How to Make RSO at Home

DIY RSO
RSO Making Step-by-step Guide

If you’ve heard about the powerful healing reputation of RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) and want to try making your own, you’re not alone. RSO is a highly concentrated, full-spectrum cannabis oil often used for wellness, recovery, and deep therapeutic support. While traditional RSO recipes seem intimidating at first, making it yourself at home is absolutely possible with the right knowledge, careful setup, and respect for safety. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to make RSO at home, step-by-step, with tips to ensure you get strong, clean, and effective oil every time.

🌱 What Is RSO?

RSO, short for Rick Simpson Oil, is a thick, tar-like cannabis concentrate made by washing cannabis flower with alcohol to strip away cannabinoids, terpenes, and plant compounds. After the alcohol evaporates, what remains is a potent, full-spectrum extract traditionally used for:

  • Chronic pain
  • Appetite stimulation
  • Sleep support
  • Inflammatory conditions
  • Deep cellular recovery

👉 In simple terms: RSO delivers everything the plant offers, concentrated into a few powerful drops.

🛠️ What You Need 

Before you get started, gather these materials:

1. Equipment:

  • Grinder/Food processor
  • 1 medium glass container
  • Cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer
  • Rice cooker, double boiler, or slow cooker (for evaporation)
  • Fan (optional but recommended)
  • Funnel and oral syringes (for storing finished oil)
  • Gloves and eye protection
  • Well-ventilated workspace (outdoors or under an exhaust fan)

2. Ingredients:

  • 1 oz high-quality cannabis flower (preferably high in THC, CBD, or both depending on your goal)
  • 2–4 cups food-grade 190-proof ethanol alcohol (never use isopropyl for ingestion)
  • (Optional) Coconut oil or MCT oil if you want to dilute for easier dosing

🚨 Important Safety Note:

  • Alcohol fumes are extremely flammable.
  • Always work outdoors or in a very well-ventilated area.
  • Keep open flames, stoves, heaters, and sparks far away from your work zone.

🛠️ How to Make RSO at Home (Step-by-Step)

Step 1. Prepare Your Cannabis

Lightly grind your cannabis flower to expose more surface area without pulverizing it into powder. Place the ground material into your large glass bowl.

Step 2. Wash the Cannabis With Alcohol

  • Pour enough ethanol into the bowl to fully submerge the cannabis.
  • Stir and mash the mixture with a wooden spoon for 2–3 minutes, ensuring the alcohol pulls the resin off the plant.
  • You will notice the alcohol turning dark green or golden.

Step 3. Strain the First Wash

  • Use a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer to separate the alcohol-cannabis solution into your second container.
  • Set the strained plant material aside. (you can optionally perform a second wash by repeating Step 2 for extra yield).

Step 4. Evaporate the Alcohol

  • Pour the alcohol solution into your rice cooker, double boiler, or slow cooker.
  • Gently heat the liquid on the lowest setting to slowly evaporate the alcohol.
  • Keep a fan blowing fumes away from the cooker if working indoors.
  • Stir frequently and keep an eye on it. Never leave it unattended.

Step 5. Monitor and Finish the Oil

As the alcohol evaporates, you’ll be left with a thick, dark oil. Once all bubbling stops and the consistency is syrupy and heavy, it’s finished.

👉 At this stage, the RSO is highly concentrated and extremely potent.

Step 6. Store Properly

  • Use a funnel to fill oral syringes with the warm RSO while it’s still pourable.
  • Alternatively, store in a small glass jar with an airtight seal.
  • Keep refrigerated or in a cool, dark place for long-term storage.

🧾 Quick Prep Checklist:

☑️High-proof food-grade alcohol (190-proof ethanol)

☑️Glass containers, strainers, rice cooker/boiler

☑️Outdoor or very well-ventilated space

☑️Gloves and eye protection

☑️Oral syringes for easy storage and dosing

💭Frequently Asked Questions

How Does RSO Make You Feel?

It can make you feel intensely relaxed, drowsy, and euphoric. It often produces a “body lock” sensation that’s strong and long-lasting. Many use it for pain, sleep, and deep rest. Start low; a rice-sized dose goes a long way.

What Does RSO Do?

Delivers a full-spectrum cannabis experience. It’s often used for chronic pain, insomnia, appetite stimulation, and sometimes as a complementary aid in wellness protocols. Its high cannabinoid content makes it ideal for therapeutic use.

Is RSO More Potent Than Edibles?

Absolutely. RSO is a concentrate which makes it more potent than standard edibles. Even tiny amounts can produce strong effects due to its high THC and full cannabinoid profile. It also absorbs differently, making effects longer-lasting.

What Is The Best Alcohol To Make RSO With?

The best choice is 190-proof food-grade ethanol, such as Everclear. It’s highly efficient at stripping cannabinoids from plant material and evaporates cleanly. Avoid isopropyl or non-food-grade solvents unless used in a lab setting.

✒️ Please note that you can make RSO with federally legal cannabis flower. Decarbing with activate the thc. If you are interested in making RSO but don’t have the ability to get delta 9, you can decarb and use THCA. Here are a few reputable online dispensaries that sell THCA flower.

  1. 🔗Utoya
  2. 🔗The Hemp Doctor
  3. 🔗Secret Nature

👉If you are unsure how to decarb your canni flower, be sure to check out our easy to follow step-by-step guide on the best decarbing method, 🔗 Sous Vide Decarboxylation.

Recipes Using RSO

RSO infused cannabis honey
Delicious RSO Infused Cannabis Honey

🍯 RSO Honey Recipe

Ingredients:

  • ½ gram RSO

  • ½ cup raw honey

  • Optional: ¼ tsp cinnamon or vanilla extract for flavor

Instructions:

  1. Gently warm the honey in a double boiler or glass jar placed in warm water, do not boil!

  2. Stir in the RSO slowly until fully dissolved and evenly mixed.

  3. Store in a glass jar away from direct sunlight.

  4. Use by the teaspoon. This is great in tea, and oatmeal or on toast and pancakes.

Rich-Creamy RSO Infused Cannabis Chocolate

🍫 RSO Cannabis Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients:

  • ½ gram RSO

  • ½ cup coconut oil or cocoa butter

  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate

  • Optional: pinch of sea salt or chili powder

Instructions:

  1. Melt coconut oil and chocolate over low heat using a double boiler.

  2. Once smooth, remove from heat and stir in RSO until fully blended.

  3. Pour into silicone molds or a parchment-lined tray.

  4. Chill in the fridge or freezer until set.

  5. Store refrigerated; dose carefully because each piece is potent!

🌟 Final Thoughts

Learning how to make RSO, opens a powerful door into natural wellness and self-sufficiency. While the process requires caution and respect for safety, the reward is a deeply potent, full-spectrum extract that can support body and mind on a profound level.

✅ Want a side-by-side comparison for RSO and regular oil? Check out our article 🔗 comparing the two!

*Juana Wellness is an affiliate*