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A Guide to CBD Tinctures | What are They and How to Use?

A Guide to CBD Tinctures | What are They and How to Use?
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CBD Tinctures are the most common, popular, and effective way of using CBD. These are pure and concentrated and have an almost immediate effect on the body.

This Guide to CBD Tinctures helps you understand what CBD tinctures are, how they’re made, how to administer their dosage, what are their benefits, and where to buy CBD tinctures in India.

Outline
What are Tinctures?
What are CBD Tinctures?
Types of CBD Tinctures
CBD Oil vs Tinctures
-Ingredients/Base
-Consumption
-Effects
-Taste
How to make CBD Tinctures?
Administering Dosage in CBD Tinctures
How to Use CBD Tinctures?
What is the Effect Onset Time?
Pros & Cons of CBD Tinctures
Side Effects of CBD Tinctures
What medical conditions can CBD Tinctures help with?
What to look for in a CBD Tincture?
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What are Tinctures?

A tincture is typically any plant or animal extract dissolved in ethyl alcohol. Tinctures are concentrated herbal extracts made by soaking berries, leaves, bark, or roots of one or more plants in a solvent such as alcohol or vinegar.

The solvent pulls out the active ingredients from the parts of the plant(s) and concentrates them as a liquid. Some common solvents, apart from ethanol, for producing tinctures are vinegar, diethyl ether, and propylene glycol. However, not all these solvents are good for internal consumption.

The concentration of solvents in tinctures is typically 20% but may range from 25% to 60% going as high as 90% in some cases.

What are CBD tinctures?

CBD tinctures are alcohol-based tinctures where the plant preserved is a high-CBD strain of cannabis (usually hemp). They are a simple and smokeless way to dose CBD. These are produced by steeping a high-CBD source plant in high-proof grain alcohol followed by the application of low heat for a significant period of time.

The active compounds in cannabis infuse into the neutral solvent, the majority of which boils off. This results in a potent liquid capable of delivering the effects of the cannabinoid molecules without the need to smoke them.

A cannabis tincture is also called green dragon.

Making CBD tinctures is quite a simple process which is why it is also a famous DIY project. Usually, one can differentiate between commercial and homemade CBD tinctures.

  1. Commercial CBD Tinctures: a herbal cannabis preparation carried out by a commercial producer for public sale. These commonly contain CBD oil extracted from the hemp or marijuana plant through commercial extraction methods. Commercial tinctures must comply with strict standards for quality, efficiency, purity, and labeling.
  2. Herbal CBD Tinctures: a herbal cannabis preparation that can easily be made at home by dissolving plant material (i.e. flower, leaves, and stem of the hemp plant) in a liquid solvent such as high-proof alcohol or a non-alcoholic carrier liquid such as coconut oil.

Types of CBD Tinctures

Like all other CBD products, CBD tinctures can come from any of the three distinct types of CBD:

  1. Full-spectrum: a tincture that will contain all the cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and molecular compounds within the source plant. In the cases of hemp and cannabis, full-spectrum tinctures will contain the same amount of THC (the high-causing cannabinoid) as present in the source plant.
  2. Broad-spectrum: a tincture that will contain all the cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and molecular compounds within the source plant except THC. After extracting a full-spectrum extract, it is subject to different chemical processes to specifically remove only and only THC (the high-causing component).
  3. CBD Isolate: a tincture that will contain only and only CBD. No other cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, or molecular compounds except CBD are present in this type of tincture. Isolates are the most common types of CBD tinctures in India. It is still important to know these distinctions.

CBD Oil vs CBD Tinctures

One thing CBD consumers must absolutely know is that CBD tincture is not CBD oil. CBD oil results from an extraction procedure that pulls out the oil from the seeds, stalks, and flowers of the plant. In the case of CBD tinctures, we soak the plant in alcohol to create a concentrated form.

To put it simply, a tincture is a result of soaking the cannabis plant in an alcohol and water solution whereas CBD oil refers to plant extracts infused in a carrier oil such as olive or hemp seed oil.

cbd oil vs tinctures
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The CBD tinctures we buy in India mostly stick to an alcohol base whereas the oil has MCT or hemp seed oil as the base.

Ingredients/Base

CBD oil contains some other oil as the base or carrier which are responsible for the dilution of CBD. It, therefore, contains coconut oil, MCT oil, Vegetable glycerine base, or hemp seed oil.

