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- Tinctures are highly concentrated herbal extracts that are swallowed or absorbed under the tongue.
- CBD tinctures can reduce anxiety, treat epilepsy, and relieve pain.
- THC tinctures improve sleep, reduce muscle spasms, treat chemo-induced nausea, and relieve pain.
- Visit Insider's Health Reference library for more advice.
Before there were pharmaceuticals, herbal medicines were widely used to treat disease and maintain health. And tinctures were a common form of those herbal medicines back in the day.
In fact, they're "one of the oldest preparations of medicine known to man," says Jeff Chen, MD, Founder of the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative and co-founder and CEO of Radicle Science.
Today, cannabis tinctures are a popular method for consuming marijuana products – whether it's for medicinal purposes like pain relief or you're just looking for a quick high.
Depending on your goals, you may be looking for a CBD tincture or a THC tincture. Either way, how you take it (and how you make it) can have an effect on how you feel.
What is a tincture?
Tinctures are liquid, highly-concentrated herbal extracts known made by soaking herbs in alcohol, vegetable glycerin, or oil.
They're easy to produce and have a long shelf life, making them a convenient option for cannabis consumption, particularly for people who want to use marijuana but aren't interested in smoking.
Edibles and tinctures are both ingested orally, which means they travel through the body and pass through the liver before reaching the bloodstream, causing a delayed onset of effects, usually about 30 minutes to an hour. However, if you place a tincture under the tongue, it will bypass the liver and be absorbed directly into the bloodstream.
"In contrast, when you inhale cannabis products, it enters your lung and goes directly into your bloodstream and the effects are immediate," Chen says.
Tinctures are measured with droppers. This allows you the freedom to slowly build and customize your dose, from 2.5 mg to 10 mg to 20 mg and so on, depending on your needs.
There are multiple kinds of tinctures:
- Industrial hemp tinctures are made with a high concentration of cannabidiol (aka CBD). They contain less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (aka THC) so they are unlikely to give you the feeling of being "high." These are federally legal.
- Marijuana tinctures contain more than o.3% THC, with the point of providing psychoactive effects. These are legal in some states, but not all.
"Depending on how much of the main ingredients are present, the stronger the edible or tincture will be," says Jordan Talley, MD, Chief Medical Advisor at Spero CBD.
How to make a tincture
Before making a tincture, familiarize yourself with the law. Industrial hemp is legal in the United States, but marijuana is federally illegal and can only be used in certain states. Check your local laws before obtaining marijuana and use it at your own discretion.
To make a tincture you'll need:
- An herb grinder
- An oven
- Marijuana or hemp flower
- Food-grade alcohol (ethanol)
- A filter
- A jar with a tight-fitting lid
- A medicine dropper
How to use tincture
Cannabis tinctures are dosed using a dropper and can be taken sublingually (absorbed underneath the tongue) or mixed into foods or drinks.
"Your absorption of the cannabinoids will differ if you are ingesting the tincture by itself versus mixed into food," Chen says. "Generally, you will absorb more cannabinoids if you are adding it to food, or if you have recently eaten."
Because there are no established guidelines for dosing cannabis, Chen says to consult with your doctor and start with a low dose. Canadian medical cannabis company Tilray recommends starting with a 2.5mg dose and then slowly increasing until you feel the desired effect. If you start to feel uncomfortable side effects like paranoia, you may have taken too much and should use a lower dose going forward.
Research suggests cannabis tinctures can help with a variety of medical conditions, depending on if it's a CBD or THC tincture:
Insider's takeaway
Tinctures are a popular way to consume cannabis and can be made at home with just a few ingredients. When using a marijuana tincture, start with a small amount and slowly build up your dose to avoid uncomfortable side effects like anxiety, paranoia, and increased heart rate.