1. No category

The Search For The Holy Green
The seeds of the idea for Pot Painkiller Pills were planted — no pun intended, I swear — when I first
found out about the function of CBD, one of the primary components of cannabis. CBD works alongside
THC, and at certain ratios provides pain relief far greater than even typical indica strains that are noted for
this particular benefit.
I found two strains available in Northern California to experiment with. Omrita-RX3 had the highest CBD
level I could find anywhere, and worked better than I expected: all pain simply disappeared, without any
feeling of numbness. I heard about another high CBD strain called Harlequin that was also supposed to
work wonders. The bad news was that there was none to be found anywhere; the good news is that a
friend of mine was able to acquire some Harlequin clones and started growing them.
So, fast forward a few months and I finally got hold of 1/4 ounce of Harlequin fan leaves, which is about
my favorite kind of stuff for edible products (especially because I’m heavily into recycling and a lot of people
just throw this stuff away!). Harlequin leaves have high CBD levels even before flowering, in fact, so it’s
ideal for this sort of thing.
Capsules Made Simple
And by now, I’ve developed an even easier method of preparing oil for use in Canna Caps than the one in
my original article:
Grind the cannabis to coarse powder. I call this “small particle size”.
Put it at the bottom of the cooking vessel (I use a mini Crock-Pot).
Add enough liquid coconut oil to cover the cannabis.
Heat at 180°F to 220°F for 2 or 3 hours, mixing and stirring every 15 to 20 minutes.
Let the mixture cool to about 100°F, then filter and load into #0 capsules (see the original article for
details; I’m using the smaller-size capsules now).
Careful readers will notice that I left out a step that is always done first when making edibles:
decarboxylation. If you don’t decarboxylate the cannabis — especially when working with leaves — the THC
won’t be activated and you won’t get high.
Bingo.
The End Result
What you end up with — or at least, this is how it worked here — are single-dose capsules that will remove
pain without getting you high. There is relatively little THC in these capsules between the already low level
in Harlequin and my “trick” of not decarboxylating the cannabis material.
Of course, everyone’s body chemistry, tolerance level, and pain level are different, so people who need
more than one capsule for their pain might end up with enough THC to get them high. But these will be
still and always safer than any of the addictive prescription opiates available…which generally get people
high anyway!
And speaking of recycling…after I filtered the oil, I was left with an oily mass of ground cannabis and
before throwing it away, wondered if there was any useful medicinal properties left in it. So I stuffed some
into the larger #00 capsules and tried one. It turns out that even though I had extracted much of the
active CBD, the larger #00 capsule size and the actual plant material combined to make this an “extra
strength” capsule that’s essentially free! Take that, Tylenol!
For those who are interested in numbers, I started with the 7 grams of ground leaves and ended up with
30 ml. of infused oil, which yielded 44 capsules (#0 size). The recycled plant material gave me another
dozen or so “extra-strength” #00 capsules. These didn’t exactly get me high , but I could feel them (and of
course they were even better for pain). Pretty good results for an afternoon’s work.
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
1 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
Beyond Chronic – Medical Cannabis Information You Can Trust
The advENTures of Old Hippie, a
Medical Marijuana patient in California
420 Clothing Line Hottest Strain Shirts Available Over 30 choices and colors www.420Clothing.com
Net Storage Design .NET Apps In The Cloud On Windows Azure. Try it Free! www.windowsazure.com/free-trial
Vaporizer Blowout Sale New Vapes in Stock w/ Free Shipping Buy Now and Get Vape Bonus Package VapeWo
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
Posted on January 7, 2011 by OldHippie
What do you do when you need cannabis medicine and you can’t or don’t want to smoke or vaporize? The
1
tweet
usual answers are edibles or tinctures, but even these don’t work for everyone. Most tinctures (sometimes
retweet
called extracts) are made from alcohol, which is a problem for alcoholics or anyone who just doesn’t like
the burning taste of alcohol under their tongue. Glycerin tinctures are sometimes available at dispensaries, but
many people have reported that they just plain don’t work in reasonable doses.
Edibles — assuming you’re not allergic to something in them — often work a bit too well, leaving you couch-locked
or too high to function. So wouldn’t it be great if there was a simple pill you could take that could give you the
relief you need at the dose you want?
Many medical marijuana dispensaries sell Canna Caps, which has quickly become a generic name for any capsule
filled with cannabis since its association with the groundbreaking work of Dr. Paul Hornby. Dr. Hornby’s original
idea was for standardized doses of THC and all ingredients tested for pesticides, heavy metals, and other
contaminants.
Most of the “Canna Caps” made and sold at U.S. dispensaries vary a great deal in potency, although products from
the same supplier are often consistent. I obtained and tested some a few months ago which seemed quite strong to
me, but it turns out they were actually discontinued by the dispensary because most people complained they
didn’t do anything!
So the ultimate answer is to make your own, to whatever dose helps you best. My philosophy on desired strength
is that with ingredients (such as cannabutter or canna oil), you want to make them very strong, because then you
have the option to use just a little, or even dilute it for taste if you like. But with capsules, you can’t take any less
than a single dose, so if it’s too strong, you’re kind of stuck.
Whenever you ingest cannabis, it’s recommended to do two things to it, so that the body can process it most
efficiently. The first is to decarboxylate the cannabis, which converts the THCA found in the plant to psychoactive
(and pain relieving) THC. This is done automatically when you smoke or vaporize it, which is why many people
have never heard of it. The other is to bind the cannabinoids to fat or oil so it will be absorbed properly through
the digestive system.
