When you decide to use cannabis, you’ll need to choose a method of consumption because the drug can be taken in multiple ways.
The most common delivery methods are smoking weed flowers or preparing edibles. If you’ve already tried a joint, you know it’s effective in getting the drug into your system fast, but it’s not the safest method.
What other options do you have?
Besides edibles and topicals, which aren’t the best means of consuming weed, there are tinctures.
What are Cannabis Tinctures?
Table of Contents
Cannabis tinctures are concentrates extracted from the plant through the use of alcohol, which serves as a solvent. The final product is cannabis infused in alcohol.
Besides alcohol, oil-based cannabis concentrates are also referred to as tinctures. Both of these products come in small bottles with droppers for dosing purposes.
Benefits of Cannabis Tinctures
Each cannabis delivery method has unique benefits, some more than others. Here are the benefits of using tinctures that make it the best way to consume cannabis:
- Tinctures Act Fast
Cannabis tinctures are generally taken sublingually or under the tongue, allowing faster absorption into the bloodstream. In about 15 to 20 minutes after ingesting marijuana in this manner, you should be experiencing the effects of the cannabinoids present.
While tinctures come behind smoking and inhaling from dab rigs when it comes to fast-action, they are just as effective, with the effects lasting quite as long as edibles.
When used topically, the effects can set in just as fast since there are cannabinoid receptors on the skin.
- Safe Delivery Method
What makes smoking and vaping weed risky is the toll they take on your lungs which isn’t much different from what tobacco does. You could develop serious lung complications through smoking weed the same way you would with tobacco.
Tinctures offer a safer delivery method because the drug can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream. You also get to avoid metabolism through the liver, which would happen if you ingest the drug orally.
- Various Consumption Options
Besides the sublingual application, you can take tinctures in other ways that feel most comfortable.
You could add a few drops in food or drinks and take the drug orally, like edibles. The effects may be slower, but they are just as potent.
If you have trouble sleeping, you may not need to look for an Indica-dominant strain to help you sleep. When added to food, the THC in tinctures is converted into a form with sedating effects called 11-hydroxy-THC.
- Precise Dosage
Legal cannabis in tinctures comes already measured with a dropper to dispense exact doses. You won’t have to guess like you would with methods like smoking and even edibles.
Getting the dose right for first-time users is crucial because you don’t know your limits. An experienced user can tell that a single weed cookie or a few puffs are enough for them.
Since you don’t have that knowledge, tinctures allow you to experiment with the doses drop by drop until you reach a comfortable limit that works for you.
- Easy to Prepare
You don’t necessarily have to buy tinctures. Like edibles, cannabis tinctures are easy to prepare, and you can make yours at home.
Make sure you have legal, toxin-free weed. You can buy that from a verified marijuana dispensary near you.
The materials you’ll need for preparation include:
- High-proof alcohol
- A glass jar with a lid
- Ground, decarboxylated weed
- A paper bag
Using the cold extraction method, put the ground, decarboxylated weed in the glass jar, fill it with alcohol, and seal it tight. Place the jar in a paper bag and put it in the freezer. Ensure to shake the jar once every day for four days.
We’ve highlighted how easy it is to make tinctures, but for a more detailed process, you may refer to this Veriheal guide.
- Longer Shelf Life
Both alcohol-based and oil-based tinctures have a long shelf life.
When stored properly in a cool, dark place, tinctures can last for years and still maintain potency.
Remember that direct sunlight, heat, and oxygen can degrade THC, making it lose potency. For longer shelf life, keep your tinctures away from these elements.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, tinctures aren’t as popular as they should be. But it’s worth noting that they are more effective compared to other methods when it comes down to the benefits and the risks.
