Your Expert Guide to Cannabis Tinctures

 

Ancient technologies stay relevant for one reason: they work.

Tinctures, a liquid plant medicine, have been around since at least 1205 when they were first documented. So within that roughly 800-hundred year time frame, cannabis tinctures, after a brief period of criminalization, have made leaps and bounds in their crafting.

Before cannabis prohibition, when doctors prescribed cannabis, it was typically in the form of cannabis infused tinctures. Since legalization, tinctures are still the primary way medicinal cannabis patients use THC or CBD. Tinctures are one of the best ways to benefit from the properties of the various cannabis compounds in the cannabis plant – such as THC, CBD, CBN, and CBG – which are available as isolated tinctures or in a combination. It’s one of the most precise dosage methods and great for anyone who wants the benefits of THC or CBD without smoking cannabis. We’ve put together this guide to help you better understand how tinctures work to help you chose the best cannabis products for your specific needs. When you’re ready to order, we’re happy to help online and in-store.

What is a tincture, and how does it work?

A cannabis tincture is produced in the same way as other herbal tinctures. Plant matter sits in a base liquid, such as oil, for a few days until the beneficial qualities of the cannabis plant absorb into the liquid. The base extracts the terpenes and cannabinoids–the chemical compounds that give cannabis flavor and effects. The plant matter is then strained out, and the remaining liquid can be used for sublingual consumption. This process differs from extracting smokable oils, so tinctures and smokable cannabis oils cannot be consumed interchangeably. There are three types of tinctures.

  • Cannabis tinctures are made from plants with low CBD-to-THC ratios. Cannabis tinctures preserve the qualities of the plants used for the cannabis extract so that the resulting cannabis oils will have a high percentage of THC with a low percentage of CBD. All cannabis tinctures will have small amounts of both CBD and THC, although the ratios vary. THC-dominant tinctures produce more of a high than CBD tincture, although the exact effects depend on the strain used.

  • CBD tinctures are generally extracted from Hemp since most cannabis plants have large amounts of THC. CBD tinctures are legal in the United States even where cannabis is not legal so long as it contains less than 0.3% THC. CBD tinctures provide many medicinal benefits without the high. There are vastly different levels of quality within CBD tinctures. Full-spectrum CBD oil, which generally contains THC amounts over the federally legal level, tends to be the most effective. If you’re looking for CBD tincture, here are a few we recommend.

  • Cannabis tinctures with both THC and CBD are the most common since it is often difficult to isolate the two compounds when you make cannabis tinctures, especially a full-spectrum product (one that seeks to preserve the most qualities of the cannabis plant as possible). However, cannabis tinctures have varying ratios of CBD to THC. The higher the percentage of THC, the more of a high the cannabis tincture will produce, whereas ratios that favor CBD will not have as intense of a high. It is essential to check the labels on all your cannabis tincture products or consult with one of our cannabis concierges if you are unsure which of our cannabis products are suitable for you.

What are the benefits of using a cannabis tincture?

  • Convenience – You can easily incorporate cannabis tinctures into your everyday life by adding a few drops to a beverage or taking them directly under your tongue.

  • Discretion – Tinctures are packaged in glass bottles with droppers that look just like any nutritional supplement. Plus,there is little to no cannabis smell or taste present, making it an excellent option for anyone looking to fly high under the radar.

  • Smoke-free option- While many people are curious about the benefits of cannabis,  not everyone wants to smoke or vape. Tinctures are a great alternative to edibles for faster onset and more subtle effects.

  • Fewer calories - Many edibles are high in calories, while tinctures have little to no calories.

  • No food allergens - Edibles also often contain allergens or ingredients like gelatin that people with dietary restrictions may not want to consume. Most tinctures have only two ingredients–oil and cannabis.

  • Precise dosing– Tinctures are packaged in glass bottles with quarter droppers so that, unlike edibles, you can customize how much you’d like to take each time. 

  • Possibly faster onset– Since tinctures are consumed sublingually rather than digested in the stomach like edibles, they often have a faster onset and more subtle effects.

How to Use or Take Cannabis Tinctures

Tinctures are packaged in glass bottles with a quarter dropper, just like many other medicines and nutritional supplements. So you can customize the dosage using the measurements on the dropper. You can consume the tincture directly by placing it under your tongue or infused into a drink or sauce. When you use it sublingually, it’s absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Unlike other cannabis consumption methods, it bypasses the stomach and liver, making it easier on your digestive system, and has a faster onset and more subtle effects. Still, as with all cannabis, when determining dosage, it’s best to start with a small dose and wait thirty minutes to an hour to see how you feel before taking any more.


How long does it take to feel a THC tincture?

The effects will be the fastest if consumed directly under the tongue. Results can be felt as quickly as 15 to 30 minutes after sublingual consumption if left to sit under the tongue for 30 seconds or more (rather than swallowed immediately). If it is mixed in with foods, beverages, or otherwise ingested rather than placed under the tongue, onset times vary and are more comparable to a regular edible. 


What is a High THC Tincture?

Tincture dosage varies considerably based on multiple variables, including the ratio of THC to CBD, the overall amount of THC, your tolerance level, and your desired experience. We put together this dosage guide to help you find the right amount for your needs, or feel free to contact us anytime with questions via the hummingbird hotline. 

On the high end of recreational use, a cannabis tincture bottle can contain 500mg of THC, and on the low end, closer to 100mg of THC. For context, on average, a single gummy edible has 5 mg of THC. But remember, the bottle is not intended to be consumed at once, and you can decide how much THC you want to consume by adjusting the dosage of your cannabis tincture. 

Knowing what type of cannabis tincture is right for you

If you’re ready to try a tincture, here are some steps to selecting the right one.

Conclusion

Cannabis tinctures are one of the original ways of consuming plant medicine, and they’ve stayed popular this long because they work. They’re smoke-free and import all the benefits of cannabis without producing as strong of a high as other consumption methods. Plus, they’re discrete and can be mixed into foods as long as they are not cooked at high temperatures. Farnsworth Fine Cannabis carries several premium products of varying strengths and THC: CBD ratios for everyone’s needs, and we’d love to help you choose the right product. 



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Esther Hershkovits