This is Magic Salve: a potent full spectrum 1:1 cannabis topical. This salve is intended for use on the skin to relieve pain and inflammation. I developed this recipe for my own use, to aid healing from minor skin irritations. But as I’ve used this potent little creation over time I came to rely on this salve’s ability to ease muscle soreness and joint pain. I published the recipe for this salve in my book, The Cannabis Gardener – so consider buying my book and making your own!
Is Magic Salve for sale? No — but you can make a donation to The Last Prisoner Project, my favorite cannabis justice organization, and I’ll send you some as a thank you.
What is a salve? It is a fat based recipe that carries other substances, typically from plants.
What is the magic in Penny’s Magic Salve? Cannabis is the magic in my salve. Magic Salve is made with natural fats (coconut oil, shea butter and beeswax) to which I add my own home grown and concentrated cannabis oil.
How should I use Magic Salve? Spread a small amount anywhere on the skin where you have pain and inflammation. It’s effective at joint pain especially where there isn’t much flesh around the joints — knees, hands and wrist, ankle, feet. It’s also wonderfully soothing for bee stings, bug bites, scrapes, minor burns, sunburn — anytime there is inflammation on the skin. This salve is very soothing for those suffering from shingles blisters. It is excellent at soothing neuropathy. Reapply as needed.
My Magic Salve has little grains in it. Is it bad? It is just fine. The coconut oil in this recipe melts at about 76 degrees f. What likely happened is that your salve got warm, and the coconut oil melted. It then slowly cooled down, allowing the coconut oil to form isolated granules. The salve is perfectly fine to use in this state. You’ll find that if you use the salve, the coconut oil granules will melt upon skin contact. If you’d like to restore the smooth texture of the salve, try gently heating it until it’s totally melted. Give it a stir with a toothpick and then put it into the refrigerator or freezer until it’s solid again. Then keep your salve in a coolish spot (below 75 degrees f) to preserve the texture.
How long will Magic Salve last? Pretty long! If stored in the freezer, this salve will likely outlive you. I’ve never seen one go bad — though it’s possible that after many years the coconut oil may begin to break down. I store my salve at room temp, but my home is rarely over 75 degrees. If you have a warm home, consider storing your salve in a cool cabinet or the fridge. For long term storage, keep it cold and dark.
Will I get high by using Magic Salve on my skin? No. The salve is very potent, but it does not have any drivers. This means that the cannabinoids remain out of the blood stream and remain in the top layers of the skin and surrounding tissues.
Will I fail a drug test if I use Magic Salve on my skin? No. This salve does contain a potent dose of THC and CBD, but it’s very unlikely to cause a positive detect in a blood or urine test. Here’s a study: Topical application of THC containing products is not able to cause positive cannabinoid finding in blood or urine
What would happen if I ate Magic Salve? Don’t do this. While all the ingredients are safe for oral consumption, I do not recommend consuming it by mouth. You would have a very strong reaction because the cannabinoids in this salve are fully decarboxylated. In other words you’d get very high, and unpredictably so and would stay high for a long time.
Penny Barthel 