Math Management
I calculated that a manageable dose for myself would be .1 gram, which corresponds to about a bowl’s worth. I
4/2/2012 4:24 PM
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
2 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
knew I wanted to extract to coconut oil: it works well for this purpose, being almost 100% fat (but the
non-hydrogenated kind, so it’s actually good for you); and it’s stable. You can actually use almost any vegetable oil
(ironically, not hemp oil), if you like. Then I did some research on fillable capsules and did some math:
#00 capsule = .95 ml capacity
(I figured this to be .75 ml for calculation convenience and because you can’t fill it up all the way)
1 tsp = 5 ml
1 TBSP = 15 ml
1 fl oz = 30 ml
1 cup = 240 ml
2 TBSP of oil = 30 ml = 40 capsules
If each dose is .1 gram, we need 4 grams of cannabis for 40 capsules
I guesstimated that 2 tablespoons of coconut oil was the minimum I could reasonably deal with in my mini
Crock-Pot (this turned out to be exactly right), and I had previously bought 50 empty #00 gelatin capsules (do not
use the PC vegetarian starch kind, as they will disintegrate), so it all seemed good.
The procedure went as follows:
1. Weigh the cannabis. If you don’t have access to an accurate scale, 1/3 cup of ground cannabis powder weighs
about 7 grams. It’s actually easier to grind the cannabis after Step 3, though.
2. Make a little bowl or basket out of aluminum foil, and put the cannabis in it. This will help keep it from
burning or sticking to the baking sheet. Put the foil basket on the baking sheet and put in in your oven.
3. Decarboxylate the cannabis by baking it. I used 250°F for 22 minutes because it’s worked for me in the past,
but recent information suggests that the ideal protocol is actually 250°F for a full hour. This step will make
your kitchen smell quite weedy, by the way.
4. Now is a good time to grind the cannabis; it’s more brittle after decarboxylation, and the more surface area
exposed, the more efficiently it will bind to the fat in the coconut oil. I grind to “small particle” size; some
people like to go to fine powder.
5. Measure out the oil. Coconut oil is solid at less than 76°F, but a tablespoon is still a tablespoon.
6. Now put the oil and ground cannabis into either your Crock-Pot set on warm (it’s lower than low), or into an
uncovered mason jar (which can withstand heat) in the top of a double boiler or in a water bath (jar in about
an inch of boiling water in a low pan). The idea is to safely heat the mixture to between 180°F and 220°F so
that the cannabinoids will chemically bind to the oil. The longer you heat the mixture, the better, which is why
a Crock-Pot is ideal for this. 2 to 6 hours is recommended; I happened to use 3 hours. If you’re using the water
method, be sure to check the water regularly so that it doesn’t boil out, breaking your jar and ruining all your
work and material.
7. When you’re done, or just bored with this, you’ll have some lovely green fluid. Let it cool down to 100°F or so
(the idea is not to burn yourself!) and then you can filter out the plant material (using a paper coffee filter and
a garlic press or potato ricer to squeeze out every last drop), or not as you prefer.
8. Now you fill the “large end” of the capsules by using an oral syringe. I’ll assume you have access to something
like a Cap-M-Quik filler to hold the capsule halves up (you won’t need the optional tamper unless you want to
experiment with putting powder into capsules too). If you’re really on a low budget, a buddy suggested plastic
ammo boxes will work. Don’t try to fill the capsules all the way or too fast; let the oil settle so any bubbles go
out while you work on the next capsule, then when you’ve gotten them all, go back if necessary. I ended up
4/2/2012 4:24 PM
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
3 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
with about 44 capsules, so it all worked pretty well. Be sure to push hard enough to feel the “click” when
putting the small end of the capsule on, so you know it’s sealed properly.
9. Dry your hands and gently wipe off the capsules as you take them out and put them away (ideally into a
standard pill bottle in the refrigerator, where the oil is less likely to go bad even after months). Oh, and rinse
everything you used off with hot water now before the oil re-solidifies!
10. The last step is from Space Oddity by David Bowie: “Now it’s time to try the capsule if you dare…” :-) I found
mine to be just right for me; a bit of a surprisingly sharp peak for about 15 minutes, but after that quite easy to
handle.
Discreet and Repeat
And because they’re all the same dose, you can take two or more if you need them, secure in the knowledge that
they’ll work pretty much the same every time. To get them to work faster, take them on an empty stomach, but
they’ll actually be stronger if you take them after eating.
It turned out that the two tablespoons of oil was exactly enough to saturate the 4 grams of ground cannabis I was
using, so with those quantities, it would have been impossible to make it any stronger (and #00 capsules are
about the largest most people can comfortably swallow in the first place). When I filtered my oil, I put it into a
calibrated shot glass to measure it, and it’s a good thing I did, because I found I had lost 15 ml of oil to the filter
paper and absorption by the plant particles. I added another tablespoon of oil to get back to the proper dosage,
otherwise I would have ended up with 20 very strong capsules! Next time I will use three tablespoons of oil to
start with to compensate, which would allow more cannabis to be used if desired. So if you want to make your
capsules much stronger than this, you’d have to use concentrated cannabis to begin with, i.e. hash (same idea:
grind it up and heat it with the oil).
If you’re as sensitive as I am (I still get high off any more than 2 hits on my MFLB), the quantities I used will
probably be good for you, but lots of people have higher tolerance. I actually used some AVB in this mix, because I
had some. So using all green will make it stronger; using 3 tablespoons of oil and 50% more green will make it
stronger still; grinding it to powder will let you get even more in; and after that there’s hash :-)
There are a lot of variations on cannabis capsules; here’s a very detailed article with two other methods of making
them. Both these methods involve leaving the original plant material in the mix. This may make it stronger, and
will also increase the theoretical healing effect, since everything will be going into your body. However, it will also
make it harder to fill the capsules, since particles don’t always go through a syringe easily, and there will be less
room for the oil itself.
Also, even finely-ground plant matter is hard to digest for some people; it may cause stomach upset or nausea.
