How to Make Cannabis Perfume at Home: DIY Cannabis Perfume

In the vast world of perfumery, where scents evoke memories and emotions, cannabis perfume emerges as a new player. With its rich history dating back thousands of years, perfumery has evolved into a multi-billion-dollar industry, constantly innovating to meet the diverse olfactory preferences of consumers. 

Today, the allure of cannabis perfumes is captivating enthusiasts, offering not only enticing aromas but also potential health benefits, thanks to its aromatic compounds. In this guide, we delve into the art of crafting cannabis perfume at home, exploring the history of perfumes, the role of terpenes, and the intricate process of perfume-making.

History of Perfumes

In 2022, the perfume industry of the world reached a record high of $40 billion! As you can see, the segment is massive — people are taking more interest in how they smell. Plus, it’s a very competitive market with innovations and ideas popping up everywhere. 

Take a closer look at perfumes and you’ll see what we are talking about. Perfumes are not only becoming more accessible to the masses but also better. They are more eco-friendly, the bottles are prettier, and the packaging is neater. And there have never been as many aromas as they exist today. 

So, what exactly is a perfume? Merriam-Webster defines perfume as “a fluid preparation of natural essences (as from plants or animals) or synthetics and a fixative used for scenting.” Straightforward, isn’t it? 

It’s a very simple thing. In layman's terms, perfume is a liquid you put on your body to smell nice. As such, this simple liquid has been used by people for millennials — thousands of years. The word itself originates from Latin, per fumus, which literally translates to “through smoke.”

We still aren’t sure how far back it goes, though. The oldest record of the word perfume is found in Mesopotamian tablets — inscriptions that go as far back as 1200 BC! According to archeologists, the first recorded perfumer was Tapputi, a Royal Palace employee who worked on extracting fragrances from plants. 

Even in Asia, perfume has a rich history. For example, ancient Ayurvedic literature discusses the process of distilling attar — a form of essential oil that’s developed from plants. 

In Cyprus, this product goes all the way back to the Bronze Age. Experts have even found large structures of almost half a hectare that produced perfumes some 4000 years ago. 

Coming back to Europe, Hungarian perfumers were the first manufacturers of modern perfume, which took cues from Arabic traditions of perfumery. In fact, after 1370, this essential oil and alcohol-based perfume came to be known as Hungary Water throughout the continent. 

Cannabis perfume is a very recent trend; historically, perfumes are usually produced from plants like lavender, eucalyptus, tobacco, torchwood, agarwood, gardenia, etc. This is because these plants are packed with compounds that use scent to ward off predatory insects and animals, protecting the plant. 

As with spicy chilies that scare away animals but make us drool, these botanical scents also make our noses tingle in a good way. Who doesn’t like a good smell? And some of us wouldn’t mind smelling like our favorite plant — cannabis! But, is there such a thing as a DIY cannabis perfume? Yes, there surely is. Something you can make at home! Now, it won't smell like commercial perfumes because they use way too many complex compounds to create one single perfume; however, you can get close. 

Terpenes as an Aromatic Compound in Cannabis 

People are no longer strangers to cannabis. Across the world, this plant has gained popularity for being both a recreational product as well as a medicinal herb. Most of these effects are attributed to THC and CBD, along with 100+ cannabinoids that are present in cannabis. 

However, what people overlook — or at least aren’t aware of — are terpenes. The primary source of scent in cannabis plants. 

What are terpenes? Essentially, terpenes are a type of aromatic molecules that are present widely in nature, not just in cannabis plants. Scientists have discovered over 30,000 terpenes that are present in various plants. Out of these, cannabis is home to around 150 terpenes. 

Each terpene is different, and as you’ll learn in some time, each produces a unique aroma. These aromas range from floral to sweet, from fruity to earthy, and everything in between. A combination of these terpenes gives cannabis strains their unique aromas. 

Benefit of Terpenes on the Human Body

Terpenes are a relatively recent discovery and not a lot of studies have taken place regarding their benefit for the human body. However, some preclinical research efforts and in vitro experiments have taken place, hinting at the potential benefit for the human body. 

