Cannabis salve can be remarkably effective for a number of different conditions. If using this plant is legal in your area, consider creating a batch of salve to keep on hand for various medical applications.
It’s quick to create and can offer surprising relief for more issues than you might imagine.
What is Cannabis Salve Good For?
Cannabis has extraordinary anti-inflammatory properties, which can help to ease symptoms from countless different issues.
- Effective pain relief: studies have shown that topical cannabis salve can alleviate pain from muscle and joint issues such as arthritis [1], myofacial nerve pain [2], menstrual cramps and endometriosis [3], diabetic neuropathy[4], and other pain-related issues
- Anti-inflammatory effects: alleviates inflammation related to acne [5], eczema, and psoriasis[6]
- Promotes skin healing and wound closure [7]
- Helps to alleviate anxiety and insomnia [8]
Can I Get High from CBD or Cannabis Salve?
It’s totally normal to wonder if you can get high from CBD or cannabis salve. You’re looking for relief, here, not a quick high. The answer is no. Not unless you eat it, and even then the effects would be minimal.
When cannabis salve is applied topically, the cannabinoids within it (namely CBD and THC) are absorbed through the skin. We have natural endocannabinoid receptors [9], which react to these components and respond by slowing down pain impulses. The effect is localized, and the components do not enter the bloodstream.
As such, you won’t get “high” from them.
Check out our article on making an herbal salve for more information on how salves work, plus ideas on different types of topical treatments that you can make from the plants around you.
Which Cannabis Strains are Best for This Salve?
When it comes to choosing the right strain for your cannabis salve, you may fall down a rabbit hole as far as choices are concerned. There are many gorgeous strains out there, so be sure to do some research ahead of time to determine which may be right for you.
Since we’re focusing on CBD cannabis here for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, the following strains work exceptionally well:
- Bubba Kush
- OG Kush
- Stephen Hawking Kush
- Black Domina
- Ringo’s Gift
- Harlequin
- CBD Critical Mass
What You’ll Need
Below is a list of the equipment and ingredients you’ll need for your cannabis salve.
Equipment
- A kitchen scale to measure the items that are listed in grams
- Double-boiler (either an official one, or a DIY version)
- Fine sieve
- Cheesecloth
- Mixing bowls
- Spatulas (silicone are ideal)
- Containers for your salves: my favorites are the amber glass jars or aluminum salve tins from Mountain Rose Herbs.
Ingredients:
- 9 or 10 grams of finely ground, decarboxylated, high-CBD cannabis
- 4 or 5 grams of finely ground dried raw high-CBD cannabis
- 1 cup coconut oil*
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup shea or kokum butter
- 1/2 cup shredded beeswax (you can also use beeswax pastilles, or either bayberry or carnauba wax if you’d like to make it vegan)
You can add essential oils (EO) to your cannabis salve if you’d like it to be scented, but this isn’t necessary. If you are, however, try to choose EO’s that have neutral effects, or have full-spectrum beneficial properties.
For example, rose, lavender, and helichrysum are great for all-purpose use. They all have multiple healing properties, and won’t damage inflamed skin.
In contrast, using oils that have intense warming or cooling effects (like ginger or peppermint) can be inflammatory to conditions such as eczema.
*Note: if you’re allergic to coconut, or if you have severely dry skin, replace this entirely with olive oil or a mixture of olive and jojoba. If you go this route, add an extra 1/4 cup of wax shreds or pastilles to add extra firmness to your cannabis salve. Coconut oil is naturally solid at room temperature, so liquid oils such as those mentioned above require extra firmness.
Preparation
It doesn’t take a huge amount of effort to create cannabis salve, but there are specific steps you need to take.
Step 1: Decarboxylation
If you haven’t decarbed your cannabis already, you’ll need to do that. The Ardent Cannabis website offers six different methods for doing this, so feel free to take a look through them to see which method you like best.
The oven method I’m sharing here is my go-to approach, but different people will prefer different techniques.
Simply preheat your oven to 240°F, and spread a piece of parchment paper over a baking sheet. Grind or crumble your pre-dried, cured cannabis over the paper-covered sheet, and bake it on the oven’s middle rack for 40-60 minutes.
Larger chunks will need more time to decarboxylate, whereas finely ground cannabis will decarb more quickly.
Step 2: Infuse the Oil with Your Cannabis
Fill the bottom of your double-boiler with a few inches of water, and settle the upper part into place. If you’re using a DIY method, you’ll want to use a small rack or trivet inside the bottom pot so there’s some distance between the inner bowl and the heat source.
Add one and a half cups of oil to the upper bowl. If you’re following the original recipe, this will be a mixture of coconut and olive. Alternatively, if you’re only using olive oil (or a mixture of olive and jojoba), add one and a half cups of that.