One last point is that I don’t advise heating your cannabis much higher than 300°F at any time (as both these
methods do) if you don’t want to risk losing THC.
Share this!
Reddit
Facebook
0
Share
Tweet
1
StumbleUpon
Print
Email
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged 7-grams-pot-and-coconut-oil, canna caps, canna-oil-crock-pot, canna-tincture, cannabis, cannabis-oil-edible-syringe,
4/2/2012 4:24 PM
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
4 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
cannacaps, coconut oil,About
Crock-pot,
dispensaries, DIY, edibles, experiment, how-to-get-more-high-with-the-mflb, how-to-make-canna-capsules, make-ingested-cannabisOldHippie
work-faster, Medical Marijuana,
medical-marijuana-dosage-hits, MMJ, ratio-of-cannaoil-to-chocolate, THC, tincture, vaporizing, will-plain-canna-oil-get-you-high. Bookmark the
http://gplus.to/OldHippie
permalink.
View all posts by OldHippie →
27 Responses to How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
Jinx says:
January 9, 2011 at 10:26
Very nice! Thanks for this tutorial. I have fibromyalgia, and have found that coconut oil with cannabis makes a GREAT rub
for the various painful areas I have. I get about 3 days of complete relief from the continual stabbing pain with it. While I may
not ever make my own, just knowing how makes me happy!
Reply
OldHippie says:
January 9, 2011 at 15:42
Jinx, thanks so much for the feedback! A young relative of mine has fibromyalgia too, and I’ve been hoping to find
some actual experiences to tell her about. And duh…I never thought about using this as a rub, but it makes perfect
sense. I’m so glad it helps you…and of course, without the putting-the-stuff-into-the-little-capsules step, it’s a lot
easier! So nugs and hugs to you, and thanks again!
Reply
shuttle service says:
January 13, 2011 at 12:59
Hello there, WE agree with everyone, in case you arrived at Romania you do have a light beer by me: ) Kind regards!
Reply
Pingback: One Year As A Medical Marijuana Patient
Tanit says:
August 6, 2011 at 09:27
OldHippie:
This is by far the best tutorial I have seen on making cannabis oil. I have never used marijuana in my life. Nor have I used any
other drug (though I consider MMJ a medicine, not a “drug”). Many people are now discovering the health benefits of
medical marijuana, and it is great that they are able to make their oil themselves.
So, do I understand correctly that I would need 4 grams of cannabis and 2 tablespoons of oil to make 40 capsules? Please
pardon me if I am asking a question that is just too obvious, but I am really “brand new” to cannabis oil. I assume that my
level of sensitivity would, therefore, be VERY high: I never even smoked cigarettes, and I use natural remedies to treat
myself, instead of medicine, so…..
Thank you for sharing.
Reply
OldHippie says:
August 6, 2011 at 11:46
4/2/2012 4:24 PM
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
5 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
Tanit, thanks for those kind words. Yes, 4 grams and 2 tablespoons are what I started with, but if you re-read the
fourth paragraph from the end, you’ll see that there’s an unavoidable loss of oil in the filtering and squeezing process.
So you’ll end up having to add more oil to keep the same dilution and dosage that you calculated.
As far as sensitivity, even my tolerance is pretty low because I tend to take very light doses, which doesn’t create a
tolerance effect. If you’re concerned about taking too much, there’s a simple remedy for that: get yourself a brown
glass dropper bottle and store the oil in it.
Now you can titrate your doses just as you like until you get the hang of it. I recommend starting with 5 drops and
going up 5 drops at a time. Remember that oral ingestion will take from 45 minutes to 2 hours to work, so don’t take
any more during that period. Once you find your correct dose, you can make up capsules with that exact dose in
them.
Oh, one more thing. I’ve found that you definitely absorb THC through the skin, so I recommend wearing
medical-style gloves during the whole filtering and capsule-making process. The last few times I made capsules I got
pretty loopy until I finally figured this out!
Reply
Tanit says:
August 6, 2011 at 14:54
OldHippie:
Thank you for your answer. It all makes a LOT of sense to me, and that’s exactly what I am planning to do it.
Cheers.
Reply
Tanit says:
August 19, 2011 at 13:13
Hi again, OldHippie:
I came across this description of an MMJ oil “recipe”. This person is complaining about terrible hangovers after using her
“Simpson Oil”:
https://www.greenpassion.org/index.php?/topic/28768-using-everclear-to-make-rick-simpsons-oil/
Could this person’s problem be in the extraction method he/she seems to be using (Everclear) rather than the herb itself? Or
is he/she using too much MMJ for that preparation?
Very much interested in knowing what you think….
Reply
OldHippie says:
August 19, 2011 at 13:55
After all the evaporation, I don’t think they’re getting any alcohol to speak of, certainly not enough for a hangover.
I’m almost positive it’s chlorophyll and terpenes from the low-temp extraction they did. Experience helps here,
because I also remember getting headaches and such after a bad alcohol extraction, and that’s what the cause turned
out to be.
Reply
4/2/2012 4:24 PM
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
6 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
LAD says:
August 19, 2011 at 22:04
Hi!
I found this link on the cannabis forum. I’m the one who wrote that long thread above that is linked re:
Simpson’s Oil. That’s what I call it. It’s a method I’ve come up with to make Rick Simpson’s “hemp oil.” If
you’re not familiar with it, it’s a VERY concentrated, tar-like oil that is used for cancer and a host of other
ailments.
There are a lot of methods to make it and many disagreements as to what solvents to use. Without going into
massive detail, I use Everclear instead of either Isopropyl Alcohol or Naphtha (!!) which is how Rick makes it
in his video: “Run FROM the Cure.”