It’s important to note that while these studies may suggest that a cannabis perfume may benefit you healthwise, the studies are conducted on animals and not humans. The final results may vary drastically. 

Antiviral 

COVID hit the world hard, but it’s only one virus compared to hundreds that keep cropping up time and again. Hopefully, the ice caps don’t melt enough to bring out ancient viruses! 

Since new viruses keep coming, scientists are always experimenting to find new ways to fight them more effectively. In their words, they have also started studying terpenes. So far, terpenes have been shown to have great virus-killing abilities. 

Terpenes that are potentially antiviral are alpha-pinene and beta-pinene, carvone, camphor, and caryophyllene. 

Antibacterial

Similarly, terpenes may also help fight bacteria by disturbing their biological processes or eliminating them. These terpenes include menthol, alpha-bisabolol, geraniol, eucalyptol, and terpinolene. 

Fight Cancer 

Cannabis has garnered a reputation for being quite helpful for cancer patients in dealing with some of the symptoms. Adding a cherry to this cake is that terpenes may help fight cancer. According to studies, terpenes may be the reason why cannabis is so helpful for cancer patients. 

Essentially, studies show that terpenes stop the development of cancer cells. What’s more, studies also show these terpenes do not affect non-cancer cells — this is essential as contemporary cancer treatments come with some collateral on health. 

Antidepression 

Did you know that ¼ of antidepressant medications are produced from herbal extracts that are already rich in these aromatic compounds? So, yes, research backs this — terpenes are quite effective in treating depression. This is why some people believe in aromatherapy for depression. 

The two most common terpenes that help here are beta-pinene and linalool. However, more research is required in this space to see if it can work as a proper medication just yet. 

Painkiller 

Some other studies also point out that terpenes can sometimes mimic cannabinoids in the CB receptors of the human body, and they can be more effective at providing relief from pain compared to isolates. Terpenes associated with this benefit are linalool, beta-pinene, geraniol, and humulene. 

Common Terpenes Found in Cannabis 

Wait, why are we diving deeper into terpenes? Well, if you want to make a good perfume, you should understand smell. Since each terpene smells unique, you can make your perfume smell the way you want by picking the right terpenes. 

So, before any further ado, let’s look at common terpenes found in cannabis and the smells they are associated with. 

Myrcene 

Myrcene is perhaps the most abundant terpene found in cannabis plants; it is also quite dominant in other plants like hops, lemongrass, and mangoes. This terpene is linked to aromas of spice, herbs, musk, and earth — this is usually what gives cannabis a mildly sweet flavor profile. 

Caryophyllene 

The second most abundant terpene found in the cannabis plant is caryophyllene, aka beta-caryophyllene. This terpene is linked to a spicy and peppery aroma profile. It is also found in other plants like oregano, cloves, black pepper, and rosemary. 

Limonene

As you can guess, limonene is what produces a citrusy flavor and aroma. It’s no wonder it’s found in citrusy strains as well as in citrus fruits. Turns out, lime and cannabis have a lot in common! This is what gives strains like Blackberry Soda their citrusy, clean flavor. 

Pinene

The next common terpene found in cannabis is pinene, which exists as alpha-pinene and beta-pinene. This terpene is associated with fresh scents like the ones found on basil, pine needles, and rosemary. 

In Japan, a forest bathing therapy known as Shinrin-yoku is quite popular; it’s basically taking a walk through a forest as it is believed that it can be relaxing.  Studies have found that this scent also allows more air into the lungs, acting as a bronchodilator. This may be the reason why Shirin-yoku works.

Linalool

Another common cannabis terpene is linalool, which is also found heavily in lavender. This compound is associated with a rich flowery aroma. 

Humelene

Finally, the last major terpene found in cannabis plants is humulene, which also occurs in hops, ginger, and glover. It gives a very earthy, hoppy, and herbal aroma to cannabis strains. 

