How To Make Rick Simpson Oil: A Step-by-Step Botanical Extraction Guide

Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) is a highly concentrated, full-spectrum cannabis extract designed to retain the plant's complete profile of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Producing high-quality RSO safely requires extracting active compounds with a food-grade solvent, filtering out plant particulates, and applying controlled thermal energy to purge the solvent while decarboxylating the cannabinoids. Successfully executing this process yields a dense, dark, and highly therapeutic concentrate containing up to 60% to 90% THC, depending on the starting material.

Pre-Extraction Planning and Safety Equipment Checklist

Extracting cannabinoids at home requires careful preparation, precision, and adherence to strict safety protocols. Because this extraction process utilizes highly volatile, flammable solvents, working in a well-ventilated area—ideally outdoors or under a professional laboratory-grade fume hood—is mandatory. Never use open flames, spark-producing equipment, gas stoves, or ungrounded electrical heating elements near your workspace.

Logistics and Resources Benchmark

• Estimated Cost: $150 to $300 USD (excluding raw botanical starting material).
• Time Required: 5 to 7 hours of active preparation, extraction, and purging, plus an additional 24 hours of pre-freezing.
• Yield Expectation: Every 1 ounce (28 grams) of high-quality cannabis flower yields approximately 3 to 4 grams of pure, concentrated RSO.

Essential Gear, Solvents, and Raw Materials

• High-Quality Cannabis: 1 to 2 ounces of cured, high-grade cannabis flower or premium trim.
• Extraction Solvent: 1 gallon of 190-proof food-grade ethanol (95% Pure USP-grade Everclear). Avoid isopropyl alcohol or denatured industrial alcohols, as they contain toxic chemical additives that are difficult to purge fully.
• Primary Heating Device: A standard household electric rice cooker with an open-lid design and a reliable "Warm" setting. Do not use crockpots or hot plates that lack precise temperature controls.
• Secondary Purging Device: A digital lab hot plate, a magnetic stirrer, or a high-quality electric coffee mug warmer capable of maintaining a stable temperature between 110°C and 115°C (230°F to 240°F).
• Filtration System: Unbleached, premium-grade paper coffee filters, a fine-mesh stainless steel sieve, and a large funnel (preferably a ceramic Buchner funnel connected to a manual vacuum pump).
• Mixing Utensils: Large food-grade silicone spatulas and a heavy-duty food-grade wooden spoon.
• Mixing Vessels: Two large, wide-mouth, 1-gallon borosilicate glass jars or food-grade stainless steel mixing bowls.
• Storage and Dispensing: Sterile 1ml or 3ml borosilicate glass Luer-lock syringes with airtight caps.
• Safety Gear: Nitrile gloves, splash-proof safety goggles, a chemical-resistant apron, and a Class B fire extinguisher rated for flammable liquid fires.

Step-by-Step Rick Simpson Oil Protocol

Step 1: Thermal Pre-Conditioning (The Deep Freeze)

Before introducing any solvent to your botanical material, both substances must undergo a 24-hour thermal pre-conditioning process. This step is critical for minimizing the extraction of unwanted plant lipids, fats, and chlorophyll.

1. Break your cured cannabis flower down into small, popcorn-sized buds. Do not grind the flower into a fine powder. Fine grinding ruptures the plant's cellular walls, releasing excessive amounts of chlorophyll that will make your final oil taste bitter and look dark green.
2. Place the broken-down cannabis into an airtight 1-gallon borosilicate glass jar.
3. Pour your 190-proof food-grade ethanol into a separate glass container, leaving at least two inches of headspace at the top.
4. Place both the cannabis jar and the solvent container into a deep freezer set to its coldest setting (ideally -20°C / -4°F) for 24 hours. Freezing hardens the plant's waxes and lipids, preventing them from dissolving into the ethanol during the wash step, while allowing the trichomes to detach easily.

Warning: Ensure all containers are tightly sealed during the freezing phase. Solvent vapors can accumulate in sealed domestic freezer compartments and pose a severe ignition hazard if exposed to an internal light switch or compressor spark.

Step 2: The First Solvent Wash and Agitation

The primary extraction wash strips the active cannabinoids and terpenes from the frozen trichomes.