I am planning on making the oil the next time using the freezing method which I’m sure you’re familiar with.
I think this way I’ll avoid the excessive chlorophyll I extracted from the heating method described in that link.
I would love to know why you think that the terpenes and chlorophyll caused the hangover feeling. Please
elaborate as I’d love to avoid this side effect in the future.
By the way, I’ve made topical applications of this “Simpson oil” blended in coconut oil and 1 teaspoon of
DMSO (70/30 blend) in a 2 oz. jar and applied this in PEA SIZED doses to the sole of one foot at night and
have had the SAME hangover effect the next morning. The headache is always in the right, upper part of my
forehead for some reason. I learned from studying reflexology that anything you put on your feet will absorb
into the body. By adding a small amount of DMSO in the salve, it acts as a carrier of the cannabis, thereby
allowing those to use it who do not want to ingest it for whatever reason. The topical application works great
for any pain, although I would use it directly on whatever is hurting and not rely only on the bottom of the
foot method.
BTW, “Old Hippie,” I’d love to get your take on Rick Simpson’s “Hemp Oil” if you know anything about it. I
really love your blog and appreciate your easy-to-read style.
Best to you,
LAD
Reply
OldHippie says:
August 21, 2011 at 22:59
Hi Lady LAD!
I read your stuff on GP (I’m a member there after Granny Storm Crow invited me, but pretty quiet). I
can say that you and I also have a lot in common, especially the “subconscious working on healing”
stuff.
As I mentioned briefly to Tanit, one of my early attempts at tincture ended up yielding some
crummy-tasting green stuff that didn’t work well and gave me headaches. Later I found the excess
green was probably chlorophyll.
I am a big optimist and love the idea of super-concentrated cannabis oil healing stuff like cancer. I
have my own theories of what cannabis can do and how essential it is for humans, and I hope to
testify against the DEA one day in World Court when they are prosecuted for crimes against
humanity. I do not doubt Rick Simpson for a minute and I think these effects should be thoroughly
investigated, and yet like you I can’t help thinking there has to be a better solvent than naptha for
4/2/2012 4:24 PM
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
7 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
healing medicine.
Love, nugs, and hugs,
Old Hippie
Reply
Tanit says:
August 21, 2011 at 15:02
OldHippie:
Thank you for your prompt response. Yes, I though as much. For me, the way to go will be your recipe, just
what I need. ):
Reply
LAD says:
August 21, 2011 at 21:46
“Old Hippie,”
Another question for you. If I started the processing of making Rick Simpson’s oil in the freezer, pouring the frozen Everclear
over the frozen buds and THEN extracted it down through a heating method, wouldn’t that eliminate the excess turpenes and
chlorophyll issues?
I found a video on YouTube that shows a freezing method and then uses a table top distiller.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JChdk_5jqs&playnext=1&list=PL7BB8FED822DA34B0
Also, wanted you to know that we tried your intriguing method for vaporizing only the CBDs in a high CBD strain we grow
called Kushberry (OGKush x Oregon Blueberry.) I followed your directions to the letter but I think I must have overdone it
because I did four good hits (and I’m a lightweight, BTW) and I felt such a serious body stone that it almost scared the hell
out of me. I slept for two hours and then awoke, completely restless and agitated for four agonizing hours….ugh. Hungover
all day today until about 6pm. Any ideas what I did wrong….besides perhaps four good hits? The only other thing I can come
up with is that I didn’t allow the cannabis to brown enough when we set the vape on the higher setting. This whole vaping is
so new to us that we’re just learning and making mistakes probably.
Have your Canna Caps simmering as we speak. Look forward to seeing how that pans out. All I’m looking for personally is to
get a good night’s sleep and reduce my joint pain.
Many thanks again,
LAD
Reply
OldHippie says:
August 21, 2011 at 23:11
Hi Lady LAD,
Hmm, so basically you’re talking about doing something like a QWISO extraction using Everclear to get at all the
trichomes directly? Sounds pretty interesting, although my concern is that this approach may address only the THC
and not the other cannabinoids.
As for your CBD question…what makes you think you did it wrong? If you felt all body effects, I’d say you did it right!
But as with Marinol (which, as you may know, is a prescription medicine that’s pure THC), it’s likely that using either
4/2/2012 4:24 PM
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
8 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
all CBD or all THC will cause unbalanced effects; they work off each other and you need some of each. So maybe you
did too good a job of removing the THC! In any case, I keep hearing tales of people getting strange effects from doing
too much of almost anything, so my advice is to dose slowly and keep notes and work your way up with new
concoctions from any source. BTW, how does what you reported contrast with the normal effect of Kushberry?
Can’t wait to hear how your Kushberry Kanna Kaps turn out! Nugs and hugs!
Reply
LAD says:
August 22, 2011 at 10:33
Hey, “Old Hippie,”
First off, I want you to know that you’ve inspired me to really re-think this whole CBD issue. Since I’m only one year into
using cannabis (and I’m over 50), I’m learning which methods work the best for my sensitive system. As a clinical herbalist,
I’ve spent decades making potions and salves and tinctures from tons of plants but, next to the nettle plant, I think cannabis
has the most incredible multi-level use platform (wow, that sounded elitist….but you get my drift.)
The fact that you take an Indica that you’ve let show more amber than milky trichomes when you harvest it and THEN either
choose to decarb or not decarb and THEN cook it at a certain temp to release or not release the CBDs…..well, it’s like the
most flexible plant to play with. I find that inspiring and helps me have even more respect for it.
I read and re-read and re-re-read your link on your guide to CBD. I’m still trying to figure out how to release as much of CBD
as possible. BUT I agree with you that any element pushed to excess in a plant (or manipulated through standardization) can
and does omit the other harmonizing elements that are there for a PURPOSE. I’ve had verbal arguments with some of the the
so-called “top experts” in the herbal world on this exact subject. Thus, pushing too much THC in a plant (even breeding it for
that express purpose) doesn’t make sense to me.