Other Terpenes 

Other common terpenes present in cannabis plants include the following:

• Bisabolol: flora
• Borneol: mint
• Camphene: fir needles, musk, earth 
• Delta 3 carene: rosemary, pine 
• Eucalyptol: mint 
• Geraniol: rose, grass, peach 
• Linalool: floral
• Python: balsamic, floral
• Terpinolene: smoky, woody
• Trans-nerolidol: rose, citrus
• Valencene: sweet citrus 

Other Aromatic Compounds on Cannabis

Apart from terpenes, cannabis also has other compounds that attribute aroma to the buds. They are as follows:

Volatile Sulfur Compounds (VSC)

VSCs play a crucial role in the aroma of cannabis plants. They are a foundation of a skunk-like aroma that is present in many cannabis strains. Sometimes, they also produce aromas of savoriness, sweetness, and fruit. The three common VSCs found in cannabis buds include dimethyl sulfide, 3-methyl-thiophene, and 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol. 

Esters 

Then there are esters, which are a type of organic molecules that react with water to produce organic and inorganic acids and alcohol. Cannabis buds contain this compound, too. While we don’t know much about esters, experts believe that they produce distinct aromas associated with those of banana, pineapple, and strawberry. 

Understanding Cannabis in Perfumery 

Cannabis is nothing but a plant packed with aromatic terpenes if you focus on just the aromas. And focusing on aromas is what the perfume industry is all about. It’s no wonder that this industry is taking note, pun intended, of cannabis as a source of aromas. 

Cannabis perfumes are attractive products. Sure, those of us who enjoy the scent of cannabis are obviously interested in them. But they also appeal to others by being aromatic, in general, and by potentially offering some health benefits as discussed earlier. 

Sure, the cannabis perfume segment is still new and has a long way to go, but many perfume houses have already started experimenting with them. They have produced various awesome perfumes that are sure to give Tom Fort Black Gold a run for its money. 

We’ll get into some awesome examples of this a bit later in the article, but let’s hope the trend catches on so we can see more and more cannabis perfumes spreading their scent in the market. 

Cannabis Perfume and High 

Before anything, let’s address the elephant in the room. Will cannabis perfume make you high? This is an important question — no one wants to dab perfume and end up making their coworkers high, too. 

Fortunately, the answer is a resounding no — cannabis perfume won’t make you high. Remember, the high is caused by THC, a cannabinoid, not terpenes. Since perfumes only contain aromatic compounds, they won’t produce a high at all. 

However, cannabis perfumes may still produce cognitive effects on you, including feelings of relaxation, clarity, focus, sleepiness, creativity, etc. This is linked to the health benefits of individual terpenes, as discussed above, not the high-creating THC cannabinoid. To sum it up, you won’t get high. 

Understanding the Perfume-Making Process

Before jumping into making cannabis perfume, let’s understand some basics of perfume-making in general. This will help you acclimatize with the process, so you don’t end up with your hand stuck in a mason jar, metaphorically speaking. 

The four crucial compounds of perfume are springwater, ethanol, essential oils, and base oil. These four make perfume. 

Next, understand the types of notes or smells produced by essential oils:

• The top notes are what you smell first 
• The middle note follows the top notes 
• The base notes come in at last 

While each note is present when you first apply perfume, it’s the top note that you will smell the most. In a way, the top note is the primary aroma of the perfume. Once the top note starts fading, you’ll smell more of the middle note followed by the base note. 

You must also figure out your preferences on how you want your perfume to smell. For example, you may want your favorite perfume to give off a top note of oud with a middle note of tobacco and a base of smoky wood. 

To put it into the cannabis perspective, you may want your cannabis perfume to have a top note of fruit, a middle note of citrus, and a base note of mint. The sky is the limit. 

Then comes preparing the perfume. For this, you need to start with an even ratio between oil and organic material. If you use too much organic material, the scent will be faint or vice versa. 

The process starts with mixing the essential oil with base oil; you can use either sweet almond or jojoba oil as the base here. If you have 13 ml of oil, you can use around seven drops each of the top, middle, and base notes. Then, you must add around 70 ml of vodka or ethanol. 

