Making your own THC vape juice at home is a surprisingly simple process that only requires basic equipment and simple ingredients. If you have a few hours to spare, this is how you make your own vape juice in just four steps!

This guide is strictly for information purposes. In general, it is recommended to get your gear for shatter pens, vape pens or desktop vaporizers from an established, reputable manufacturer. But if you’re curious about the process of making THC vape juice, read on…

Given the overwhelming popularity of the vape pen, it comes as no surprise that the vape juice market now has a lot to offer. But for all the flavours and concentration levels to be found in today’s market, vape juices all use similar foundational ingredients. 

Basically, a vape juice formula can be thought of as having three important components:

• A base
• A carrier
• A recreational or therapeutic additional substance 

Vegetable glycerin is what gives vapor its smoke-like qualities, and is normally the baseline ingredient. Propylene glycol is added to serve as a carrier for other substances, such as THC. You preferred strain of dry herb provides the magical touch. 

There are several ways to make THC oil for use in vape pens, but we feel that this is the quickest, easiest and safest way to go about making your THC vape juice at home.  

EQUIPMENT

Weed vape juice can be made using basic kitchen equipment that most people will already have on hand. Anything you might be missing can be easily found at local retailers. 

• Large mason jar (2)
• Cheesecloth 
• Thermometer
• Large pot
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper or aluminum foil
• Glass vials or dropper bottles

INGREDIENTS

It only takes three basic ingredients to make your own vape juice, but the exact quantities will depend on your goals for this THC liquid extraction in terms of volume and potency. We suggest experimenting with small batches, so you can get your personalized THC e-liquid recipe dialed in. 

You will need: 

• High-proof alcohol (MUST be grain alcohol, NOT isopropyl or rubbing alcohol)
• Raw cannabis buds
• Food-grade vegetable glycerin (VG) or polyethylene glycol (PEG400)

STEP 1 - DECARB

The first step in the process - decarboxylation - sounds complicated and intimidating, but it’s actually quite simple. And it’s the secret to creating a powerful cannabis extract from fresh buds. 

In cannabis flowers, there isn’t actually very much accessible delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (psychoactive THC), but the plant material is rich in tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA). The process of decarboxylation turns THCA into THC by removing a carbon atom from a carbon chain.

This is what leads to the therapeutic and psychoactive benefits that everyone loves. When you smoke dry herb, this transition occurs in the combustion process, so most people aren’t actually aware that it occurs. 

So, how can you accomplish this complex chemical transformation at home? Spread your broken down buds evenly on a lined baking tray and put it in a preheated oven (230ºF or 110ºC) for 30-45 minutes. Yep, it really is that simple. 

STEP 2 - EXTRACT

After removing your high quality bud from the oven and letting them cool, it’s time to extract. 

1. Transfer your decarbed buds into a clean glass jar, making sure to leave a fair bit of room at the top. Place another glass jar of the same size in the freezer. 
2. Add as much high-proof alcohol (such as Everclear) as needed to completely cover the buds. Gently stir the mixture to make sure that it is evenly distributed before placing it in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes. 
3. Remove the alcohol/bud mixture from the refrigerator, and get the other glass jar out of the freezer. Using cheesecloth to filter out the buds, drain the liquid into the jar from the freezer. Remember to take your time with this step, you’ll want to capture as much liquid as possible. 

STEP 3 - PURIFY

Now that you have a potent extraction to work with, it’s time to purify your creation and make your own THC juice.

1. Fill a large pot with a few inches of water and place it on your stove top. Place the freezer jar with your extraction in the water-filled pot. Make sure that the top of the glass jar you are using stands well above the water line. 
2. Using your termometer to keep an eye on the temperature, gently heat the water until it reaches roughly 160ºF (or 71ºC). This temperature accelerates the evaporation of the alcohol. 
3. After leaving it on the heat for roughly an hour, the remaining liquid will be purified, giving you the base ingredient to make your own vape juices. 
4. This is our preferred method of purification, but if you don’t want to bother with it, you could also leave the jar (open, top covered with cheesecloth) in a safe spot so the alcohol can evaporate naturally, but this could take a couple of weeks.  

STEP 4 - MAKING THE VAPE JUICE BLEND

The final step in the process of making THC vape juice is where you can indulge your personal tastes and preferences by experimenting with different concentrations and flavor additives. 

To make your vape oil, you will need either polyethylene glycol (PEG) or propylene glycol. Certain studies have compared the effects of inhaling PEG to those associated with smoking cigarettes, so it has fallen out of favour recently. As an alternative, you can use vegetable glycerine. 

In a small glass vial, mix some of your purified extraction with a few drops of glycol. Give it a solid shake, and your e-juice is ready to vape! 

People generally report that it only takes about one milliliter of glycol to get a gram of e-liquids that vape well. Fans of thicker clouds should try adding slightly more glycol, but if you’re looking for a high-potency THC vape juice, skimp on the glycol. 

At Canadian Vaporizers, we carry exactly what you need to get the most from your homemade THC vape juice. Check out our selection of vaporizers and accessories today!