How to Make CBD Tinctures

The 2018 Farm Bill made CBD legal at a federal level, and in as many as 29 states. This is good news for those who want to use CBD for health benefits or for recreational purposes. Many types of full-spectrum CBD products are now available online, such as CBD oil, salve, gummies, ointment, and creams. But there is one CBD product that most people want to use. And that’s CBD tinctures.

According to many studies, CBD tinctures are the most potent of all CBD products. A few drops taken orally may help calm your anxiety, relax your mind, or even boost your energy levels. That’s because the CBD compounds from tinctures mix with your bloodstream quickly compared to other CBD delivery methods.

Now that many states have legalized hemp production and the sale of CBD products, you can acquire hemp flowers online. This will allow you to make CBD tinctures at home. Don’t think that these flowers are similar to cannabis flowers. Hemp flowers contain hemp strains with no more than 0.3% THC, the psychoactive element that gives you a euphoric feeling. This means you will enjoy the health benefits of CBD within a few minutes after consuming its tincture.

Making CBD tinctures

The most important step in this process is decarboxylation. It involves heating the hemp flowers at a relatively low temperature. This helps to convert CBD from CBDa. CBDa is the inactive acid present in its bioavailable active form in CBD flowers. Therefore, extracting CBD from it is crucial in making a full-spectrum CBD tincture.

Things you need:

• Bowl
• Parchment paper
• 1/4 ounce of hemp flowers
• 1 oz. glass bottle containing a dropper lid
• High-proof alcohol
• Baking sheet
• Mesh strainer
• Cheesecloth
• Glass jar with lid

Step 1

The first step is the most important one to produce a high-quality, full-spectrum CBD tincture. Next, you need to decarb or decarboxylate your hemp flowers right in the beginning. This should activate the CBD compounds in the flowers.

First of all, prepare your oven. Preheat it to 240-degrees Fahrenheit. You can break the hemp flowers into small pieces while preheating the oven. You can either break the flowers with your hand or use a coffee grinder. Next, spread the flowers properly on a baking sheet. Make sure you line this sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2

Put the baking sheet inside the preheated oven. You need to bake the flowers for approximately 40 to 60 minutes. Don’t overdo it. You can stick to baking it for 50 minutes to be on the safe side. The flowers turn golden brown when you bake them for 50 minutes. Take the baking sheet out from the oven and let the flowers cool down for at least 15 to 20 minutes.

Don’t touch the flowers or nurture them with a spoon. Let them be. This keeps the CBD compound in the flowers intact. Cooling the flowers down also helps in the next step, where you need to soak them in high-proof alcohol.

Step 3

Take a glass jar. Pour the decarbed hemp flowers in it. Take high-proof alcohol and completely cover the flowers. For example, if the flowers cover two-third of the jar, you should fill the full jar with high-proof alcohol. Cover the jar tightly with its lid. Next, shake the jar well. Make sure the alcohol fully absorbs the flowers. Keep the jar in a dark and cool place for at least three to four weeks.

The high-proof alcohol extracts the healing compounds from the hemp flower. Although this is a time-consuming step, it ensures that you achieve high-quality tincture in the end. Don’t forget to shake the jar a few times every week. This allows the flowers to remain submerged in the alcohol.

Step 4

Let the flowers sit in the jar for a month. Next, take a bowl and place a cheesecloth on it. Pour the infusion from the jar into a bowl. The cheesecloth should help separate the finished tincture from the flowers. Strain the tincture properly until no bits and parts of the flowers remain.

Step 5

Take a 1 oz. glass jar and pour the finished tincture. It’s best if this jar has a dropper lid. You can measure the amount of tincture you want to consume using this dropper. One of the best parts of consuming or using CBD tincture is it lasts for years. Since alcohol is a strong preservative, it allows you to store the tincture for as many years as you want. Thus, it doesn’t lose its potency over time. But don’t forget to keep it in a cool and dark place. Don’t keep in a place where it receives direct sunlight.

Additional details

Some people use vodka instead of high-proof alcohol. It’s up to you to decide which one to use. You should use vodka only if you don’t get high-proof alcohol. High-proof alcohol lasts longer and keeps the CBD properties intact even if you use the tincture after a couple of years.

Many studies suggest that the tincture gets stronger the more it grows old. The tincture will look greenish-brown once you strain the flowers out. It’s wise to get in touch with a doctor before taking this tincture. Also, it would help if you learned about its dosage instructions before consuming it.

Taking CBD tinctures

People usually take CBD tincture sublingually. You need to take the tincture in a dropper and put a few drops just under your tongue. But you should note that CBD tincture has a bitter taste because of the high-proof alcohol. Some people like to mix CBD tinctures in their morning smoothies.

Alternatively, you may dilute the drops in half a cup of water before drinking. Diluting the tincture makes it easier for you to consume the mixture. You don’t need to mix it in your smoothie every day. Once you consume the tincture, you can expect the CBD to work within thirty to forty minutes. Make sure you start with a small dose initially before increasing it. Talk to your doctor if you feel nauseous or don’t know the appropriate dose.

Potential Health benefits

Now that you know how to make CBD tincture, you may want to take a look at its potential health benefits, currently under investigation through ongoing research.

1. May improve your skin

CBD compounds contain two unsaturated essential fatty acids – alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid, meaning omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, respectively. They are present in the ideal ratio of 3:1 and 2:1, which is precisely what your body needs. This balanced amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids works wonders for your skin’s immune response, especially against aging and inflammation. It means you can keep fine lines and wrinkles away for long if you drink hemp milk regularly.

2. May keep heart diseases away

Nutrients in CBD flowers may help prevent strokes and heart disease. CBD contains a high percentage of amino acid arginine that helps your body produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes your blood vessels and also improves your blood pressure. Your body needs to produce a significant amount of nitric oxide every day to keep your heart strong. Additionally, it also lowers the level of inflammatory C-reactive protein. This protein increases the risks of various heart diseases.

Also, CBD tincture may help relieve chronic back pain, neck pain, and joint pain. And some people say using this product alleviates their anxiety symptoms, and helps reduce cancer-treatment related symptoms such as nausea.

If you don’t want to go through these steps to make your own CBD tincture, you can buy readymade bottles from Tanasi.com, our online CBD store. It has a range of full-spectrum CBD products at affordable prices, such as CBD tincture, salve, gummies, and ointment.