Alcohol Tincture
THC, CBD and the other cannabinoids and terpines cannot be dissolved in water. However, they are soluble in alcohol.
Ethanol, grain alcohol made from plants, is perfect for making tinctures. Everclear is the popular brand name. In many US states, you can buy 90 or 95% grain alcohol. In most other states, you can buy 75% alcohol. Get the strongest you can for the best results.
IMPORTANT: Grind and decarboxylate your marijuana. For more on decarboxylation, click here.
- Start by putting the weed into a glass jar with an airtight lid. The best size jar is one where the cannabis fills up more than half the jar.
- Add grain alcohol until the weed is barely covered.
- Seal the jar.
- Shake vigorously for a minute.
- Store in a cool dark place for 2-3 weeks. Shake daily or whenever you think of it.
- After a couple of weeks, strain the alcohol using a kitchen sieve or screen strainer to remove most of the plant matter.
- Pour the strained tincture into bottle using a coffee filter to remove any remaining solids.
Your tincture will last indefinitely.
The best way to keep tincture is in a brown bottle with an eyedropper. To use, start with a half dropper full (about .5cc). Mix with an equal amount of water and put the mixture under your tongue until it is all swallowed. Swish a mouthful of water around your mouth and swallow that. Monitor the results to determine if you need more or less to get the effect you want.