1. Retrieve both the frozen cannabis jar and the chilled ethanol from the freezer.
2. Pour the freezing-cold ethanol directly over the cannabis in the jar until the liquid level sits exactly 1 inch above the top of the plant material.
3. Close the lid tightly and gently swirl the jar for exactly 3 to 5 minutes. Use a gentle, rocking motion rather than violent shaking. This provides sufficient contact time for the ethanol to dissolve the THC, CBD, and terpenes while keeping the cell walls of the plant material intact to lock in the chlorophyll.
4. Using a clean, stainless steel mesh sieve placed over your second glass vessel, pour the liquid mixture through to separate the bulk plant material from the cannabinoid-rich ethanol. Save the damp plant material in the original jar for a second run.

Step 3: The Second Solvent Wash

Performing a secondary wash ensures that you recover any remaining cannabinoids left behind in the plant's structure.

1. Pour fresh, ice-cold ethanol over the damp cannabis in your first jar until it is once again submerged by 1 inch.
2. Swirl the mixture gently for another 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Strain this second wash through the stainless steel sieve into the same glass vessel containing the liquid from your first wash.
4. Once you have collected all the liquid, safely discard the depleted plant material.

Pro-Tip: Do not perform a third wash. A third wash extracts negligible amounts of cannabinoids while pulling excessive amounts of water-soluble chlorophyll, plant waxes, and heavy metals, which drastically reduces the purity, flavor, and potency of the finished oil.

Step 4: Multi-Stage Filtration and Clarification

At this stage, the collected solvent contains microscopic plant particulates that must be completely filtered out to ensure a smooth, medical-grade final concentrate.

1. Set up your funnel over a clean, sterile glass jar or beaker. Place two layers of unbleached paper coffee filters inside the funnel.
2. Pour the strained green-amber liquid slowly through the coffee filters. Do not force the liquid through by squeezing the filters; allow gravity to do the work.
3. If the liquid still appears cloudy or has visible sediments, repeat this filtration step with a fresh set of coffee filters. The resulting liquid should be highly translucent with a clean, golden-amber or light-green hue.

Step 5: Primary Solvent Evaporation

This is the most critical safety phase of the process. You will boil off the flammable ethanol, leaving behind a highly concentrated crude oil.

1. Ensure you are working outdoors or in an environment with high-volume, spark-free mechanical ventilation.
2. Set up your electric rice cooker and plug it into an outdoor, GFCI-protected outlet. Ensure the cooker is clean and free of residue.
3. Fill the inner pot of the rice cooker with the filtered ethanol-cannabis mixture until it reaches approximately 75% capacity. Do not fill it to the brim.
4. Turn the rice cooker on and set it to its "Cook" or "High" heat setting. The boiling point of ethanol is approximately 78°C (172°F). The rice cooker will rapidly reach this temperature and begin boiling off the solvent.
5. As the liquid level drops due to evaporation, slowly add the remaining filtered mixture to the pot. Maintain a continuous, gentle boil.
6. When only about one inch of liquid remains in the bottom of the pot, put on your heat-resistant gloves. Gently swirl the rice cooker manually to prevent the thickening oil from sticking to the bottom and scorching.

Warning: Evaporating large volumes of ethanol produces heavy, highly flammable vapors that sink to the floor. Do not smoke, use cell phones, or allow any open flames or sparks within 50 feet of your workspace during this step.

Step 6: Thermal Purging and Decarboxylation

Once the bulk of the ethanol has evaporated, the remaining mixture is a thick, dark syrup containing a small percentage of residual solvent and inactive cannabinoids (THCA/CBDA). To make the oil active for oral consumption, it must undergo thermal decarboxylation.

1. When the mixture in the rice cooker stops boiling rapidly and begins to bubble slowly with thick, heavy bubbles, transfer the crude concentrate into a clean, heat-proof silicone cup or a small borosilicate glass beaker.
2. Place this container onto your digital lab hot plate or coffee mug warmer preheated to 110°C to 115°C (230°F to 240°F).
3. Monitor the oil closely. You will observe small, rapid bubbles rising to the surface of the dark oil. This bubbling is not solvent evaporation; it is carbon dioxide (CO2) gas being released as THCA converts into active THC (decarboxylation).
4. Maintain this precise temperature. This final purge and decarboxylation process typically takes between 45 and 90 minutes.
5. When all bubbling completely stops and the surface of the dense, dark-brown oil becomes entirely still, the decarboxylation and solvent purging processes are complete.