CBD tinctures have an alcohol base. And they might also contain other substances that enhance the flavour and other properties. These include essential oils like lavender or basil, herbs, water, essential vitamins like B12, D, and C.

Consumption

The two most common ways to use CBD oil is topically (by direct application on the skin) or by vaping. The ingestion of CBD tinctures, on the other hand, can occur directly by placing it under the skin or mixing it with food. Both CBD oil and tinctures come with a built-in dropper that makes it easy to administer the dosage. They are both versatile in that dosage can be increased or decreased conveniently.

Effects

Depending on the method of consumption, CBD oil and tincture can take different times to show visible effects. If taken sublingually, the effects will be almost instant. While tinctures are commonly consumed sublingually, oil can be added to food and beverages or applied topically in which case it would take 1-2 hours to show effect.

Taste

Typically, CBD oil has an unpleasant taste. It leaves an oily aftertaste when consumed orally. Tinctures, however, come in different flavours vanilla and lemon being the most common.

How to make CBD Tinctures?

CBD Tinctures are made by soaking a high-CBD source plant into high-proof grain alcohol through the process of steeping. In the case of tinctures, high-proof food-grade alcohol is going to be your best friend. This section understands the choice of solvents and two common methods of preparing tinctures.

Choice of Solvents

  1. Alcohol: Traditionally, tinctures are made with alcohol. The use of alcohol as the solvent results in a potent CBD extract that absorbs highly quickly in the body when taken sublingually. For people who have a sensitivity to alcohol or want to steer clear of it in all possible manners, there are non-alcoholic solvents as well.
  2. Glycerine: Vegetable glycerine is a clear liquid from soy, palm, and/or coconuts. Its lipid structure makes it a great solvent for tinctures. However, glycerine-based tinctures are less potent than alcohol-based tinctures as glycerine is not as effective as alcohol in bonding with cannabis compounds.
  3. Vegetable Oil: Using vegetable oil as the solvent is a simple, easily accessible, and popular alternative. Edible vegetable oils such as olive, sunflower, or coconut can replace alcohol or glycerine as the solvent. The tinctures with vegetable oil as the solvent make an ideal addition to food and drink items.

Decarboxylation

The first step in making tinctures is the decarboxylation of the source plant. Decarboxylation is the process of heating a plant (in this case, cannabis or hemp) at a specific temperature to activate the cannabinoids. In our case, this process transforms the inactive CBD-A into active CBD.

Steeping

Steeping refers to the process of dissolving the plant extract into the solvent. While it sounds complicated, it is the same process we use at our homes while making tea with tea leaves.

There are two typical methods of steeping:

  1. Maceration: this is the most traditional method of making a tincture. It is the slow and simple method. In Maceration, we simply add the plant extract and solvent to an airtight jar and leave it to steep in a cool and dark place. This method typically takes at least 6 weeks for the CBD and the other compounds of cannabis to dissolve into the solvent. Once the soaking is complete, the mixture is strained through a cheesecloth or coffee filter.
  2. Percolation: this is a relatively modern method that speeds up the steeping process. In percolation, we pass the filtered liquid through a porous substance. The plant extract and solvent are first added to an airtight jar. But instead of leaving the jar in a cool, dark place for a long period of time, it is placed into a water bath and brought to a simmer. After simmering it for a definitive period of time and once cool, the mixture is strained using cheesecloth or coffee filter.

Administering Dosage in CBD Tinctures

CBD tincture is a concentrated form of CBD. Therefore, it is designed to be taken in small doses. Unlike in edibles, where the dosage of CBD in each piece is pre-set, in the case of tinctures, users need to calculate the amount of each dosage.

That said, administering dosage in tinctures is not that difficult. Tinctures typically come in glass bottles with a built-in dropper that allows users to take carefully measured quantities of CBD. More often than not, this dropper indicates 1ml of liquid that can be considered as the baseline serving size.

What does strength mean?

When shopping for CBD tinctures, you will often come across labels such as the following on the products.

These are isolate tinctures from 13 Extracts, a CBD brand in India.

Notice how these contain 1000mg, 2000mg, and 3000mg of CBD respectively. This amount of CBD in mg refers to the strength of the tincture.

The number of mg refers to the total absolute amount of CBD in the tincture. This amount determines the amount of CBD you will be consuming in each dosage. Let’s understand with few examples.

