Cannabis Capsules (coconut oil)

"Marijuana in capsule form
by Martin Martinez, author of The New Prescription - Marijuana As Medicine
For patients concerned with the possibility that smoking medical marijuana may have harmful effects on the lungs, and for those who require a maximum dose of medicinal compounds, oral ingestion of marijuana is preferred over smoking or vaporizing. However, some patients have had unstable or unsuitable results, so we offer this detailed explanation and simple recipe.

When marijuana is eaten rather than smoked, the human liver produces natural cannabinoid metabolites that enter the bloodstream, creating a stronger effect than when cannabis smoke is absorbed by the lungs. The common technique of baking marijuana in brownies or other foods is effective, but unpredictable. The medicinal cannabis compounds are melted into the food when cooking, so the absorption of the herb is complicated by digestion of the food. Therefore, the optimum medicinal benefits are easier to predict and manage when marijuana is cooked with coconut oil and packed into gelatin capsules.

THC, the most powerful medicinal compound in cannabis, is available by prescription from licensed physicians. But most patients who try Marinol discover that it is far too psychoactive. THC is only one of a handful of cannabis compounds that work together harmoniously. For example, it is known that Cannabidiol (CBD) has sedative effects that offset the stimulative effects of pure THC. That is a part of why pure THC pills are known to overpower the senses. In order to get the optimum medicinal benefits without unwanted side effects, all of the natural cannabis compounds should be taken together as nature intended. Thus these homemade "Mari pills" are far superior to pharmeceutical Marinol. Plus, at a cost of up to $12 per tablet, Marinol is much more expensive than pills made from the natural plant.

Commonly, patients use marijuana leaf for cooking and flower tops (buds) for smoking. This practice is often based on frugality, as marijuana leaf is usually too harsh to smoke, yet too valuable to waste. But, as explained above, cannabinoid compounds such as CBD are more of a sedative than a stimulant, and because marijuana leaves usually contain a higher percentage of CBD than THC, eating cannabis leaf can make one especially drowsy. This recipe calls for the use of quality cannabis buds and leaves mixed together. Patients must experiment with different quantities of bud versus leaf to discover the ratio that works best for their specific conditions.

One of the drawbacks of eating marijuana leaf is the common complaint of stomach irritation. The top side of cannabis leaves are coated with thousands of microscopic thorns, and these sometimes cause minor intestinal irritation, even after grinding. For some patients, the use of leaf in Mari Pills is not tolerable, and in such cases, the use of buds alone, without the addition of leaf, is preferred. Note: the small leaves found in the marijuana flower tops are not as difficult to digest as the large "fan" leaves that grow from the stems. Also, the small bud leaves are far more potent than the larger leaves required for photosynthesis. As a general rule, the smaller leaves growing closest to the flower tops are closest to the plant's resin glands, and therefore have the greatest amount of medicinal compounds.

The ratio of bud versus leaf used in these pills affects the values of the recipe, I.E.: leaf tends to grind down to a more powdery consistency than bud, and leaf tends to absorb less oil than does bud, and so the exact details of this variation must be determined by personal experience. The quantities recorded below will fluctuate with differences in the type of marijuana used.

Especially for those with tender digestion, all marijuana must be ground to a fine consistency before cooking. A new coffee grinder that does not contain coffee residue is preferred. First, using scissors or by hand, remove as much of the stem material as possible. Stems have NO medicinal value, and eating hemp stalk is likely to irritate the stomach. If the marijuana contains seeds, they may be included, as hemp seeds are highly nutritious, but again, they do not contain THC, CBD, or any of the other medicinal compounds found in marijuana. All material must be dry. Grind the herb to a fine consistency.

