Whether you’re totally new to cannabis or if you’re looking for ways to cut down or quit smoking all together, the choices can seem a little daunting, confusing and overwhelming.
But when it comes to cannabis tinctures, you’ve got the ingestion method that is simple, easy and clear.
Tinctures are quickly becoming a more popular alternative to smoking (which is fine occasionally but can irritate the lungs and throat) or edibles (which may be tricky to dose and unpredictable).
I understand that when you start moving away from smoking or recreational use and begin exploring cannabis as a health or wellness tool, things can get complicated.
Whether you just want a new tool your cannabis toolbox, want to quit smoking altogether, or want more control over your experience, here are the 5 benefits to using cannabis tinctures:
[note: This post is part of our series on ingestion methods. You can also explore the benefits of edibles, topicals, and other alternatives to smoking cannabis.]
1. Cannabis Tinctures are Easy to Dose
Dosage is one of the most common questions we get here at Wake + Bake. While everyone’s ideal dose is different, exploring dosage is easiest with tinctures.
Outside of smoking, tinctures are the easiest to dose.
The effects don’t last as long as edibles but last longer than smoking, so it’s easy to find a dose that works for you. Great for beginners or for anyone wanting to explore more controlled dosing.
This is especially helpful when using THC dominant tinctures.
With non-intoxicating cannabinoids like CBD and CBG effects are less noticeable, but I’ve found that taking smaller doses of those throughout the day seems to work better than taking a lot all at once.
The effects of cannabis tinctures last up to 4 hours so it’s easy to find a dose that works, but doesn’t wear off as soon as you reach your “goldilocks zone”.
If you take too much, the effects fade more quickly than edibles.
2. They’re Fast Acting
When used sublingually (held under the tongue), tinctures can come into full effect in 15-30 minutes.
After that time period passes, you’ll have a good idea if you’re getting the effects you want or if more is necessary.
You can step up gradually from there or use less for the next dose.
If you swallow it right away it can take as long as a regular edible, so be patient and you’ll see results more quickly.
3. Cannabis Tinctures are Easy to Make
You don’t need to be a chemistry major to make homemade tinctures.
It’s a simple 3 step process that takes less than a couple of hours.
All you need is a mason jar, alcohol or MCT Oil and plant material.
You can find our most popular basic tincture recipes here:
Or experiment with custom herbal blends in my latest cookbook Wake + Bake.
4. They are Endlessly Customizable
Non alcoholic? Sure.
CBD with some CBG? Go for it.
What if you want to add other herbs to complement “the herb”?
Do it! Use the ingredients and cannabinoids that work best for you.
Because they’re so easy to make and dose, once you fall for tinctures, you’ll be in love for life. And that love never has to lose its spark.
You can completely customize your effects by adding other herbs, balancing the ratios of your cannabinoids, and trying new methods.
Or you can pick a method and formula that works for you and stick with old faithful.
5. They could save you money
Like all things on this blog, my goal is always to help folks save money and get healthier by using methods that work.
My hope is that you’ll be using those savings to invest in higher quality organic and local ingredients (when possible) or to nab cool tools that make your journey with cannabis easier and more fun.
Because you’re not lighting your plant material on fire, lower doses go further.
So even at dispensary prices, you can sometimes save money by using tinctures.
But let’s be real, sometimes a trip to a dispensary feels more like highway robbery.
By making your own tinctures, you can avoid high dispensary prices and control your ingredients.
I promise… it’s not hard.
I walk you through the whole process in Dazed + Infused or you can check out my post on tincture basics here:
Cannabis Recipes and Tutorials
Questions, comments? Fire em away below.
While we can’t answer every question individually, we put them on the docket for future blog posts and publish them so other community members can help.
P.S. This post was part of our series on ingestion methods. You can also explore the benefits of edibles, topicals, and other alternatives to smoking cannabis.