When I started our grow, I hand picked VERY specific plants for specific purposes. For example, I chose White Russian
because I’d made a base salve out of it and before I even added Simpson’s Oil, the DMSO and specific essential oils that are
known to fight inflammation, etc., I had a decent salve. Just the sheer amount of “sugar” on the colas and the stickiness of it
when you trim told me that it was a great topical agent. However, it’s prone to PM and that is a massive drawback when
growing indoors. I’m growing it outside now with my own blend of organics and such, and I’ve got one White Russian that’s
pushing 8 feet.
I also chose Kushberry JUST for its CBD profile. I also chose Afghan Kush but soon learned that it could not grow in our high
altitude environment. There is another called Snow Fruit which is supposedly 90/10 Indica dominant. I have not been able to
find ANY breeding info on it but chose it because it’s supposedly highly resinous and I need that when making Simpson’s oil.
You asked about my other experience with Kushberry. My only other experience was using it in the vaporizer at 180 C. and
taking two quick hits. That was a great experience. Very light and happy and my head felt like little pinpoints of electricity
were igniting. After about 20 minutes, it was mellow and I slept great. So, I think this last time I just overdid it on the intakes
and burned off too much THC.
Right now, I decided to try my Snow Fruit instead of the Kushberry for the Canna Caps. I’m going to process it today. I
weighed out 7 grams of Snow Fruit popcorn buds that were HIGHLY resinous and, after decarbing it, I ground it up but it
was nowhere near 1/3 cup. When I added the two TBS. of coconut oil to the top of the stove mason jar in water method, it
wasn’t even covering the plant material. So, I added more to cover and that was like 4 1/2 TBS total. I let it do its thing, never
getting over 200 F. for six hours. But then it was midnight and didn’t want to deal with the straining, etc. So, I left it in the jar
with NO heat overnight. It’s now melting again so I can strain it. But it looks like the 6 hours of heating yesterday whittled it
down to about 2 1/2 TBS now.
I also have Kushberry and organic vodka sitting in the freezer ready for me to process using that method I mentioned above
4/2/2012 4:24 PM
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
9 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
(with YouTube video attached.) I’ll do this process MINUS the distilled part, keep it in the freezer for three days, shaking it
every few hours and then strain it. I’ve heard from other “old hippies” that the frozen method for tincture making literally
breaks off the trichomes as solids into the alcohol and allows for no chlorophyll and a “cleaner” experience when you take it.
The next step will be to make a tincture via the “Master Wu” method of top of the stove boiling method, after decarb.
Planning on using Blueberry for that as it’s a reliable strain that I have used before and know what to expect.
I also do a method where I cook the ground bud and/or shake material at 200 F. (or a combo of both) in cocoa butter (I buy
the rawest form I can find from Bali). It’s quite a process I’ve come up with to do this (due to the high fat content of the cocoa
butter) but if you make a large enough batch, the five day process is worth it. What you end up with is the SMOOTHEST body
high around IF you don’t overdo it. It literally takes an 1/8 tsp of this finished cocoa butter process to help me sleep and
relieve the mental chatter in my head.
I’m all for taking SMALL doses over a long period of time to create a TONIC effect on the body. I think that CBD is best used
in small amounts, allowing it to build up in the body and brain. I’m too old to enjoy the dual realities, trippy crap. I’ve always
been open to what’s on the “other side of the veil” and understand the esoteric science behind the soul and death, etc. And
I’ve “seen the dead” (when I’ve been totally straight) and I’m cool with it. But when I was trippin’ on Kushberry two nights
ago, well….let’s just say that my mom and I had a lot of catching up to do.
Sorry for the long post. So much to learn and discuss….
LAD
Reply
OldHippie says:
August 24, 2011 at 21:14
Hi Lady LAD,
First of all, no scare quotes necessary. Old Hippie is fine.
Secondly, I’m also only about one year into using cannabis medically (and I’m obviously over 50 too). You have a
perfect background coming from herbal medicine, and you clearly also have the work ethic to do things carefully and
document them. That reminds me, thanks for coming up with those user experiences for me. I put them all in my
mental hopper and let them roll around for awhile and eventually I see patterns. I’m a voracious, data-inhaling
polymath with a lot of diverse interests and I love to put the puzzles together!
I must apologize for getting behind on answering some of these. We’ve been having some severe logistical problems
around here, and today’s power failure was just the icing on the cake. And thanks for defending me on that other
thread, before I could even dig up a source or two :-)
I also do a method where I cook the ground bud and/or shake material at 200 F. (or a combo of both)
in cocoa butter (I buy the rawest form I can find from Bali).
Oh, you absolutely must call the result Bali High! :-)
I’m all for taking SMALL doses over a long period of time to create a TONIC effect on the body.
This fits in with my theory (well, not just mine…my part is more intuitive, while I’ll leave it to biology experts to study
the cannabinoid system) about cannabis restoring natural balance to the body. If you haven’t already, please read this
post to see what happened after my body went through a complete reset (well, the power went off there too :-).
But when I was trippin’ on Kushberry two nights ago, well….let’s just say that my mom and I had a
lot of catching up to do.
4/2/2012 4:24 PM
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
10 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
I don’t doubt that for a minute. Not enough people know how far you can go on edibles. If you’re in the mood, this is
probably my wildest story
Nugs and hugs,
Old Hippie
Reply
LAD says:
August 25, 2011 at 11:27
YES! I already have found myself humming “Bali High!” when I’m processing the cannabis in the cocoa
butter from Bali. You and I seem to be on the same page.