Allow the perfume to sit for a couple of weeks — it gets stronger with time. Then, you can add a bit of water to distill it. You can even add some glycerine to make it stay for long. 

How to Make Cannabis Perfume at Home?

Finally, it’s time to make your cannabis perfume at home. The process will start with procuring the materials followed by the steps on making it. Let’s begin. 

Ingredients and Tools 

• Cannabis buds 
• Skin-safe oil like vegetable oil, coconut oil, or olive oil 
• 99% pure alcohol (or even vodka)
• Small jars 
• Cheesecloth 
• Eye dropper
• Cannabis grinder 

Steps on Making Cannabis Perfume at Home

Follow these steps to make cannabis perfume at home:

• Grind Cannabis Down 

The first step is to grind down the cannabis buds into medium-sized pieces. During this time, you should also ensure that you remove any stems or seeds from cannabis to keep the flavor as intact as possible. This is just like grinding cannabis for a joint! 

• Soak in Alcohol 

Pour the ground-up cannabis into a jar and add alcohol to it — ensure it is at least an inch higher than the buds so they remain completely soaked during the process. 

• Seal the Jar 

Next, seal the jar and give it a good shake for a couple of minutes. Then, you can place the jar in a dark place and let the alcohol extract all the aromatic compounds from the buds. Usually, this takes 1 to 2 months, but it’s better to wait a bit longer to ensure the compounds are properly extracted. Don’t forget to give your jar a shake at least once a day. 

• Empty the Jar

Once the extraction process comes to an end, open the jar. Then, drain the jar into a clean jar and use a cheesecloth to filter out the ground cannabis. You can also squeeze the ground cannabis to squeeze out any leftover liquid. Your cannabis terpene extract is ready. 

• Mix Everything Up 

The next step is to bring it all together. Follow these steps:

1. Add 4 tbsp of jojoba oil (or base oil of your choice) into a bowl 
2. Add around 5 ml of your cannabis extract 
3. Add 30 ml of vodka to the bowl, too 
4. Finally, add 5 ml of distilled water 

6. Stir and Let It Sit 

Once everything is added to the bowl, mix it all up nicely using a spoon or something similar. Then, allow the mixture to sit for some time. Finally, you can start transferring it to the final perfume bottle of your choice. Congratulations, your cannabis perfume is ready. 

How to Select The Right Cannabis Strain to Make Perfume?

You might be wondering as to which strain you should select. The short answer: whatever you like. 

The long answer? Here goes. 

Cannabis strains come in a ton of varieties and flavors — each scent is unique. So, find a strain that you like best. Some like the chemical-ish flavor of Sour Diesel while others like the fruity aromas of Strawberry Cough. Figure out what you like best and go with it. 

Don’t be afraid to mix it all up, either. You can always mix strains to create something unique. Although, this may require some trial and error to find the perfect balance of notes. 

Or Use Terpene Essential Oil 

If you want to save the effort of extracting cannabis oil and want specific aromas, you can purchase cannabis essential oils. They even come in isolate forms that only contain a specific terpene — you know what you’re getting into this way. 

For example, you can mix three terpene oils — linalool, myrcene, and caryophyllene — in your perfume with notes of spice, musk, earth, and flower. Depending on which aroma you want to be the top note, you can mix the oils in that ratio. 

Summary: How to Make Cannabis Perfume at Home: DIY Cannabis Perfume

Making your cannabis perfume at home is not only a creative endeavor but also a journey into the awesome world of perfumes. As you blend aromatic terpenes and essential oils, you become the perfumer, infusing your creation with personal flair and olfactory charm. 

Is it worth going through so much trouble to make some cannabis perfume that won't even smell like commercial perfumes? For some people, the answer is no. However, there are some creative souls that love challenges, so it's worth a try.

Whether you seek relaxation, clarity, or creativity, cannabis perfume offers a sensory experience like no other, enticing you with its alluring and potential therapeutic effects. So, what are you waiting for? It is time to embrace the art of perfumery and create something that might make someone’s day.