Marijuana oil is a concentrated liquid extract made from the cannabis plant that contains high levels of cannabinoids, the active compounds responsible for cannabis’s effects on the body and mind. Unlike dried flower, which typically contains around 15 to 25% THC, marijuana oil can concentrate these compounds significantly, delivering them in a form that can be swallowed, placed under the tongue, added to food, or vaporized.
The term gets used loosely, and that’s part of the confusion. “Marijuana oil” can refer to THC-dominant extracts, CBD-rich oils, or full-plant preparations that contain a mix of both. What all of them share is that they start with the cannabis plant’s flowers, leaves, or stems and use some method to pull out the active compounds into an oil form.
How Marijuana Oil Is Made
All marijuana oil starts the same way: a solvent strips the active compounds out of plant material, and then the solvent is removed, leaving behind a concentrated oil. The three most common extraction methods each produce slightly different results.
CO2 extraction uses carbon dioxide pressurized in metal tanks until it becomes a supercritical fluid, a state between liquid and gas. This fluid passes through cannabis flower and pulls out cannabinoids and terpenes. When the pressure drops, the CO2 returns to gas and evaporates, leaving behind a clean concentrate. This method is popular with larger manufacturers because it produces a consistent product without residual solvents.
Hydrocarbon extraction uses butane or propane as a solvent. The gas passes through raw cannabis, collecting cannabinoids and terpenes along the way. The mixture is then heated so the butane or propane evaporates, leaving the oil behind. This method can produce a range of textures, from thick oils to glassy concentrates like shatter.
Ethanol extraction works by soaking cannabis in high-proof alcohol. The plant material absorbs the ethanol, which dissolves the trichomes (the tiny resin glands where cannabinoids are concentrated). The plant matter is then removed, the liquid is filtered, and the alcohol is evaporated off. This is one of the simplest methods and is commonly used in both commercial and smaller-scale production.
Each method has trade-offs in terms of purity, flavor, and the range of compounds preserved. No single technique dominates the industry.
What’s Actually in It
Marijuana oil contains cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and small amounts of plant waxes and lipids. The two cannabinoids that matter most are THC, which produces the psychoactive high, and CBD, which does not cause intoxication but has its own therapeutic effects.
The ratio of THC to CBD varies enormously depending on the cannabis strain used and the intended purpose of the oil. Some oils are designed to be THC-dominant for recreational use or certain medical applications. Others are formulated with high CBD and minimal THC. European CBD oil preparations, for instance, often contain CBD concentrations around 0.8 to 1% in the finished oil (from flower containing roughly 9% CBD, diluted during extraction) and THC levels at or below 0.2%.
Beyond cannabinoids, terpenes contribute to both the aroma and the effects of the oil. These are the same aromatic compounds found in lavender, pine, and citrus fruits. Research suggests that terpenes and cannabinoids work together in what’s sometimes called the “entourage effect,” where the full mix of plant compounds produces stronger results than any single compound alone.
Full-Spectrum, Broad-Spectrum, and Isolate
You’ll see these three terms on product labels, and they describe how much of the original plant chemistry remains in the oil.
- Full-spectrum oil contains the full range of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids from the plant, including small amounts of THC (up to 0.3% in legal hemp products, higher in state-legal marijuana products).
- Broad-spectrum oil keeps most of those compounds but has the THC removed or reduced to trace levels. It’s aimed at people who want the potential benefits of multiple plant compounds without THC exposure.
- Isolate is a single purified compound, usually CBD. It contains no other cannabinoids, terpenes, or plant material.
Current evidence suggests full-spectrum and broad-spectrum products may be more effective than isolates. Studies have found that the combination of THC, CBD, terpenes, and flavonoids performs better than isolated CBD alone for pain relief and seizures. This is the practical basis for the entourage effect: more of the plant’s original chemistry appears to produce better outcomes than a single purified molecule.
Rick Simpson Oil (RSO)
Rick Simpson Oil is a specific type of marijuana oil that gained attention through online claims about cancer treatment. It’s made by washing cannabis buds with a solvent (traditionally naphtha), then boiling off the solvent to leave a thick, dark oil. Unlike most CBD oils on the market, RSO is intentionally high in THC.
Despite widespread anecdotal claims, there is no clinical evidence that RSO cures cancer. It remains one of the most recognizable forms of marijuana oil, but its extremely high THC content means it produces strong psychoactive effects and is not appropriate for people who want to avoid intoxication.
Marijuana Oil vs. Hemp Seed Oil
This is one of the most common points of confusion. Hemp seed oil and marijuana oil are fundamentally different products that come from different parts of the plant.
Marijuana oil (and CBD oil) is extracted from the flowers, leaves, and stems of the cannabis plant, where cannabinoids are concentrated. Hemp seed oil comes from the seeds, which contain essentially no THC and little to no CBD. Hemp seed oil is a nutritional product, rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and is used in cooking, supplements, and skincare. It will not produce any psychoactive effects and does not have the same therapeutic applications as cannabinoid-containing oils.
Some product labels blur this distinction deliberately. If a product says “hemp oil” without specifying cannabinoid content, it may just be a seed-derived nutritional oil with no meaningful CBD or THC.
Medical Uses
Marijuana oil is used medically for a range of conditions, though the strength of evidence varies considerably. The best-supported uses, based on clinical research, include chronic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and muscle spasticity in multiple sclerosis. For chronic pain specifically, patients treated with cannabis or cannabinoids are more likely to experience a meaningful reduction in symptoms. One study found a dose-dependent effect, with higher-THC preparations producing stronger pain relief.
For MS-related spasticity, short-term use of oral cannabinoids improves patient-reported symptoms. A pharmaceutical spray containing a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD is approved in Europe, the UK, and Canada specifically for MS-related pain and spasticity.
The most common conditions listed in state medical cannabis programs include pain, MS-related spasticity, nausea, PTSD, cancer, epilepsy, wasting syndrome, glaucoma, and HIV/AIDS. For many of these conditions, the therapeutic effects are described as modest, and for several others, evidence remains insufficient to draw firm conclusions.
How People Use It
Marijuana oil is consumed in several ways, and the method affects how quickly it works and how long the effects last. Placing oil under the tongue (sublingual use) allows cannabinoids to absorb through the thin tissue there, typically producing effects within 15 to 30 minutes. Swallowing the oil means it passes through the digestive system first, which delays onset to roughly 30 minutes to two hours but often extends the duration of effects. Vaporizing oil heats it just enough to inhale the active compounds, producing the fastest onset, usually within minutes.
Pre-filled vape cartridges, tincture bottles with droppers, capsules, and edibles made with infused oil are the most common product formats. The right method depends on whether you need fast relief, long-lasting effects, or precise dosing.
Legal Status in the United States
Marijuana remains classified as a Schedule I substance under federal law, defined as having no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. This classification applies to THC-containing marijuana oil. Hemp-derived CBD oil with less than 0.3% THC was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill, creating the legal split between the two types of cannabis oil.
That federal classification may be changing. In 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services recommended rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III, which recognizes accepted medical use and lower abuse potential. The Department of Justice issued a proposed rule in May 2024 to make this change, and it received nearly 43,000 public comments. In December 2025, a White House executive action directed the Attorney General to complete the rescheduling process as quickly as possible. The rulemaking is still pending an administrative law hearing, so marijuana oil containing more than 0.3% THC remains federally illegal even as dozens of states have legalized it for medical or recreational use.