The use of herbal tinctures for its therapeutic benefits has been around for many centuries.

In fact, experts estimate that tinctures have been used since the 12th to 17th centuries primarily for teaching medicine. Tinctures are essentially highly concentrated extracts of herbs that are made by soaking up medicinal herbs in oil, alcohol, or vegetable glycerin. Even cannabis indica tinctures could be purchased in pharmacies until the 1920’s, though the use of tinctures declined when pharmacology began using pills to treat illnesses.

However, the use of tinctures are on the rise once again. More people are becoming aware of the benefits of using natural and herbal tinctures, making them a wonderful way to medicate with a variety of herbs especially when one doesn’t have the luxury of time.

Cannabis tinctures are no different. Even though there are numerous ways you can consume marijuana for its medicinal benefits, consuming through tinctures by placing it underneath your tongue has proven to be one of the quickest ways to absorb cannabinoids, terpenes, and other therapeutic compounds in the plant for quick relief. And since cannabidiol (CBD) doesn’t have any psychoactive properties, it has become the medicine of choice for millions of people around the world who need fast-acting and effective relief from a myriad of symptoms including pain, inflammation, insomnia, anxiety, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and so much more.

There are other benefits to using CBD tinctures, aside from the fact that they are concentrated and fast acting – you only need a miniscule amount to feel its benefits. Additionally, CBD tinctures are low in calories and don’t contain other unwanted ingredients like preservatives and additives because they don’t need flavoring. They simply go underneath the tongue to work and don’t have to taste as flavorful as edibles.

Having said that, making your own CBD tinctures at home is so easy. It’s a wonderful way to have full control over all the ingredients that go into these tinctures so that you can medicate yourself and your family whenever needed.

What You’ll Need

Since hemp is federally legal all over the country, buying hemp is the first step to making CBD tinctures. The reason why we choose hemp plants over marijuana is because hemp contains much more CBD than marijuana. In addition, hemp contains under .3% THC, which means you won’t experience any high from it.

Making tinctures is easy, even if you’ve never done so before.

• ¼ ounce hemp flowers

• Parchment paper

• Baking sheet

• Glass jar with lid

• 190-proof Everclear alcohol, or a 200-proof food grade alcohol

• 1 oz. amber glass dropper bottle

• Mesh strainer

• Cheese cloth

• Bowl

*Note: you can also use oil instead of alcohol, and if you decide to use this method, be sure to use equal amounts of decarboxylated hemp to oil, such as 440g of flower to 500ml olive/MCT/coconut oil.

Process

1. Grind the hemp flowers and carefully remove any seeds and stems if you find any.

2. Preheat your oven to 250F to prepare the stash for decarboxylation, which is necessary in order to activate the CBD.

3. Scatter the hemp flower on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.

4. Roast the CBD flowers for 45 minutes, but check on it every 10 minutes or so and turn the flowers around to ensure uniform decarboxylation. The kind of finished texture you are looking for is when the hemp flower easily crumbles when held between your fingers. However, you can opt to decarb for longer, up to 2 hours, if you want even more potent CBD as well as terpene expression.

5. Once done, let the hemp flowers cool for 15 minutes.

6. Place the hemp flowers into the glass jar, and fill it up completely with the alcohol. Ideally, the hemp flowers should fill up around 2/3 of the jar.

7. Seal the lid on tightly, shake it vigorously, then leave it in a cool, dark spot inside your house for 4 weeks. During this time, the alcohol will extract the therapeutic compounds from the hemp flower. Give the bottle a good shake 2-3 times a week while waiting for this process to complete.

8. Once the cure time has finished, pour the tincture through a cheesecloth to separate the flower from the liquid.

9. Pour the tincture into the glass jar with dropper, so that you can simply drop it underneath your tongue whenever needed.

When the tincture is not in use, always keep it in a cool, dry place to ensure a long shelf life.

Using CBD Tinctures

Now it’s time to try your CBD tinctures.

For first-time users, the advise is always to start low and go slow. Start by placing one drop underneath your tongue and observe how you feel for a day. Remember that tinctures are highly concentrated, so a little goes a very long way. You can expect to feel its effects in 2-5 minutes. First-time users should be a in a safe setting, such as your home, that does not require you to drive.

CBD tinctures are also extremely versatile. Aside from placing them underneath your tongue, these are also great vehicles for easily infusing foods and drinks. Have some fun with it by adding a drop or two into your coffee, juices, smoothies, or even into baked goods. You can even add a few drops into other marijuana products, or use this as a base to create your own topicals right at home.

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