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An Introduction to Cannabis Tinctures
In this Introduction to Cannabis Tinctures we will explain what cannabis tinctures are, how they work, and what kinds are available.
With so many cannabis products to choose from, it can be hard to decide what to purchase. Some people prefer flower while others may prefer edibles or topicals. Many people enjoy the benefits of tinctures. Tinctures have been around in medicine for a very long time. Our introduction to cannabis tinctures covers what tinctures are. We’ll also discuss how they’re different from cannabis oils.
What Cannabis Tinctures Are
Cannabis tinctures are cannabis concentrates. They get extracted from the cannabis flower and infused into an alcohol. Tinctures themselves are not just used in cannabis medicine. They’re also used in modern pharmaceutical medicine and traditional medical practices. Tinctures are a medicine made by dissolving any sort of drug in alcohol. Because of the ease of this process, cannabis tinctures were one of the most common forms of cannabis medicine in the United States. That is, before cannabis became illegal.
How Cannabis Tinctures Work
Tinctures are typically consumed sublingually, by dropping them under your tongue. This allows the cannabinoids, like THC or CBD, to be absorbed and distributed directly into your bloodstream. This skips the need to be processed through your liver and digestion system like with edibles. Because tinctures skip the digestion process, the onset of effects is usually much quicker. It averages within the first hour of consumption, to as early as 15 minutes after your first dose.
This rapid onset of effects is one of the benefits to choosing tinctures over other cannabis products. They’re also easier to measure the dose than cannabis flower since they come in bottles with measured droppers, to make sure you get an accurate dose every time. Another benefit to tinctures is how discrete they are to consume. Most bottles are small enough to fit in your pocket or purse, making them convenient to carry with you. All it takes is a quick drop under the tongue with the dropper and you’re covertly on your way to symptom relief, without any smoke or other accessories required.
Other Ways to Consume Cannabis Tinctures
Since tinctures are made of an alcohol base, they can sting under the tongue a bit, but that’s normal. If you’re not a fan of the feeling, you can always add your cannabis tincture to foods or drinks. Dropping a few drops into your favorite food or beverage can be a great way to disguise the taste, although a lot of tinctures are flavored to taste well. The only drawback to adding them to your food, is not skipping the digestion process like when you drop it under your tongue, so consuming your tincture with food or drink will delay how fast you feel the effects of the medicine.
With the ease of consumption, quick onset of effects, and high level of discretion, cannabis tinctures are a great choice for you if you’re new to cannabis, not interested in smoking, or if you just want to get quick relief without anyone else knowing you’re consuming cannabis. Talk to one of our patient care specialists about the tinctures we carry, and let us help you find the best tincture for you.