  1. A 30ml bottle of 3000mg: this tincture contains 3000mg of CBD in 30ml. If 1ml is the base serving size, then it contains 30/1=30 servings with 3000/30=1000mg of CBD in each.
  2. A 30ml bottle of 2000mg: this tincture contains 2000mg of CBD in 30ml. If 1 ml is the base serving size, then it contains 30/1=30 servings with 2000/30=66.6 mg of CBD in each.
  3. A 20ml bottle of 3000mg: this tincture contains 3000mg of CBD in 20ml. If 1 ml is the base serving size, then it contains 20/1=20 servings with 3000/20=150mg of CBD in each.

In this way, the users can calculate the amount of CBD in each dosage depending on the strength and quantity of the tincture. The strength of the tincture primarily determines the amount of CBD you will be taking with each dosage.

That is why, for beginners it is always recommended to start with small strengths such as 500mg which in a 30ml bottle with 1ml base serving size will contain 30 doses with 500/30=16.6mg of CBD in each.

Typical Serving Size

The serving size varies according to the dosage. So, if you have a 30ml bottle of 3000mg, each 1ml serving will have 3000/30 mg of CBD. That is to say, you’re taking 100mg of CBD with each dosage. If your ideal dosage is 50mg of CBD twice a day, then you fill half a dropper in the morning and the same in the evening.

It is interesting to note that this amount changes when the same 30ml bottle with a 1ml base serving size contains 2500mg of CBD. In that case, each dosage will have 2500/30 i.e. 83.3mg of CBD with each dosage.

How to Use CBD tinctures?

Because CBD tinctures come with a built-in dropper, their consumption is fairly easy. Since the doses are small, tinctures can be administered in a number of ways.

The most common way to take CBD tinctures is sublingual i.e. by placing the tincture under the tongue and letting it absorb for 1-2 minutes. This method is also one of the quickest to show effect since the CBD directly enters the bloodstream and starts interacting with the endocannabinoids.

The next way is to add a dose of tincture to your food or beverage with the help of the dropper. You can easily add them to your pasta, soup, juice, tea, ice creams, salads, and cereal. This method, in comparison to sublingual consumption, takes a little more time to show effect since the CBD first passes through the digestive tract before reaching the bloodstream.

CBD tinctures in India come with a built-in dropper of 1ml base serving size.

What is the Effect Onset Time?

If you take tinctures sublingually, i.e. by direct placement under the tongue, it directly enters the bloodstream. That is to say, you feel the effects within 5-10 minutes and they last for 4-6 hours.

If you add tinctures to your food, they pass through the digestive tract before entering the bloodstream. In this case, the effects can be felt in an hour and last for 6-10 hours.

However, this time may vary according to a person’s individual metabolism, weight, and the medical condition they’re treating if any. These factors affect the absorption rate of CBD.

  1. Body Weight: Theoretically, the more the body weight, the better the absorption rate of CBD. Body weight affects the body’s metabolism. People with more body weight should be able to absorb more CBD, and hold it for longer.
  2. Dosage: A high CBD dosage increases the amount of CBD that can be absorbed in the body. The same holds true to potency, concentration, and purity of a product. However, it is important to remember that this principle does not serve as a green signal to overdose on CBD. While we have no record of a fatal CBD overdose, taking it in excessive amounts can have severe side effects. You can read more about the side effects of CBD here.
  3. Quality: The quality of CBD tinctures is fairly easy to maintain. Since they have little additional ingredients, the bioavailability of CBD is minimally affected. However, it is still important to check a product for third-party lab test report in order to avoid the use and consumption of counterfeit products.
  4. Frequency of Use: Similar to other medicines, CBD needs time to adjust to the body. You need to be sincere and consistent with the dosage of CBD to experience long-term effects.

Pros and Cons of CBD Tinctures

Like all CBD products, tinctures bring along some pros and cons. This section analyses the benefits and downsides of CBD tinctures.

A Guide to CBD Tinctures | What are They and How to Use?
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Pros

  1. Discreet: Tinctures are the most straightforward and discreet way of consuming CBD. They allow you to enjoy the benefits of CBD (or cannabis in the case of cannabis tinctures) without having to bear with the smell and smoke.
  2. Convenient: Tinctures come in pocket-sized glass bottles with a built-in dropper. This makes them really convenient for use and travel. You can easily carry them around in your purse and take whenever necessary.
  3. Fast Effect Onset Time: Tinctures are typically consumed sublingually which allows CBD to quickly enter the bloodstream and interact with the endocannabinoids. Moreover, tinctures are a concentrated form of CBD which provides great effect in a small period of time.
  4. Easy to dose: The built-in dropper makes it really easy to measure the dose and thus administer careful intake.

