The Many Ways of Using Hemp Flower

-Kylie Holloway-

As the popularity of CBD continues to rise, many people are turning toward using hemp products for healing anxiety, stress, chronic pain, etc. The flower of the hemp plant can be used in many ways – by smoking, or by being made into oils, salves, and even food.

At Fifth Season, we often get questions about other ways to use our CBD hemp flower, rather than smoking it. One of the easiest, cheapest, and fun ways that you can utilize the magical healing properties of this plant at home is to make a simple oil infusion. 

What is a plant / herbal oil infusion?

An herbal oil infusion is when a medicinal plant, such as hemp flower, is steeped into a carrier oil. The medicinal properties of the plant are dissolved into the oil, and are then able to be taken up by the body. One of my favorite things about an herbal oil such as hemp oil is its versatility – it can be used on the skin, in your hair, made into other beauty & wellness products, taken internally, and even used in recipes. 

How do I make it?

To make a simple hemp flower oil at home, there are two main methods: a solar infusion / sun oil, or an oil heated on the stove, crock pot, or Instapot. To make a solar infused hemp oil, all that is needed is to steep the hemp flower into a carrier oil in a mason jar, and let it sit in a very sunny spot for 4 weeks. While this method is by far the easiest, it takes much longer than a stove or electrically heated method, and leaves the possibility for molding, or a less strong infusion.

My favorite way to make hemp flower oil (or any herbal oil, for that matter) is to use a simple double boiler on the stove. It’s simple, doesn’t cost a lot of money, and takes only a few hours. 

For this method, you will need:

• A large cooking pot
• A glass/metal bowl that fits easily on top of the pot
• A baking pan for decarboxylation
• Parchment paper
• Small bowl
• Small glass jar 
• Hemp flower (I used 3.5 grams for roughly 8 oz of carrier oil
• Carrier oil: virtually any oil can be used for this. I used a liquid/fractionated coconut oil, but olive, sunflower, avocado, etc. can also be used. Make sure that if you are using coconut oil you use liquid, as the thicker unrefined coconut oil will harden when cooled/at room temperature
• Cheesecloth (for straining hemp flower after simmering

Directions:

1. Decarboxylate your hemp flower. Before making your hemp oil, the first thing you’ll need to do is decarboxylate the hemp flower. Decarboxylating your hemp flower involves heating your flower on a low temperature over a period of time, extracting the essential cannabinoids in the plant. The decarbing process occurs naturally when smoking hemp flowers, but when using it to make oil, the flower needs to be heated in the oven before using it. To easily decarb your hemp flower, preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Grind up your hemp flower, either with your fingers or with a grinder, and scatter it on the baking sheet on top of a piece of parchment paper. Place in the oven for 2 hours. When done, the flower will be brown and will easily crumble in your fingers.
   
   
2. Simmer hemp flower in a double boiler. Fill your cooking pot with 1 inch of water, and snugly place your glass or metal boil on top. Turn the heat to low (around 2 or 3), and while waiting for the water to begin boiling. Add hemp flower and carrier oil to the bowl. As the water heats up, the oil will warm up. After the water starts boiling, keep the heat on low, and let steep for 2 hours, stirring periodically.
   
   
3. Strain the hemp flower. When the oil is done simmering, grab a small bowl, and place the cheesecloth on the inside. Slowly pour the oil into the bowl, using your fingers (or a spoon, if the oil is too hot) to strain the hemp flower from the oil. Once strained, you can pour the oil into a glass jar for storage. 

How to Make a Salve with Your Oil

Want to take your hemp oil to the next level? Making a salve is a wonderful way to utilize your hemp oil for making a simple beauty/wellness product at home that can be used in so many ways – cuts, scrapes, rashes, dry skin, etc. By simply adding beeswax, herbs and essential oils to your heated hemp oil, you can easily make a beautiful healing salve in minutes.

To make a hemp flower salve, you will need:

• Organic beeswax
• Pre-made hemp oil
• Essential oil of choice (I used a blend of peppermint, rosemary, eucalyptus, orange and clove)
• Dried herbs of choice (this is completely optional, but I love adding a few medicinal flowers / herbs to my salves for aesthetics and added benefits)
• Sweet almond oil or jojoba oil

Directions:

1. After making your hemp oil, place the oil back into the double boiler. Add roughly ⅓ cup of beeswax to the warming oil (pellets are easier, but you can also cut off chunks from a large block of beeswax). Add in sweet almond oil or jojoba oil, essential oils, and any herbs of choice (I like to use rose petals and chamomile). Let oil heat until beeswax is completely melted.
   
   
2. Test the consistency of your salve. Place a spoonful of the melted salve onto a plate, and place in the freezer for 5 minutes. If you want the salve to be thicker, add more beeswax to the oil.
3. Once salve is at desired consistency, pour into a glass jar and let sit until cooled. 

Cooking with Hemp Oil: Healthy Hemp Oil Brownies

Want to use your hemp oil in the kitchen? Hemp flower oil can easily be used in many dessert recipes for a delicious and medicinal treat. Here’s one of my favorite CBD-infused brownie recipes.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup hemp oil
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup pure cane sugar
• 1 cup flour 
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• ¾ cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup cacao powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• Baking pan

Directions: 

• Preheat the oven to 350. Grease pan with hemp oil. 
• Whisk together sugars and hemp oil. Add in vanilla extract and eggs.
• In a separate bowl, sift the cacao powder and flour together. Next, add in baking powder and salt.
• Combine both bowls, and slowly add in chocolate chips.
• Bake for 30/40 minutes, or until done.