Cannabis compounds are oil-based and do not mix with water, but they boil at 392 degrees F. Cannabis compounds bond with fatty compounds when heated. While many types of vegetable oils may suffice, we find the best results are obtained using coconut oil. Coconut oil has been shown to have powerful anti-viral and anti-fungal properties

One half ounce of dried and cleaned marijuana ground to fine powder in a small coffee grinder equals about one half cup of powder. Set the half-cup of green powder by the stove. Use a very small saucepan. Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of unprocessed virgin coconut oil. Set burner on medium, and use a candy thermometer (up to 400 degrees) to bring the oil to a temperature of 350 degrees. Note: the temperature of heated oil generally rises about 25 degrees after being removed from medium stove heat, so remove from stove at about 325, then wait a moment until the temperature peaks and begins to fall. When the oil reaches 350 degrees add the entire half-cup of powder all at once. The oil will sizzle slightly as the reaction takes place. Stir thoroughly, making sure that the powder and oil are completely mixed. (Do not use thermometer for stirring because it might break.) If the mixture is not pasty, then carefully add more green powder or oil. (Only use enough oil to saturate the green powder to a dark green paste. Too much oil makes messy pills-too little, and the cannabis compounds will burn instead of bonding to the fat content of the oil.) Mix thoroughly, then return to burner on medium heat. Watch the temperature. Continue mixing until the paste looks more oily at about 300 to 325 degrees. Those who have used non-smoking marijuana vaporizers will recognize the smell of vapor trails that rise at 300 to 325 degrees. As soon as the vapor trails appear strongly, remove from heat and mix, then set aside to cool. (Accurate temperature control is most important. After heating, the paste should still be about the same color. If the paste has turned rich brown instead of dark green, the product was overheated and the majority of medicinal compounds were lost.) Let the paste cool below 100 degrees before packing into gelatin capsules using standard herbal gel cap machines available for under $20 at most health food stores. This recipe makes about 50 of the large size gelatin capsules. Do not use vegetarian gel caps that can melt from exposure to vegetable oils. Pills stored in a freezer will maintain potency for many months.

Common doses are in the range of 2 to 5 pills, depending on the quality of the marijuana used and the patient's personal use. We find the most appreciable results are obtained when the pills are taken just before dinner as therapeutic effects manifest more fully during periods of relaxation and limited activity."

coconut oil works...better than butter, olive oil other types of oils... It's highest in saturated fat and thats why it works better because thc bonds to saturated fat more..

You would probably only have to simmer for 5 min in the frying pan? The thc would bond as soon as it makes contact with the sizzling oil?


CannabisMD Reports : Marijuana in Capsules

Thats a good method, I have been doing oil extractions and then working with certain mixtures before capping for sometime myself.

Some of the additives I use help your body superdigest the canna's and allow you to start getting medication in 20 minutes as opposed to an hour or more, they also increase the intensity (because it absorbs much much faster, and it doesn't give you that groogy feeling the next day since it does run through your system much quicker)

Capsules are a great method for figuring dosing, and I applaud your easy to replicate technique for others to use. Go CAPS!

interesting.....where can plain caps be purchased?

bobelod what other ingredients do you use? sometimes it would take me an hr or so or more...

i work at a pharmacy and we have a plethora of empty gelatin capsules. though i'm not the one that buys them, my guess would be they are available for purchase at a medical supply store. check your phonebook or go into a local pharmacy and ask them for the phone number of a nearby medical supply store.

if it was me making these marijuana capsules i would just put ground up marijuana into a capsule and take about 5 of them.

a medical marijuana dispensary in hollywood called earth collective that i went to had them for sale. only place i've ever seen them. the guy trying to work me was boasting that it was 40 grams or some jibber jabber, but undoubtedly i bet they were potent. that method seems highly effective.

The empty capsules are pretty common....any pharmacy or health food store should have them. I'm going to try that recipe.

Thanks.

Well I tried it. I've just taken a few capsules and am feeling fairly good but it's still pretty early. I ended up using olive or because I couldn't find the coconut stuff at my store.

I burned the first batch....1/2 oz prime bud fried up. They are right about watching the temp......DONT walk away while its cooking is my first tip.
Second batch came out ok.....I really stood over it and fussed like a mother hen and had trouble getting it up to 300 but think I did it right.

I AM starting to feel a good buzz. I'll update later.....I took about 3 capsules worth on an empty stomach and am starting to feel pretty darn good.