Cons

  1. Variable Alcohol Content: CBD tinctures are produced by soaking the source plant in alcohol. While product labels provide the relevant information about the content of alcohol present, mislabelling happens and no one can truly account for the content. For those who vary of alcohol or have an insensitivity, this creates inhibitions.
  2. Dosage administration may get messy: As we saw above, different amount of CBD in the same quantity, the same amount of CBD in different quantities, and different amount of CBD in different quantities all contain dissimilar dosages. While the dropper often provides the baseline serving, keeping a count on the amount of CBD in each dosage can get messy for some users.

Side Effects

CBD is generally safe for people of all ages. According to studies, one cannot overdose on CBD and so there is not much to worry about. It is, however, possible to witness some side effects with any kind of CBD product.

Some known side-effects of CBD are:

  1. Nausea: Nausea is a common side effect of CBD. This should not be confused with the intoxicating effects of THC. As you continue to use CBD regularly, the nausea will subside.
  2. Dry Mouth: The presence of THC, even in trace amounts, can cause dry mouth and eyes. CBD can also have the same effect. The best way to deal with this is to hydrate yourself and avoid warm drinks.
  3. GI Infections: CBD has a significant on the gut. Diarrhoea, indigestion, and gastric discomfort are common side-effects of CBD especially for new users. Stay hydrated and eat light.
  4. Drowsiness: Drowsiness is a common side-effect of CBD especially when you alter the dosage. This is not because you’re getting high. It’s just your body reacting to an unfamiliar substance or a higher dosage. It can also be the result of CBD’s interaction with other medicines that you may be taking. More often than not, these side effects imply the intake of a high dose. But if you continue to experience adverse effects, we recommend you consult your medical professional before proceeding.

What medical conditions can CBD Tinctures help with?

Pure and concentrated CBD tinctures are best suited for severe and chronic medical conditions. The most common use of tinctures is to relieve:

  1. Anxiety: CBD incites a sense of calm in the body and thus helps patients with general anxiety disorders cope with overwhelming spirals.
  2. Chronic Pain: CBD reduces inflammation and thus provides relief from joint, bone, and muscle pain. Some pain conditions that CBD can help with include arthritis, MS, spinal cord injuries, and rheumatic disorders.
  3. Seizures: Research suggests that CBD can reduce seizures in conditions such as epilepsy. In fact, in 2018 the FDA approved the first-ever cannabis-derived drug, Epidiolex, for Epilepsy. More research is going on to study the effects of CBD for other seizure disorders as well.
  4. Neurodegenrative Disorders: CBD has neuroprotective properties and can help with disorders such as Alzheimer’s, MS, Parkinson’s etc.
  5. Migraine: Consistent use of CBD tinctures can help reduce migraine pain providing relief in the body.
  6. Insomnia: The relaxing properties of CBD regulate balance and induce a sense of calm and rest in the body. It, therefore, helps with sleeping disorders such as insomnia.

What to look for in a CBD Tincture?

While buying CBD tinctures, especially online, you should consider the following factors:

  1. Type of CBD: is your tincture a full-spectrum, a broad-spectrum, or a CBD isolate?
  2. Strength: how much mg of CBD is present in how much quantity? This will help you calculate the amount of CBD you will be taking with each dosage.
  3. Solvent Concentration: In the case of alcohol-based tinctures, be sure to look for the concentration of alcohol in the entire bottle. The same goes for non-alcoholic tinctures.

Featured Read: What to ask yourself before buying CBD online in India?

CBD Tinctures are the most popular and fastest way of consuming CBD. They have a direct effect on the body and can be pretty effective in relatively smaller doses as well. They are discreet and convenient but might get a little troublesome for beginners. However, with consistent use, you can develop the eye to administer your dosage and enjoy the benefits of CBD.

Buy CBD Oil in India


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One thought on “A Guide to CBD Tinctures | What are They and How to Use?

  1. Healing Essence says:

    Thank you, for this information
    The blog is very informative. looking forward to reading more from you thank you

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