We’re also on the same page about using intuition instead of JUST science. Science is needed to validate but
when you’re dealing with a living thing like a plant, you MUST use intuition to guide you. Every incredible
herbalist I ever worked with (some of whom were well into their 90′s) used intuition as their guide. Watching
them in their gardens and in the forests, you might even say they were “high” but they were completely
straight and sober. However, their ability to meld with nature, communicate with plants, trees, etc. is
reminiscent of a cannabis “high.”
Addressing your re-set idea, I’m totally in agreement. The first NIGHT I used my Everclear version of Rick
Simpson’s oil, I ingested about two rice grains and rubbed another drop or two on my leg where I had a
minor cut (I wanted to see if the oil could heal the cut, since it’s antibiotic and heals wounds like crazy.) Well,
that night I had a HUGE re-set. I even WOKE UP STONED out of my mind, 12 hours after I ingested the oil.
(I’m a huge lightweight.) That was my first encounter with my late mom. But that time, I only saw her as an
energy glob, outlined in green with traces of deep purple and within the glob, thousands of doves flew in the
same direction. Within that vision, I saw her smile (not her physical smile but the energy from that smile)
and that’s how I knew it was her. Here’s the odd part. I only told this story to two other people who knew her.
One of them said, “Well, you’re mother always told me she liked any colors as long as they were green and
purple.” I did not know this. Seriously, I didn’t. And she used to have a “dove of piece” sculpture on her
bedside table.
I read your account of your edibles tripping. Let me tell you, it all RINGS TRUE to me. If I’d read that a year
ago before I started my journey with cannabis, I would have thought you were one taco short of a
combination plate. Not anymore. First off, much of what you experienced, I did too.
1. Pressure around the head and muffled ringing in the ears.
This always happens when I take too much, whether through oils, edibles or vaporizing. Once I got over the
fear factor, I decided to go with it and see what I learned. Here’s what I was told while this was happening, in
my more sober words:
This is similar to a DMT experience, which is what is believed to occur when you die. While DMT can create
lights and sightings of Jesus (or whatever spiritual leader you follow), the feeling of pressure and ringing is
the etheric body loosening just enough so the VIBRATION can uncover the veils or seams in our “reality” and
allow us to look into the other worlds. There are many worlds. There is a world “just over there” about a few
feet from where you are. I’m not sure if it’s a parallel universe to ours where doubles of us reside (this has
been theorized in esoteric science) or whether it’s the first level of ascension for the “dead.” I’ve not been able
to cross the threshold to this place while on cannabis but I HAVE done it successfully while meditating. I
don’t see any unhappiness in this place so I’m grateful I didn’t find the darker portals which also do exist
within our reality. One of the reasons it took me so long to really get into cannabis was that I was told
repeatedly by my mother that it was easy to delve into the dark recesses when “high” and that you could bring
back with you entities and energy that would hurt you. I actually don’t doubt this as I’m sensitive to energies
and I’ve met a WHOLE LOT of people who are possessed. (I’m not Catholic either, so this is not a religious
4/2/2012 4:24 PM
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
11 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
judgment….this is a “I’ve seen it and I believe it” statement.) But the irony here is that my mom who was so
adamant back in the 1960′s that I “stay away from pot” is the only deceased being I’ve been able to contact
WHILE ON CANNABIS. I think I just heard the irony bell go off again. And since I came from a family that
could best be described as religiously progressive and socially conservative, my mom always talked about
“visiting me” after she died and having continual contact through “the veil.” Well, I tried to contact her sober
and weird things did happen (lights flickered, cell phones turned off, etc….all common to Spirit in the room)
but I never made that momentous leap to see her and hear her voice until I was riding that cannabis wave.
Other things I found out were that the huge distortion you hear is necessary because of our denseness in our
bodies and we need to be almost shaken to allow the other realities to come into view. I always do say a
prayer when this happens, just as a protection and to make sure I don’t travel to other, darker places. I saw
spirits on the other side of the veil who were brushing at the canvas wall that separated us and making a
thready opening so that I could both look into that world and talk with the others. Again, it wasn’t scary at all.
And once it was explained to me, I released fear. I then realized that so much of classic literature and modern
films are obviously influenced by cannabis and other drugs because the experience I had could have been
replicated in “Alice in Wonderland” or that movie with Robin Williams where he or his wife dies (can’t
remember the name of it) and he travels to find her.
As the veil closes (i.e., as the cannabis “high” moves out of your body), the ringing in the head becomes less.
When the pressure is completely gone, the veil is zipped up again and the cord that holds you to this world
via your naval is firmly intact again.
Since I’ve also had the strange privilege to know some of the most famous clairvoyants in this world (I’m not
talking about the TV ones….I’m talking about the REAL ones who no one knows about but are sought out by
many), I can tell you that they all hear the same ringing in their ears and pressure in their head before they go
into a self-induced shift and are able to speak to the dead and retain messages from spirit guides to help their
clients. HOWEVER, knowing these people as I did for decades, I can tell you with absolute certainty that all
of them became weaker from their experience over time and needed to retreat away from lots of people as the
years progressed. Most became hermits. Only one that I knew was a social butterfly and she ended dying of
cancer. It’s just an observation but I think it speaks volumes. A lot of these clairvoyants could not stop their
“gift” and would easily go into “trance” whenever a spirit needed to speak to her. One might assume that the
cannabanoid system of these people’s brains were more active and igniting without the use of cannabis to trip
the trigger.
