower, you're guessing. With tested flower, you have the number you need. Mood's Certificates of Analysis list THCa percentage clearly—for example, Kush Mintz shows 29% THCa, which plugs directly into this calculation.

Storage, Shelf Life, and Smart Labeling

Store your finished oil in an airtight, heat-proof container. Glass jars with tight-sealing lids work well. Avoid plastic, which may interact with cannabinoids over time.

Refrigerate for best quality. Properly stored cannabis olive oil maintains potency and freshness for one to two months in the refrigerator. A cool, dark pantry works but may see faster degradation of both cannabinoids and olive oil quality.

Label with date and estimated potency. Write the batch date and your calculated mg per teaspoon on the container. This prevents future-you from guessing and helps track consistency across batches.

Cooking Without Destroying Potency

Protect your work during cooking. Avoid microwaving cannabis olive oil—the uneven heat can degrade cannabinoids. Keep cooking temperatures low when using it as an ingredient, since high heat degrades THC and other cannabinoids.

Best applications include salad dressings, drizzled over finished pasta, gentle sauces, dips, hummus, pesto, and baked goods at moderate temperatures. Use your infused oil to finish dishes rather than as primary cooking fat.

For CBD-focused oil, the same usage principles apply. Low heat preserves cannabinoid content whether you're working with THC or CBD. CBD olive oil works well for adding to smoothies, dressings, or any preparation that doesn't require high heat.

Dosing in Recipes

When substituting cannabis oil for regular olive oil in recipes, replace a portion rather than all of it. Calculate total mg in the oil you're using, divide by number of servings, and adjust quantity to hit your target amount per serving.

Variations: Butter, Concentrates, and Flavor Infusions

Cannabutter provides rich flavor ideal for baking and works beautifully in brownies, cookies, and pastries. Oil offers vegan compatibility, often healthier fat profile, and better versatility across savory applications. Neither is objectively better—choose based on intended use.

Using Concentrates

Hash, wax, or diamonds can create more potent oil with smaller amounts of starting material. Since concentrates are already partially processed, handle them carefully and adjust dosing calculations to account for their higher cannabinoid density. Mood offers classic hash and THCa concentrates for readers who want this higher-potency route with tested inputs.

Flavor Infusions

Consider adding garlic, rosemary, or other herbs during the infusion process to create specialized culinary oils. The cannabis and culinary flavors can complement each other in Mediterranean-style dishes.

Specialized Equipment

Devices like the MagicalButter machine automate heating, stirring, and temperature control. These are convenient for regular infusion makers but not necessary for occasional batches.

Your Oil Is Ready

You can now make cannabis olive oil with a method that fits your equipment, estimate its strength per teaspoon using actual lab numbers, store and label for future consistency, and use it in cooking without degrading your work.

The potency calculation is only as good as the starting data, which is why tested flower with Certificates of Analysis provides the foundation for reliable results.

Start with a small amount, wait at least 90 minutes before deciding whether to take more, and enjoy the process of incorporating cannabis into cooking on your own terms.

Explore Mood's selection of tested THCa flower to get started with the quality inputs that make predictable potency possible.