Great directions....everything was exactly like the description except it seemed to start kicking off vapor trails below 300 degrees. That's how I burned the first batch....took it to 300 and it just kept rising even after I took it off the heat.

My other hint: Keep a pan of cold water close by if you let it get too hot and stick the pan the water to cool. Oil takes time to cool off and that will speed it up so (hopefully) you don't hit a burning temp the way I did.

Final Report: They KICK ASS!! Five was too many. It took probably a full two hours to really get the effect which was I ended up "too giggly"

They were a hassle to put in the little capsules and greasy.....I'd love to work these two issues out. Any tips would be LOOOOVEEELY!

One last update....They were too strong for the husband.....he took one pill and slept for just about 11 hours straight.....fyi....

I'm trying this tomorrow.

I was going to make cookies or something, but the whole reason I'm eating it is because I'm going to a concert Saturday and I want to be high.:jointsmile: Unfortunately, the people I met online that are meeting me there don't want any, so I figured capsules might work since I can't go around smoking a jay in the middle of downtown.

The last two times I tried eating MJ, it didn't work. I didn't think to look up the correct temperatures and I think I burned everything. I *know* I used enough herb.

Just bought a half of mids to grind up... cross your fingers! I'll give a report after the concert. :)

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Originally Posted by Weedhound

They were a hassle to put in the little capsules and greasy.....I'd love to work these two issues out. Any tips would be LOOOOVEEELY!

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I forgot to mention... a little trick we learned in pharmacy school when making capsules by hand. Take a spatula or butter knife and scoop up just a little bit and scrape it into the capsule a little at a time. Tap the capsule to remove air bubbles. Now, I have no idea what the consistency of this mixture is going to be, so I have no idea if this technique will work or not... but I'm sure a method similar to this would work with a little ingenuity.

How did you store the capsules? I think I'm putting them in the freezer in an airtight container.

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Originally Posted by thoughtwriter

interesting.....where can plain caps be purchased?

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any health/vitamin/herbal remedy store usually carries empty capsules. Down here at the health store they are made organically.

Like your kitty Pandora. The stuff is a weird texture....half oil and 1/2 what almost seems like sand so its very hard to put in the capsules. The second time I made them I added some thickening flour after cooking to try to make it less liquidy but it didn't help.

I DID end up buying this Capsule Machine For Filling "00" Capsules and it works very well.....comes with a little card that helps you scrape the stuff into the capsules and it was much quicker, cleaner and less waste (also dishwasher safe....:)) so I recommend it....especially for $13.00

I put my capsules in the fridge to store.....they do ok at room temp but after a few days they will start to leak slightly.....the oil.....small amounts but messy....the fridge keeps all that oil too cold to seep out.

Ps...they STINK....at least mine do....like pot.....but you can't smell it inside the RX bottle.....just fyi.

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Originally Posted by pandorasbox

I'm trying this tomorrow.

I was going to make cookies or something, but the whole reason I'm eating it is because I'm going to a concert Saturday and I want to be high.:jointsmile: Unfortunately, the people I met online that are meeting me there don't want any, so I figured capsules might work since I can't go around smoking a jay in the middle of downtown.

The last two times I tried eating MJ, it didn't work. I didn't think to look up the correct temperatures and I think I burned everything. I *know* I used enough herb.

Just bought a half of mids to grind up... cross your fingers! I'll give a report after the concert. :)

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You go!! Make sure you give yourself enough time for it to kick in fully....about 2 hours for me. But DEFINITELY worth it. :thumbsup:

Let us know. ;)

Well, they worked. Sort of. It took about two hours to kick in, and I peaked at about four. I was high enough for the concert, but not blown away and not nearly as high as I expected to get. I followed directions and used organic extra virgin coconut oil, but I probably didn't use as much as I should have. The "paste" consistency the article is talking about will come after the cooking. I was trying to get it while I cooked (der....) because the wording confused me. :D Yes, I'm a natural blonde.