2. Cats talking to you.
OK. I haven’t had my cats talk to me yet, BUT you do get messages and insight from strange places. For
example, I tried to read a book while on this massive trip. That was impossible to do. BUT I started to read
“between the lines” of the book and was able to perceive what the author was thinking when he/she wrote the
words. Another example is that when I was really out there, I turned on that singing competition called “The
Voice.” I couldn’t follow it at all BUT I was absolutely able to “read the minds” of the contestants as they were
being judged. I would say out loud to my husband, “Oh, she’s totally going to start crying any second,” even
though the girl in question was smiling and laughing at the time. Or, “that guy hates that judge and wants to
beat him up,” while the guy was also smiling and looking like he was having a grand ol’ time. Was I right?
Hell, if I know. But at that moment, I would have sat there and told you with utmost certainty that everything
I was FEELING was accurate and going to happen. So, cats talking to you is totally believable.
And that curious date alignment with Uncle Buck’s class is just another example of why I’m beginning to
believe that we live in a holographic universe and that we are all connected by silver cords of light and
frequency that continue through our various incarnations on this planet. The wheel keeps turning and the
world folds onto itself (I saw the folding action again when I was really out there.) As it folds, everything is in
perfection and there is a Universal hand that allows this to happen IN CONCERT with our minds and
evolution as a soul.
4/2/2012 4:24 PM
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
12 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
And as I write all this, I’m totally straight and sober.
Reply
OldHippie says:
August 25, 2011 at 13:16
Holy (Storm :-) Crow!!!
I didn’t know that about clairvoyants, but one thing has been happening to me for years, and now
that I’ve read your comment, it all makes sense.
Sometimes, when I’m talking to someone quite earnestly about a topic — usually one I’ve been
thinking about “in background” for a long time — I’ll get a peculiar sensation and feel slightly
detached mentally. I keep talking, but I don’t feel that it’s completely “me” talking…almost like I’ve
been partially “taken over” by what feels like a higher consciousness. I always get the very strong
feeling that what I’m saying is completely True, even though I’ve never said those words before or
even thought them.
And now I realize that “pressure in the head and muffled ringing in the ears” is a pretty good
description of what I just called “a peculiar sensation and feel[ing] slightly detached mentally”.
Reply
LAD says:
August 24, 2011 at 10:58
OK. Here’s the Canna Cap Report:
Made the oil using 7 grams (by weight) of Snow Fruit (nearly 100% Indica) and 4 1/2 TBS of coconut oil. Simmered it in a
water bath on top of the stove for 6 hours. It reduced to exactly 2 TBS. Let it sit overnight. In the morning it was solid and I
warmed it up for 30 minutes to strain it. Ended up with just under 2 TBS after straining.
Figured that my usual comfortable dose is 1/4 to an 1/8 tsp. of other oils. Measuring 1/4 tsp., it comes out to 18 drops from
one of those glass droppers you find in tincture bottles. I then found out that 18 drops is EXACTLY what fits into the longer
end of a “00″ capsule. I filled some with 18 drops and some with 9 drops (figuring that the 9 drops would be 1/8 tsp. dose.) I
got a total of 26 capsules with 18 drops in them and 6 capsules with 9 drops in them. Some plant matter (very fine powder)
ended up in some of the capsules I filled toward the end due to settling.
First night: We took one of the capsules with 18 drops (1/4 tsp.) approximately 90 minutes after a full meal. It took exactly 3
hours for both of us to feel anything. Very Indica (body stone, could not read a thing, couldn’t focus on TV, needed to sleep.)
Woke up hungover and really tired.
Second night: We took one of the capsules with 18 drops (1/4 tsp.) five minutes BEFORE eating our dinner. EXACTLY ONE
HOUR LATER, we BOTH felt it. Wham! Serious body stone but I could still function to a point. I would not have driven
anywhere or attempted to make sense of anything much. BUT I was able to apparently rattle off cohesive discourse on
subjects I can’t recall right now. Went to bed three hours later and slept very well and DID NOT wake up with a headache.
Tonight, I’ll take the capsule with 9 drops in it just prior to dinner to see what effect this smaller dose has.
And I’m still trying to track down that Harlequin strain. Sounds fabulous for one of our chronic pain patients.
LAD
Reply
4/2/2012 4:24 PM
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
13 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
OldHippie says:
August 24, 2011 at 21:26
Thanks again! I suspect the 9 drops dose was far more manageable. You sounded like you were at a [6] to [8] on the
Old Hippie scale. Half that would be a [3] or [4], just about perfect.
Reply
LAD says:
August 25, 2011 at 10:43
I didn’t see this post, OH. Read below regarding my Canna Cap report using 9 drops.
LAD
Reply
LAD says:
August 24, 2011 at 11:44
“Old Hippie,”
I’ve been trying to find either clones or seeds of HARLEQUIN and getting nowhere. Any ideas?
In my search, I found a strain called UNICORN that has similar CBD/THC numbers to HARLEQUIN. When I called the only
dispensary in Colorado that had it, they told me that city regulation prohibited them from selling clones of it and they were
sold out of the bud for at least two weeks.
Here’s a Lab Report on Unicorn: https://secure.fullspectrumlabs.com/report/1104920
I’m now actively searching out these high CBD strains as I think this is something that could make a huge difference in how I
feel and my patients feel. Many thanks again to you for all your hard work and research.
LAD
Reply
OldHippie says:
August 24, 2011 at 21:23
Hi Lady LAD,
Wow, that’s an amazing lab report. I’ve never seen one with the active/inactive like that, but it implies that you have
to decarboxylate cannabis to activate even the CBD, which I suspected but wasn’t quite sure about.
I’ve never heard of Unicorn but it could very well be a rebranded Harlequin with those numbers. City regulations,
fooey! What happened to the right to medicine in the Colorado constitution?!?!
Anyway, I’m pretty bummed about this myself because my growing buddy took some Harlequin clones but they all
died…some mold attacked the entire batch. I may have to take a trip back down to San Francisco just to get
more…and then I’d have to find a male plant to get them to seed…and then worry about what Frankenstein I’ve
created!
