Spending top dollar on salves isn’t uncommon and they haven’t proven to be much of a luckier investment than the top-shelf flower in terms of potency. Preferred ingredients for these dishes, though not cheap, are high in quality. However, many people neglect the possibility of making their own topical. It can both save you money and be a fun process.

Instead of using a store-bought salve, we’ll show you how to make an easy homemade cannabis salve right from your kitchen.

First of all, what is cannabis salve? 

There is some debate about what constitutes a salve. Based on the common consensus, salves are lighter and silkier than balms. Unlike creams, salves haven’t been watered down with extra water.

Despite this, ointments, liniments, and salves all serve the same purpose: to relieve localized pain. Not all products are injected or eaten, and some drugs work by direct application. One example of this type of drug might be an ointment for skin irritation. Others, called transdermal medications are applied to the skin and slowly absorb into the bloodstream.

Homemade cannabis salves are most often used as topical treatments. Topical cannabis treatments are effective because the body generates its cannabinoids and will bind to receptors in the skin. You won’t get high from applying homemade cannabis salve to your skin. You may, however, experience some targeted relief. 

If sore muscles or achy joints are the cause of your headaches, try rubbing in some muscle rub to see if you feel any relief.

Homemade cannabis salve recipe 

Our cannabis salve recipe starts with coconut oil infused with cannabis. If you are using an infused coconut oil product, skip this step. This recipe for cannabis salve was adapted from this recipe posted on Homestead and Chill.

Cannabis lotion ingredients and supplies:

• 1 cups infused cannabis coconut oil
• ½ cup coconut oil (if you have 1 ½ cups of cannabis coconut oil, you can omit the ½ cup of regular coconut oil and use the full 1 ½ cups for this)
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup beeswax (or for a vegan option use shea or cocoa butter)
• 4-5 drops of your favorite essential oil 

Homemade cannabis salve instructions:

Our recipe assumes you already have cannabis-infused coconut oil. If you don’t have any on hand or plan to make your cannabis coconut oil (recipe below), you may need to purchase some at a dispensary. The process of making these infused oils takes a decent amount of time, so prepare yourself for the wait. If you want to make infused oil and salve on the same day, be sure to account for the time it will take. If you plan to make the infused oil and salve on the same day, be sure to account for the time it’ll take.

Additionally, the original recipe we sourced from called for 1 ½ cups of coconut oil. The recipe makes one cup of cannabis coconut oil. To prepare this recipe you will need 1 cup of infused oil and ½ cup of unrefined coconut oil. If you want to make a larger batch of infused oil, feel free not to add all of the cannabis coconuts.

If you’re making the cannabis-infused coconut oil, feel free to double our cannabis-infused coconut recipe. That way you’ll have extra coconut oil to use for more than just one purpose – such as cooking.

Step one: Add beeswax or vegan option to saucepan

Place the chocolate in a pot at medium heat and stir frequently until it has melted. Reduce the temperature to reheat without scalding.

Step two: Reheat the cannabis coconut oil 

To make an infused oil, place one cup of the infused oil along with ½ cup of other oils in a saucepan and heat until it is well mixed. If you have 1 ½ cups of infused oil, add the full amount to the saucepan. Melt the wax on low heat until it is smooth. Stir regularly to make sure that there are no clumps of wax remaining.

Step three: Drop in your favorite essential oil 

You can add as much of the blend ingredients to this mixture as you want, but 4-5 droplets should be enough to create a strong and pleasant aroma. This won’t hide the scent of cannabis entirely, but it will add a pleasant layer to the overall aroma. We love to add rosemary essential oil to this recipe. Stir it into the mixture until well-combined.

Step four: Transfer to a storage

Once you combine all the ingredients, wait for them to release their heat, and then carefully pour the mixture into a container. A tin or glass storage jar does a good job of keeping light out, as long as it seals well. It’s best to opt for a container that is not see-through so light does not penetrate. If you store the fruit in a cool, dark place, the rind should be okay for a long time. The salve will cool off and harden, at which point it is ready to use. Kept in a dry place, it should last for up to one year!

How to use homemade cannabis salve 

Once the salve has cooled off, you have a powerful solution for many aches and pains. When making cannabis coconut oil for edibles, the potency of the end product depends on how concentrated and to what extent you cook the solvent off. If you want a more therapeutic effect than the usual salve, make sure to include cannabis in your recipe.

The cannabis salve can be applied to any area where you feel pain. Areas such as your back or knees may come to mind when thinking about this, but the possibilities are limited only by our imagination. This cream is effective for minor scrapes, cuts, and other pains. If it can be applied (within reason), you can use it. You can reapply the cannabis salve as often as you need to get maximum relief.