Raise the heat under your double-boiler to medium-high until it starts to melt, and as soon as it’s liquefied, turn the heat down to low.
Add both the decarbed and raw cannabis and stir in well, ensuring that all the herb is fully saturated and covered by the oil.
Keep the temperature low and heat for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring regularly. You can also do this in a crock pot on low temperature. If you’re able to choose the heat setting, aim for 175°F. Set a timer so you don’t go over this time limit.
While this is heating, line a fine sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth. Position this over a mixing bowl, and when the timer goes off, pour the infused oil through it into the bowl below.
Allow it to drip through for a few minutes, during which time it’ll also cool enough that you can squeeze out any oil still remaining in the cheesecloth.
You can go ahead and toss the herb-filled cheesecloth into your compost heap when you’re done. Then wipe your double-boiled pot completely clean, because you’re about to use it again.
Step 3: Mix it Up
Pour this strained oil back into the upper bowl of the double boiler, turn the heat on low, and toss in the shea butter and the wax shreds or pastilles. Stir gently with a mini whisk or a spoon until the wax is completely melted.
Dip a spoon into the mixture and put it in the freezer for about a minute, then spread the now-cooled substance onto your hand. If it feels too solid, feel free to add a bit more oil. In contrast, if it feels too soft or runny, add some more wax pastilles to firm it up.
Once you’re satisfied with the consistency of the quick-cooled salve, remove the double-boiler from the heat and turn off the stove. At this point, you can add about 80 drops of essential oil for fragrance if you like. If you do, use that whisk or spoon to stir thoroughly to disperse the EO evenly.
Step 4: Transfer the Cannabis Salve into Containers
Using a funnel or a ladle, decant this still-liquid salve into the containers of your choice. The mixture won’t expand much when cool, but aim to leave about a quarter-inch headspace for good measure. Once filled, allow to cool for a couple of hours.
After that, put the lids on, wipe the containers clean, and apply labels onto them.
Store in a cool, dark place like a cupboard or pantry. It should remain shelf-stable for six-12 months, or longer if stored in a refrigerator.
References:
- Hammell DC, Zhang LP, Ma F, Abshire SM, McIlwrath SL, Stinchcomb AL, Westlund KN. Transdermal cannabidiol reduces inflammation and pain-related behaviours in a rat model of arthritis. Eur J Pain. 2016 Jul;20(6):936-48. doi: 10.1002/ejp.818. Epub 2015 Oct 30. PMID: 26517407; PMCID: PMC4851925.
- Grossman S, Tan H, Gadiwalla Y. Cannabis and orofacial pain: a systematic review. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2022 Jun;60(5):e677-e690. doi: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2021.06.005. Epub 2021 Jun 23. PMID: 35305839.
- Seifalian A, Kenyon J, Khullar V. Dysmenorrhoea: Can Medicinal Cannabis Bring New Hope for a Collective Group of Women Suffering in Pain, Globally? Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Dec 19;23(24):16201. doi: 10.3390/ijms232416201. PMID: 36555842; PMCID: PMC9780805.
- Xu DH, Cullen BD, Tang M, Fang Y. The Effectiveness of Topical Cannabidiol Oil in Symptomatic Relief of Peripheral Neuropathy of the Lower Extremities. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2020;21(5):390-402. doi: 10.2174/1389201020666191202111534. PMID: 31793418.
- Ali A, Akhtar N. The safety and efficacy of 3% Cannabis seeds extract cream for reduction of human cheek skin sebum and erythema content. Pak J Pharm Sci. 2015 Jul;28(4):1389-95. PMID: 26142529.
- Baswan SM, Klosner AE, Glynn K, Rajgopal A, Malik K, Yim S, Stern N. Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol (CBD) for Skin Health and Disorders. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2020 Dec 8;13:927-942. doi: 10.2147/CCID.S286411. PMID: 33335413; PMCID: PMC7736837.
- Maida V, Shi RB, Fazzari FGT, Zomparelli L. Topical cannabis-based medicines – A novel adjuvant treatment for venous leg ulcers: An open-label trial. Exp Dermatol. 2021 Sep;30(9):1258-1267. doi: 10.1111/exd.14395. Epub 2021 Jun 3. PMID: 34013652.
- Shannon S, Lewis N, Lee H, Hughes S. Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series. Perm J. 2019;23:18-041. doi: 10.7812/TPP/18-041. PMID: 30624194; PMCID: PMC6326553.
- Caterina MJ. TRP channel cannabinoid receptors in skin sensation, homeostasis, and inflammation. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2014 Nov 19;5(11):1107-16. doi: 10.1021/cn5000919. Epub 2014 Jun 17. PMID: 24915599; PMCID: PMC4240254.