Unfortunately seeds are the only way to get these plants across long distances…sigh.
Nugs and hugs,
OH
4/2/2012 4:24 PM
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
14 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
P.S. Were you talking about this place?
Reply
LAD says:
August 25, 2011 at 10:42
No, that’s not the place. But thanks for giving me the info.
Here’s Canna Report #3, using one capsule that had 9 drops (1/8 tsp) in the cap.
Took it after my first bite of food last night. (7:15pm) Three hours later, did not feel anything like the same
body stone. But was semi-relaxed but still highly functional. Yes, I could have driven if I needed to.
I went to bed and then awoke at 1am to use the bathroom. Walking to the bathroom, it was clear that I had a
moderate to major body stone in my legs. Very introspective as well (well, as introspective as you be sitting
on a toilet and staring into the darkness.) Got back to sleep easily (which is a major accomplishment for me
these days) and slept like a log until 7:15am when my husband stirred. Not so hungover today but still not as
sharp as I was yesterday morning.
I was really hoping that this dose would be minor and easy to handle but even at 9 drops of the oil, it’s
profound. I’m thinking it might be an idea to keep the oil in a dropper bottle and administer it via drops
rather than the capsule. I know of the melting rate of coconut oil but I can keep it by the woodstove in the
winter time and the top layer will remain melted for sure.
Reply
OldHippie says:
August 25, 2011 at 13:06
Sounds like you’re making some serious oil there! I’m really glad to have heard about all your tech
recipes, because I love the idea of Simpson healing oil but despaired after reading about naptha,
pounds of weed, etc. Now I know it can be done in smaller quantities, and safer, for testing! Thank
you again. And yes, a dropper bottle would seem to be prudent :-)
Reply
LAD says:
August 25, 2011 at 21:03
I guess I’m a little foggy here on the whole CBD issue when it comes to decarbing or not decarbing. I was
under the impression that if you were working with a 100% Indica or 90/10 Indica dominant strain, if you
did NOT decarb, you would actually have more CBD present than THC since you weren’t activating the THC
via the decarb process. Am I wrong on this?
When I’ve made my tinctures in the past, I never decarbed. I got a nice mellow sleepy high but no body stone
or uncomfortable issues, even at one tsp. doses.
I have not processed by freezer tincture yet with the Kushberry but it’s ready tomorrow so I’ll let you know.
No decarb on that one.
However, I can attest to the fact that I have never decarbed my edibles where I soak the cocoa butter (Bali
High….) in cannabis and let it cook in a crock pot at no higher than 200 F. for four to five days in a row,
cooling it at night only. And one tsp. of the cocoa butter added to a chocolate will put you over the edge (OH
rank of probably a 9). Serious tripping and no decarbing. Any idea what I did or didn’t do to make that
happen? One other Old Hippie I’ve talked to told me that if you use a crock pot, it’s a good idea to bring it to
peak temp (no higher than 200) and then let it cool at night and then bring it back up to 200 in the morning.
4/2/2012 4:24 PM
How To Make Your Own Canna Caps
15 of 15
http://beyondchronic.com/2011/01/how-to-make-your-own-canna-caps/
He told me that it kind of “pumps” the THC (or trichomes….I can’t recall specifically) and releases more THC
and CBDs from this method. Oh, and on the last day of this crock pot cookout, he told me to add one ounce of
Everclear to the brew and let it cook out for another 24 hours. I can’t remember why but I do that now all the
time now and my cocoa butter edibles are even more intense. Literally, newbies just need an 1/8 tsp. of the
cocoa butter plain in order to sleep or relieve their pain.
All the best,
LAD
P.S. Have you seen the DVD, “Limitless?” If not, check it out. I think the whole brain synapse theme would
trip your trigger.
Reply
OldHippie says:
August 27, 2011 at 21:11
I guess I’m a little foggy here on the whole CBD issue when it comes to decarbing or
not decarbing. I was under the impression that if you were working with a 100%
Indica or 90/10 Indica dominant strain, if you did NOT decarb, you would actually
have more CBD present than THC since you weren’t activating the THC via the decarb
process. Am I wrong on this?
To tell you the truth, I no longer know. I was sure that decarbing activated the THC and I still am, but
that lab report you sent me implied that CBD has to be activated the same way. Must do research! But
if CBD does not have to be activated, then yes, this technique would raise the CBD level relative to
THC (but wouldn’t actually raise the amount of CBD present). I implied this in my Pot Painkiller Pills
article.
Your story about not decarbing the edibles but still getting lots of THC makes sense. It’s true that you
have to heat to a certain temperature before normal cooking to decarb, but curing weed is also a form
of decarbing, and all that takes is time. Time will convert THCA to THC, but heat will do it lots faster
and more efficiently! So when I decarb the fan leaves that have sat around drying in the open air, I’m
probably wasting my time and energy. But if you take leaves off the plant, you can eat lots of them
raw and not get the least bit high. All this to say that 4 or 5 days in a crockpot at “almost” decarb
temperature is plenty of decarbing!
I’m not one to argue third-hand with another old hippie, but that “pumping” technique sounds like
wishful thinking or something he figured out from blipping motorcycle throttles :-) The Everclear
trick, OTOH, sounds legit…the alcohol will dissolve out any cannabinoids still in the solids and mix
nicely with the oil, then evaporate.
Nugs and hugs,
Old Hippie
P.S. Last night I took your advice and watched Limitless at a [6]. Wow, I had some great
conversations with My-Son-the-aspiring-brain-doctor after that one…thank you!!!
Reply
Beyond Chronic – Medical Cannabis Information You Can Trust
Proudly powered by WordPress.
Bad Behavior has blocked 2345 access attempts in the last 7 days.
4/2/2012 4:24 PM