GETTING INTO TINCTURES
Tinctures offer advantages that other cannabis products simply don’t come close to, and that’s why they’re one. In solid edibles, THC and CBD concentration can vary across the product or batch. With flower, precise measurement of a “serving” tends to be disregarded. Unlike those products, tinctures are made to be dosed with accuracy. They are precise both in their concentration volume and their method of delivery. Additionally, tinctures’ use of solvents to extract material from physical flower aids in absorbing more terpenes. This gives a more reliable and well-rounded high for many people. It helps that sublingual tinctures also avoid the liver, leaving THC in a different, less psychoactive form. When consumed this way, couchlock is less likely and a stable high is more likely.
HOW THEY’RE MADE
Tinctures are made through a series of processes, but the best way to think of them is as cannabis’ chemically active ingredients dissolved in alcohol. Raw cannabis has cannabinoids that contain a -COOH, or carboxyl ring, attached to it. Because of this ring, raw cannabis doesn’t have THC, but instead THCA, which stands for tetrahydrocannabinolic acid. THCA has benefits of its own, but doesn’t produce the high you know from THC. In order to change THCA to THC, the marijuana must be decarboxylated, removing that -COOH group. This can occur with heat, which is why smoking or vaporizing cannabis provides psychoactive effects. In order to decarboxylate it without burning it, flower can be heated at a lower temperature (~200 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30-45 minutes. After decarboxylation, the flower is mixed with high-proof, ingestible alcohol (Everclear tends to be the most popular) in a jar. The jar should be left to sit, being shaken once per day, for a few weeks. After that, it can be filtered and used. While this process can be done at home, it’s tedious and time consuming.
DOSAGES AND APPLICATION
Tinctures have a wide variety of applications, and can be used in almost any form. The effects will vary depending on its delivery, but experimenting over time is the only way to find out for sure which method works best for you.
SUBLINGUAL
Sublingual refers to dosing the tincture under your tongue, where the liquid is held for at least 60 seconds. This method tends to be fastest, with the effects kicking in after about 20 minutes. In this method, cannabinoids are not altered or delayed by your digestive process. Instead, the chemically active molecules directly enter the bloodstream, which makes the effects not only quicker, but predictable.
ORALLY
There can be some confusion about oral versus sublingual consumption. The difference lies in that oral consumption of tinctures insinuates swallowing the product, whereas sublingual sits under the tongue and is absorbed. Oral consumption takes longer and has a slightly less-intense high, because the cannabinoids must be processed by the liver. You can expect the onset to resemble that of normal edibles.
GARNISH
For many, the benefit of tinctures are their ability to be hidden within other foods and drinks without a weed-like aftertaste. The desired amount of tincture can be placed into drink or food to be consumed normally. However, like dosing orally, this allows the liver to process the cannabinoids, resulting in slower absorption. Again, this mimics normal edible consumption, taking up to two hours to feel the effects.
SWING BY FIREHAUS
FireHaus is committed to providing quality products, and our tinctures are no exception. Stop by today for tinctures and all your other cannabis needs.
