Green Dragon Cannabis Tincture was one of the most commonly used ways to ingest the humble Mary Jane before she was caught in the crossfire when the United States federal administration declared the War on Drugs.
What is a Tincture?
A simple definition; tinctures are extracts made by soaking the leaves, bark and roots of herbs in an alcohol solvent. The solvent draws out the active compounds in the plants, dissolves and concentrates them. Tinctures have been used as medicine for a variety of ailments for many years.
What is a Cannabis Tincture?
There are a few options when it comes to Cannabis Tinctures. The best solvent for extracting as much of the cannabinoids and terpenes as possible is with PGA (pure grain alcohol). Enters the Green Dragon, an alcohol-based cannabis tincture. For a lower ABV cannabis tincture with a defined flavour profile, you could use your favourite vodka, brandy or whisk(e)y.
What are the benefits of a tincture?
Tinctures are a preferred method of consuming cannabis because they are easy to make at home, and can be consumed in a variety of ways.
For people who prefer edibles to smoking or vaping cannabis, sublingual tinctures work well because they are easy to consume and don’t add calories to your diet.
And unlike smoking cannabis flowers, tinctures don’t have a smell once they’re made, so they are more discreet and easy to use in public.
In addition, you don’t need any special equipment to make or consume a tincture.
You can more precisely measure the amount of cannabis you’ll be dosing with a dropper, while cannabis flower and baked goods are notoriously difficult to measure.
Smoke or vapor can be harsh or unpleasant for some people, which means tinctures are great alternatives.
And, when taken sublingually, it has a very fast onset, so you can quickly tell whether or not you’ll need to take more to feel the effects.
How to use a tincture
A cannabis tincture can be taken sublingually (under the tongue) or orally (swallowed), or can be added to just about any food or beverage in a variety of cannabis recipes.
When taken under the tongue, sublingually, you’ll feel the effects quite quickly, within 15-20 minutes.
When swallowed, orally, it may take up to 2-4 hours for the full effects to be felt.
Of course, this will be dependent upon your own unique endocannabinoid system and how your body specifically responds to cannabis edibles.
Another common use for tinctures is to create edible cannabis recipes.
Because tinctures are so easily measured, you can add a precise amount to any dish without greatly affecting the final flavor.
It’s easy to test out the exact amount needed to feel the effects and find the minimum effective dose (MED), so you don’t use too much.
It’s important to remember that cannabis works differently for each person, so it’s important to try a few different strains and dosages to find out what works best for you.
If you want to gauge the effectiveness of a tincture, start with a small dosage, and then increase drop by drop until you feel the effects.
Alcohol-free
If you are avoiding alcohol for whatever reason, your tincture will have an alcohol percentage, you could replace the alcohol with an MCT oil. MCT is oil derived from coconuts, it is easily digested and can be taken sublingually just like a tincture.
Benefits of using Cannabis Tinctures
Cannabis tinctures are quick and easy to make at home. Consumption is effortless, fast-acting and discreet. Making your own cannabis tincture will save you money and homemade tinctures are customizable. You can add lavender and chamomile to make a tincture for anxiety and relaxation or try turmeric and ginger for an anti-inflammatory tincture to target pain relief.
Choosing your Bud
Shop around for the desired cannabinoid combination. You could choose a THC forward strain, or decide on a variety with a higher percentage of CBD or CBG cannabinoids. It all depends on what desired effects you are after. You can calculate the potency of your cannabis tincture by using a tincture edibles calculator.
Master Wu’s Tincture recipe
- Decarboxylate your flower. Grind it into a fine consistency
- Mix the flower in a mason jar with the high-proof alcohol
- Place the mason jar in the sauce pan and fill the pan with water cover the jar halfway
- Simmer the jar in the water bath for 20 minutes at 170 degrees F
- Strain the mixture through a paper coffee filter (you can do this twice to filter out any particulate) and store.
It is not necessary to refrigerate your tincture. Even after I took the jar out of the water bath, it continued to boil. And, I did not open it until it stopped!Video Player0:06
Now, for the “non-recipe”
As cannabis legal as Colorado is, public consumption is very limited. Also, even if I take a hit from my vape pen before going out, it may not be convenient to vape. That’s why I love edibles so much. For me it’s the right edible for the job!
Where is the last place you would find cannabis? Okay, I’ll answer for you—GUM!
Yep, gum.
I call this a “non recipe” because there are no measurements I can give you. I just winged it but I will share all of that with you.
The hubs got a mega pack of peppermint flavored Extra gum so we’d have plenty to screw up!
Using a dropper that holds approximately 1/3 teaspoon. I dosed 2 pieces of the gum with one, two and three drops and let the alcohol evaporate overnight. To test it, I refrained from using any other cannabis. We didn’t notice anything until we chewed the three drop dose. I experienced a very light buzz that works well to maintain my glow!
Now, I use the 1/3 teaspoon dose to dose my gum twice. I can dose 4 stick once with that 1/3 teaspoon. That seems to be what we need to maintain.
The other cool part was that all I tasted was the minty freshness of the gum. No one would ever guess that you are microdosing.
With the second batch I dosed each piece 3x. That started a breakdown of the gum I noticed when I was chewing it. It came back together soon, though. Now, if I feel like I need more, I just pop another piece in my mouth. No need to try and over dose that poor little piece of gum!
If I want to be even more incognegro, I re-wrap a stick or two in the foil wrapper and put them in with some virgin gum. If someone asks for a stick, no problem! Their happy, I’m happier!
I have a bottle in my cabinet at all times. One or 2 doses a day. Add it to coffee or go sublingual.