5 Reasons For Trying Cannabis Tinctures Instead of Oil

Tinctures are easily transported, simple to make at home, and bring rapid relief of symptoms.

With  legalization trends sweeping across the globe, patients are interested in trying different methods of consumption. Each method has its own efficacy and your condition could dictate the best method for you: vaping, nebulizer, medibles, inhaler, tincture, etc. Tinctures are fast becoming a popular choice for many reasons. Read on to find your reason:

Offers a Discreet Method of Consumption

Tinctures are not particularly aromatic and can be carried in a small vial for the purpose of day use while you are out and about.

Low Calorie

Tinctures, as compared to edibles (gummies and cookies) and oils, contain fewer calories. There is no sugar and no fat. Tinctures are an alcohol-based medicine that is taken under your tongue (sublingually).

Speedy Onset of Relief

The region below the tongue (sublingual) is well supplied with blood vessels. This means that cannabis drops placed here get directly into the bloodstream and you will feel medicinal benefit shortly after consuming.

Safe for Children

Tinctures can be made without decarboxylation, meaning that they will contain cannabinoids in their ‘raw’ form and will not be psychoactive.

Accurate Dosing

Tinctures allow you to easily monitor the number of drops that you are consuming. This allows you to find the therapeutic dosage (the dose that treats your condition) without waste.

Cost Effective and Convenient

You do not require any fancy gadgets, such as vape kits or dab kits, to use tinctures. All you need is a metered dropper and you are good to go.

As much as tinctures are rising in popularity, cost of purchasing the pre made tincture can be prohibitive, ranging from $60 to $150 per bottle. That being said, you only need a few drops per dose, so that money goes a long way. You can save money by making your own tincture.

DIY Tincture with This Recipe

The potency of the tincture will depend on the quality of bud and its cannabinoid concentration. So, make sure to spend your money well on a good strain. For the tincture base, go for a naturally flavorless alcohol, such as grape. Purchasing in bulk can lend greater affordability.

1. GRIND the herb to increase the surface area and spread it in a baking tray. According to a recent research , decarboxylation is optimal at 230 degrees Fahrenheit and should take about 45 minutes. Make sure you turn the ground flower half way through. The heating process converts THCa, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, into THC, a psychoactive component. It also converts CBDa to CBD and activates  all of the other medicinal cannabinoids into their active forms.
2. After decarboxylation, the next step is to MIX the cannabis with alcohol in a ratio of 1:5 (one part cannabis to five parts alcohol). The alcohol should completely submerge the cannabis.
3. COVER the jar and let it sit for at least two weeks. Each day SHAKE the jar and then leave it to settle.

After the two weeks, STRAIN and store in a dark colored bottle. It must be kept away from direct sunlight in order to improve shelf life and prevent degrading THC into CBN.

Benefits of Using Alcohol to Make Cannabis Medicine

Alcohol is a good base because it acts as a preservative and helps your body absorb the cannabis more efficiently.

NOTE: But you can also use vegetable glycerin as a base if you need to avoid alcohol, but the glycerin will not keep as well as alcohol, so use smaller batches.

It’s good to use a metered dropper as this will allow you to measure the dose and administer it sublingually (under your tongue). Alternatively, you can place a few drops into food or a beverage. This alternate method must bypass the stomach first, however, which will result in a less powerful medicinal response.

Many Patients Successfully Treat with Tinctures

THC has shown great results in the treatment of various medical conditions. This option, however, is not available to all patients. In regions where only CBD is allowed, patients are able to still access quick relief using CBD-based tinctures.

With DIY tinctures, you can also choose not to decarboxylate the cannabis, so it will lack the psychoactive components. THCa, for example, is effective against nausea, pain, and inflammation.

Finally, non-psychoactive tinctures are suitable for children as they are simple to administer and require no fancy gadgets.  Also, considering the rapid onset of tinctures when taken sublingually, they come in handy when you need to control pain or stop seizures.

Tinctures are a versatile format for cannabis medicine. Have you tried one?