Marijuana Tincture: Your Complete Guide

Are you ready to try something that might be the most noncontroversial way of consuming cannabis ever? Try a marijuana tincture. “Why would I want to do that,” you inquire. Tinctures have been called the least appreciated of all marijuana products by some people.

Some people may think that sofa seats are second-rate because there aren’t as many fun — and potentially punishable — reefer rituals associated with their use. However, this isn’t the case at all.

Tinctures are often overshadowed by raw flowers, joints, blunts, bongs, edibles and dabs – even though they work just as well…or sometimes better.

Yes, you read correctly. For a lot of people, tinctures are more effective than other methods of consuming cannabis, including creams, pills, gummies, and dissolvable strips. It all comes down to what you need from your marijuana and how you prefer to take it.

We’re going to share three Marijuana tincture recipes that have been proven to work, but first let’s take a look at the history of marijuana tinctures.

The Basic Science Of Tinctures

Though we won’t go too deep into the science, here are a few key scientific facts that will help you understand tinctures better.

Chemical Composition

Tinctures are cannabis extracts made using an alcohol concentration of 25-60 percent. This creates a solution that is 50-120 proof, but some tinctures can have up to 90 percent (180 proof) alcohol.

Alcohol is the most common solvent because it efficiently breaks down both acidic and basic components of plants. For example, in a cannabis tincture, this means that more cannabinoids will end up in your bottle.

The finished tincture can then be consumed internally as a vinegar or glycerin solution (a.k.a. glycerol) is effective in removing all of the chemicals from the plant material, but they aren’t as efficient as alcohol when it comes to extracting everything from it.

Production

Tinctures are made by combining two substances, similar to how sugar is dissolved in water or Kool-Aid mix is added to water. The solid ingredient breaks down and becomes liquid, transferring its chemical makeup into the solution.

This process is similar when making a tincture, only with different ingredients. The alcohol in the tincture dissolves the plant matter and all of the chemicals it contains (such as trichomes, cannabinoids, oils, terpenes, etc.). This creates a solution (similar to how Kool-Aid mix suspends in water) that can be ingested or administered under the tongue.

The Benefits Of Marijuana Tincture

Marijuana tinctures boast a plethora of advantages, which we’ll explore throughout this article. To give you an idea of potentional marijuana benefits, here are a THC tincture’s effects on pleasure and a CBD tincture’s alleviation of pain:

• You feel the effects quickly
• You can easily control the amount of tincture you take
• Marijuana tinctures are discreet (meaning you don’t have to worry about standing out)
• Tinctures are safe
• Tinctures have a long shelf life when stored properly

To get a psychoactive high, of course you would only use THC tincture (although THC does have some pain-relieving qualities). However, if you make a CBD tincture, the benefits increase exponentially. That’s because CBD tinctures can be used to cure:

• Low appetite
• Insomnia
• Nausea and vomiting
• Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)
• Inflammation
• Psoriasis
• Chronic pain
• Artery blockage
• Psychosis
• Bacterial growth
• Anxiety
• Cancer cell growth
• Convulsions
• Bone degeneration
• Seizures
• Muscle spasms

When you mix the above advantages with the fact that this tincture is safe, speedy-working, and easy to take correctly, you have a potent solution for medical relief from tough symptoms.

Does Marijuana Tincture Cause Side Effects?

The short answer is: It all depends. You’ll get the same negative effects as smoking a doobie if you use a THC tincture (nervousness, hunger, and so on).

The benefits of CBD oil may be experienced without any negative side effects. CBD does lead to dry mouth, but many people believe it is worth the minor price in order to receive all of the medical advantages that the cannabinoid has to offer.

The only other thing to note is that CBD decreases your liver’s ability to process other drugs. That’s not a problem if you replace one medication with a CBD medication.

However, if you take CBD supplements along with other heart medicines, the CBD will counteract their effectiveness. That’s not good. Always talk to your doctor about adding CBD to your everyday routine since there may be potential interactions.

Taking Marijuana Tinctures

One of the most significant advantages of a tincture is that it is quite simple to consume. Drops of tincture solution are extracted with an eyedropper syringe under your tongue, and the mixture is allowed to seep into your circulation (not swallowed).

Osmosis is the process where molecules of a solvent (in this case, ethanol with all its cannabis chemicals) pass through a semipermeable membrane (like the tissue under your tongue), from an area of low concentration to one of high concentration. This happens in order to equalize the concentrations on both sides of said membrane.

Are Marijuana Tinctures Right For You?

Osmosis through the sublingual artery is an ideal way to medicate for patients with stomach pain from conditions like ulcers, hyperactive gut, coeliac disease, and other digestion issues that would make eating less desirable.

