Short answer

Making RSO at home with a flammable solvent carries two main risks: fire and solvent poisoning. Open-air evaporation of ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, or naphtha in a kitchen has caused house fires and burns. The safer route is to buy lab-tested RSO from a licensed store. If you extract at home, use a closed-loop system and a vacuum purge chamber, work outdoors, and keep ignition sources at least 25 feet (7.6 m) away.

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What RSO is

RSO stands for Rick Simpson Oil. It is a full-spectrum cannabis extract. The method: soak decarboxylated cannabis flower in a solvent, strain out the plant matter, then evaporate the solvent. What stays behind is a thick, dark tar. THC content in finished RSO runs from about 50% to 80%. Cannabinoid levels change with strain, solvent, purge time, and heat.

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Why the home method is dangerous

Solvent vapor is the hazard, not the liquid.

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  • Ethanol flash point: about 13 °C (55 °F). Isopropyl alcohol: about 12 °C (53 °F). Naphtha ignites at lower temperatures.
  • Vapor is heavier than air. It pools at floor level and moves to water heaters, pilot lights, and refrigerators.
  • A spark from a light switch or a phone can ignite a vapor cloud.
  • Incomplete purge leaves solvent in the oil. Solvent residue can cause headache, dizziness, and nausea. High exposure can damage the liver and nerves.
  • Cannabis flower can carry mold, pesticides, and heavy metals. Solvent and heat do not remove them. They concentrate in the oil.

Rules if you still extract

  1. Work outdoors or in a dedicated room with cross-ventilation and no ignition sources within 25 feet.
  2. No stove, no open flame, no hot plate with an exposed element.
  3. Use a closed-loop extractor with a pressure relief valve. Or use a vacuum purge chamber rated for solvent work.
  4. Store solvent in an approved safety can. Ground metal containers and bond them during transfer.
  5. Wear nitrile gloves, sealed goggles, and a respirator with organic vapor cartridges.
  6. Keep a Class B fire extinguisher within reach. Class B covers flammable liquids.
  7. Never heat a sealed jar. Never use a microwave.

Steps

Timeline: about 4 to 8 hours of work, plus purge time.

How to Start with a Small Dosage of RSO

  1. Decarboxylate. Spread ground flower on a tray. Heat at 105 °C (220 °F) for 40 minutes. THC acid converts to THC.
  2. Freeze flower and solvent for 24 hours. Cold solvent pulls less chlorophyll.
  3. Cover flower with solvent in a sealed vessel. Soak 3 to 5 minutes. Agitate for 1 minute.
  4. Strain through a coffee filter into a second vessel.
  5. Repeat the wash once for higher yield.
  6. Evaporate. Use a vacuum purge at 38 to 46 °C (100 to 115 °F). Fit a cold trap between the chamber and the pump. This step takes 4 to 12 hours.
  7. Purge until no solvent odor remains. Odor is a weak test. A lab panel is the real test.

Testing

Send 1 gram to a cannabis lab. Ask for potency, residual solvents, pesticides, and microbials. State programs set residual solvent limits, often in the parts per million range. Without a panel, you do not know what is in the oil.

Dosing

Potency varies by batch. Weigh portions on a 0.001 g scale. A 10 mg THC dose equals about 14 mg of a 70% oil. RSO is thick at room temperature. Warm the syringe in your hand to move it. Start with 1 mg to 2 mg of THC and wait 2 hours before the next dose.

Legal notes

RSO is a cannabis concentrate. In the US, rules follow state law. Some states limit concentrate sales or require a medical card. Federal law lists cannabis as a Schedule I substance. Check your state rules before you buy solvent or make oil.