By Terry Hacienda, The Fresh Toast
While not the most popular form of ingestion, tinctures can be an easy and fun way to absorb weed or CBD…here is how to find the right one.
Flower, vapes and gummies are the most popular way to consume cannabis. But there are other ways to consume which fits the situation. A marijuana tincture is a concentrated liquid extract of the plant. There can be THC or CBD oil tinctures. They can be used by placing the liquid directly on the tongue/in the mouth or it can be added to food. They can be fast acting and another way to consume without smoking. This can be especially beneficial for medical marijuana patients who have nausea and/or can not smoke.
Tinctures are made by soaking the bark, berries, leaves (dried or fresh), or roots from one or more plants in alcohol or vinegar. The alcohol or vinegar pulls out the active ingredients in the plant parts, concentrating them as a liquid. Selecting and buying an oil tincture depends on many factors like how are you consuming. Other ones include:
THC or CBD?
1:1 ratio or different ratio?
Terpene enriched or not?
With flavor or without?
How many milligrams per dose?
Does the extraction method matter?
Do added ingredients matter?
Here are things to consider.
THC Tincture VS CBD Tincture
Generally, if shopping online, the CBD options will be CBD from hemp. THC in amounts more than 0.3%, are not allowed to be sold online because of legality. Hemp CBD is legal if THC is tested and is less than 0.3%.
If you are looking for a THC tincture, even the best CBD tincture may not be right if a THC high is the goal. THC and CBD are both great but are very different. If in a legal cannabis state and looking for THC, you’ll find the best oil tincture selection at a cannabis dispensary.
The same is true for someone who wants a CBD tincture. When shopping for THC free CBD, a full spectrum product will not be best. What’s best may be a broad-spectrum and/or isolate CBD tincture.
Cannabis Ratio’s
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Cannabis ratios for oil tinctures look like: 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, and so on. These ratios generally tell how much CBD to THC is in the product. Here are examples of ratios you may find on oil tinctures:
1:1 — a balanced half and half of CBD and THC. Still psychoactive.
4:1 — More CBD than THC and considered a middle/mid. Less psychoactive.
8:1 — High CBD, low THC and considered the ratio for wanting virtually no high.
Someone may recommend a 1:1 product; however, if you want zero THC, that 1:1 will not be a good choice for you.
Cannabis Spectrums
Generally, tinctures are available in different spectrums when CBD is the focus: full, broad, isolate, and nano. These spectrums determine the range of cannabinoids in the tincture:
Full Spectrum: Contain all of the compounds that the plant carries: the terpenes, essential oils, and cannabinoids- including THC.
Broad Spectrum: The “in between” option of isolate and full spectrums- Broad spectrum will have most of the plant’s compounds but in this spectrum, THC is removed.
Isolate: Known as the purest form it extracts a single compound and “isolates it” from the others. Isolate removes all other compounds leaving just the CBD cannabinoid.
Nano: The water-soluble option- meaning, it dissolves in water.
Terpene Enriched Oil Tinctures
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Terpenes are the oil compounds responsible for the fragrance of the cannabis plant (and many other plants) as well as the flavors, effects, and colors. There are over 20,000 terpenes in existence. The cannabis plant produces about 100 of them.
Terpenes are important since they contribute to the impact each cannabinoid has on the body. Knowing the terpene profile within the cannabis oil tincture is an important consideration.
Here are a few popular terpenes and their said effects:
Myrcene: anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibiotic, sedative, anti-mutagenic
Limonene: elevated mood, stress relief, anti-fungal, antibacterial
Linalool: pain reducer, anti-microbial, reduces anxiety, and lowers depression
Humulene: fights tumors, helps terminate cancer cells, antibacterial, anti-fungal
Oil Tinctures with Added Ingredients
Some cannabis oil tinctures are flavored, contain essential oils, and have added carrier agents. CBD in tincture is less potent than CBD oil. This is generally because of the other ingredients being added to enhance the flavor. Some of those ingredients include: herbs, sweeteners, vitamins, and carrier agent like MCT or coconut oil.
A little research will makes a huge difference when it comes to tinctures.
The Fresh Toast is a daily lifestyle platform with a side of cannabis. For more information, visit www.thefreshtoast.com.
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