Step 7: Syringe Drawdown and Storage

1. While the RSO is still warm and in a semi-fluid state, carefully draw the oil up into your sterile 1ml or 3ml borosilicate glass Luer-lock syringes.
2. If the oil is too thick to draw, place the syringe in a warm water bath for a few minutes to lower the oil's viscosity.
3. Cap the syringes securely, label them with the date and strain type, and store them in a cool, dark, and dry cabinet. Correctly stored RSO retains its potency for up to two years.

Solvent Matrix and Thermal Processing Benchmarks

Selecting the correct solvent and maintaining strict thermal parameters dictates the purity, safety, and therapeutic value of your Rick Simpson Oil. Use the technical specifications below to guide your process:

Extraction Failures, Root Causes, and Recovery Procedures

Green, Bitter, and Bad-Tasting Oil

• Root Cause: The cannabis was ground too finely, or the solvent wash step was allowed to run too long at room temperature, causing the cell walls of the plant to rupture and release massive quantities of chlorophyll and plant waxes.
• Actionable Fix: You cannot easily extract chlorophyll from completed RSO without advanced laboratory equipment. To prevent this in future runs, freeze both your cannabis and your solvent for at least 24 hours beforehand, avoid grinding the buds, and limit your solvent contact time to under 5 minutes per wash.

Thin, Runny Oil that Bubbles at Room Temperature

• Root Cause: The oil contains residual solvent and has not been fully purged or decarboxylated. Water moisture may have also entered the extraction mixture during the boiling phase.
• Actionable Fix: Place the thin oil back into a heat-safe silicone container and return it to your digital hot plate or cup warmer at 110°C (230°F). Keep it heated until all small, rapid bubbles completely cease. This indicates that all remaining ethanol and CO2 have been purged.

Dark, Charred, Hardened Oil (Glass-like Texture)

• Root Cause: The temperature was allowed to spike above 140°C (284°F) during the evaporation or decarboxylation steps, causing the sugars and cannabinoids to pyrolyze (burn). This destroys the therapeutic terpenes and converts THC into CBN.
• Actionable Fix: Burnt RSO cannot be restored to its original potency. If it is not completely carbonized, you can salvage the batch for topical use or dilute it with organic MCT oil to improve its consistency for oral consumption, though its overall potency will be significantly degraded.

Abnormally Low Extraction Yield

• Root Cause: The solvent was not cold enough during the wash, preventing the trichomes from dissolving efficiently, or the starting plant material had low cannabinoid and resin density.
• Actionable Fix: To maximize your yield, always use dense, resinous flower with a high percentage of visible trichomes. Ensure your freezer is set to its coldest setting (-20°C / -4°F) before running the wash, and make sure your plant material is fully submerged in the solvent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 99% isopropyl alcohol instead of food-grade ethanol?

While isopropyl alcohol can technically dissolve cannabinoids, it is not recommended for making Rick Simpson Oil. Isopropyl alcohol is highly toxic if consumed, and home processors rarely have the vacuum purging equipment required to remove all residual traces of it. Food-grade ethanol is safe for human consumption and is much easier to purge completely at atmospheric pressure.

How many milliliters of RSO should I expect from one ounce of flower?

One ounce (28 grams) of high-quality cannabis flower typically produces between 3 and 4 milliliters (grams) of pure, concentrated RSO. This yield can vary slightly depending on the moisture content, trichome density, and overall potency of the starting botanical material.

Does homemade RSO need to be decarboxylated before consumption?

Yes, RSO must undergo decarboxylation to be active for oral or sublingual use. The extraction process strips cannabinoids in their inactive acid forms (THCA and CBDA). Heating the crude oil at 110°C to 115°C (230°F to 240°F) until all CO2 bubbling stops chemically converts these acids into active THC and CBD.

How should I store completed Rick Simpson Oil to preserve its potency?

Store your completed RSO inside sterile, airtight glass syringes in a cool, dark place, such as a pantry or a climate-controlled medicine cabinet. Avoid exposing the oil to direct sunlight, high temperatures, or open air, as these environmental factors will accelerate the degradation of THC into CBN.

Professional Botanical Extraction Supplies

To ensure the safety, purity, and consistency of your homemade concentrates, always utilize premium, laboratory-grade extraction equipment. Invest in food-grade solvents and precise, digitally controlled heating elements to achieve safe, medical-grade results with every batch.