Cannabis smoke has not been connected to any form of cancer, although cannabis tinctures taken sublingually are, of course, preferable for individuals who are concerned about the health hazards of inhaling any type of smoke into their lungs.

Tinctures are also useful for those who are too sick, old, or young to properly smoke or vape cannabis. Tinctures allow individuals of all ages to reap the health benefits of cannabis.

Tinctures are also popular among seasoned smokers, who appreciate them as a discreet recreational high that you may enjoy in most social situations without drawing the same attention to yourself as if you were smoking a big blunt in the middle of a crowd.

The potent smell of cannabis is often a beacon for people, which can be advantageous or disadvantageous depending on the location.

Because tinctures only require a quick two or three drops under your tongue, they are much less attention-grabbing than other methods like smoking a joint. Tinctures also don’t create any telltale smells. In 20 seconds or less you can get the psychoactive high or medicinal benefits you desire without any of drawbacks.

When Will You Feel The Effects?

The euphoric or medicinal effects from a tincture will occur somewhat slower than if you smoked the weed, but much faster than an edible of the same strain. You should feel the impacts of two to three drops under your tongue within about 15 minutes.

Tinctures, on the other hand, are far more user-friendly. They provide a more reliable method of self-dosing because they eliminate the need to grind and soak cannabis buds before using them in cooking or baking. This is why tinctures are superior to edibles in terms of trial and error when it comes to determining the proper amount of cannabis required for your endocannabinoid system to function properly.

This “try-and-see” method is also known as titration. Because it’s easier to say than, “the process of trial and error by which you determine the appropriate quantity of cannabis for your particular endocannabinoid system to feel fantastic,” this phrase is frequently used by experts.

What do all of these words have in common? Why write 26 words when you can just say one and convey the same meaning? Now is the time to start using the word titration.

To Swallow Or Not To Swallow?

Although swallowing your tincture won’t cause any harm, you’ll want to hold it under your tongue if you’re looking to reap the full benefits of sublingual absorption.

However, when the delta-9-THC in your tincture enters your stomach, it is changed to 11-Hydroxy-THC in the liver. This can take anywhere from one hour to two hours or more depending on your metabolism.

Marijuana edibles are processed with a specific machine to preserve the potency of the cannabis ingredients. As a result, they take longer to feel the effects than other types of edibles. They may also differ somewhat because of 11-Hydroxy-THC’s presence.

Ingested marijuana, specifically 11-Hydroxy-THC according to The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), can produce effects that are up to four times stronger than inhaling Delta-9-THC. However, Jay R. Cavanaugh Ph.D., suggests that it actually takes much more oral cannabis, somewhere between four and ten times as much in order to feel similar effects..

Please do not swallow the tincture or it will most likely take much longer for it to work. Allow the tincture solution to dissolve under your tongue for approximately 30 seconds.

When you take a tincture, you’re also ingesting alcohol — albeit very little — even though it’s just a drop. In addition to the alcohol, your tincture will be about 60% THC. That’s a lot of marijuana!

Because cannabis and alcohol have a similar chemical makeup, they can complement each other quite nicely. Because THC and alcohol have a comparable chemical structure, combining them might be rather dangerous. Start small with your tincture titration; get a feel for how strong your medicine is and then gradually increase the amount.

Recommended Dosing

If you are new to cannabis consumption, we recommend starting with two or three drops at a time and waiting for at least an hour and a half before consuming more.

The oil takes 30 to 60 minutes to be absorbed into your bloodstream, providing the cannabinoids time to travel through your body and be properly processed.

You should be able to determine how much tincture you received will impact your body and mind after an hour and a half. We recommend waiting another hour before attempting another does until you have some tincture titration expertise.

You should wait at least one hour before consuming edibles. This allows your body to empty its system so you’re not introducing new THC (or CBD) on top of existing THC.

Taking All The Tincture In

Tinctures have long been used as a time-tested marijuana practice in this country and across the world before made it more difficult for us to obtain our medicine. Because tinctures are effective than edibles at delivering precise, proportional doses of cannabis to novice patients, they’re making a comeback in today’s cannabis industry.

Make sure to leave your tincture drops under your tongue for around 30 seconds before swallowing so that they can enter your circulation and provide a strong body high.

Tinctures are inexpensive and sold at any dispensaries. The traditional method of making tincture takes about a month, but the hot dragon method is much faster.

If you’re interested in trying the cold method, we recommend it first since it’s quicker and less effort on your part. Tinctures can take a little while to make otherwise. Enjoy!