I'm not sure what went wrong, but I think I didn't put enough oil in the mixture and I didn't let it stay hot long enough. After the reaction occurred, I brought down the temp and put it right in the freezer. I made a smaller batch tonight with relatively more oil and I cooked it longer on a lower temp at around 280 degrees F or so. We'll see in another hour or so if that was the key.

Tips on making caps without a machine:
If you used coconut oil, it will solidify when it gets cold, so putting it in the freezer makes it easier to scoop up the material to pack into capsules. Just take the longer end and scrape the top of the mixture and push it down every once in a while to pack it. Use the smaller end of the cap to wipe off the sides of the long end and place it on the end. I didn't get too messy. If it starts to get too runny, merely stick it back in the freezer for a couple of minutes. In fact, I read somewhere that freezing the mixture prior to packing the caps makes it so the remaining cells in the plant material burst, releasing the last amounts of THC. Theoretically, at least.

Interesting....how many did you take? My first batch I made from 14gms of good bud....otherwise maybe double the dose?

Heh... well, I know that wasn't the problem. I used a just under a half ounce. And I took all the capsules I got from that except two. Something had to have been wrong with the process of getting the THC out of the plant. It did not turn brown or get overheated, either. I'm open to ideas, of course. I admit I had a lot of fun. The whole process reminded me of compounding in pharmacy school.

Wow!!! If I took most of that.....I'd be gone....

You're not kidding....you used enough and took enough. Did it make you really sleepy or droopy the next day?

I have been making capsules for sometime now, and usually use a gelatin (with certain compounds but I suppose cooking oil would work too)/extracted oil mix through a syringe (turkey baster style syringes rock if you are making a hundred or more at a time) to fill the capsules.

They hold up well in the heat and fill up very easily if the mix is right.

Typically I will weigh out enough ingredients to put together a hundred or more, and use what works out to a dose of .035 grams extract per capsule. Basically a ratio of about 30:1, lower grade oils would probably require something more like .200 grams or more per capsule for a good effect.

Cooking the cannabis in the oil works well and I had done that for a long time, but if you want complete extractions and reliable consistency, it is best to use solvents, boil them off in a water bath, mix to proper ratios, fill capsules, and enjoy.

I've heard of several different solvents....which ones do you like and use?

I have used everything from Naptha to ethonal, but low boiling point solvents work best, the only problem is that they are expensive unless you have a very efficient extractor. If you are worried about poisins and you ability to effectively remove them I would go with the highest purity ethonal you can find.

Take your cannabis and break it down in a blender, (buds, stems and seeds) along with some ethanol, refulx it on your stove for an hour or so, strain off the cannabis through some type of filter, (cotton tshirts work great)

Repeat the first step with the blender and ethanol again to ensure that it absorbs the last remaining cannabidols, refilter, and finally take the finished extract/ethanol mixture, set it up in a double boiler and evaporate the ethanol. You can use a toothpick and match as a crude test for remaining ethanol by seeing if it ignites, and smell for any residuals.

If you weigh your bowl empty beforehand, and then subtract that number from the finished weight then you have the amount of extracted oil.

Expect 1.5 to 2.5 grams per ounce for extremely poor quality commersh, 2.5 to 3.5 grams per ounce for average commersh, and 3.5 to as much as 6.2 grams per ounce for very high quality commersh. Of course good quality indoor does even better many times.

Then mix in your other ingredients (pre-solidified) into the hot oil (this is important to allow it to mix properly or the oil will seperate) in the proper ratios and I garuntee you will be shocked at their potency, and the type of high (much better than smoking even high quality bud).

Saving this for life

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Originally Posted by bobelod

Thats a good method, I have been doing oil extractions and then working with certain mixtures before capping for sometime myself.

Some of the additives I use help your body superdigest the canna's and allow you to start getting medication in 20 minutes as opposed to an hour or more, they also increase the intensity (because it absorbs much much faster, and it doesn't give you that groogy feeling the next day since it does run through your system much quicker)

Capsules are a great method for figuring dosing, and I applaud your easy to replicate technique for others to use. Go CAPS!

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bobelod can you tell us more about these additives your talking about that aid the thc absorption? or any body else know what he is talking about? thx