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Missourians have many different options when it comes to getting the most out of their medical marijuana card. There are several ways to enjoy cannabis without having to smoke it. You can vape, enjoy edibles, topicals, cannabis beverages and more. Today, we’re going to talk about tinctures, which are an excellent way to control your THC dose while allowing you to be discreet.
What Is a Tincture?
The term “tincture” basically means that you are getting your cannabis in liquid form and from a bottle with a dropper. You’ll see non-THC tinctures out there in the holistic and wellness space as well, so it’s not a cannabis-only term.
When it comes to THC tinctures, there are two standard methods of production. Each of them will give the user a different experience. However, marijuana affects everyone differently, so you may want to try both of them out to see which one you prefer.
Traditional Tinctures: Alcohol-Extraction
The traditional way of making tinctures is by using an alcohol solvent, which extracts the cannabinoids from cured cannabis. This is not as complicated as it sounds, and we’ve actually put together a guide to making tinctures at home. Sometimes making your own tincture can be as easy as placing your buds in a mason jar with some Everclear, then shaking it every so often.
Tinctures Suspended in a Carrier Oil
These types of cannabis tinctures are typically more popular than those made using alcohol extraction. They are made using a variety of methods (with or without solvents), suspending the completed extract in a carrier oil which makes the active ingredients more bioavailable. The most popular oil used in this process is coconut oil, but you’ll find tinctures using hempseed, grapeseed, and olive oils.
How to Take Cannabis Tinctures
One of the things that makes tinctures so appealing is that you can take them in a variety of ways, depending on your needs, mood, and preferences. Here are some of your options:
Swallowing Tinctures
The easiest method to take your tincture is to empty a dropper-full into your mouth and swallow. Consuming your tincture this way will typically result in an edible-type effect, because when you swallow your tincture, the THC and CBD are being absorbed and processed through your digestive system.
Try Cooking With Tinctures
One of the best uses of tinctures is to add them to your favorite recipes. You can also add cannabis to your morning coffee by adding a few drops to your mug. No matter what the recipe, adding a tincture is a great way to add a little THC-infused goodness to anything you are cooking up. Simply squeeze a dropperful into your food and/or beverages before consuming them, and enjoy!
Taking Tinctures Sublingually
For a more direct impact, consider taking your tinctures sublingually. This means you squeeze a dropperful in the area of your mouth below your tongue, and leave the tincture there until it absorbs. It should take about a minute.
Consuming your cannabis sublingually will have a different effect than swallowing. When the tincture is below your tongue, it is absorbed directly into the bloodstream, and the effect will be felt faster.
What Do Tinctures Feel Like?
When you ingest your THC with a tincture, the high is typically felt more throughout your body. These can be great for overall relaxation. Some people have referred to the feeling as a clean high that isn’t “heady.”
Cannabis does affect everyone differently, however, so the way one person feels when ingesting a tincture may not be the same for the next. Factors such as diet, hormones, metabolism, and genetics all play a part in your body’s overall experience with cannabis.
Here are some additional factors that might affect your tincture experience:
Amount of THC present in tincture
Amount of CBD present in tincture
What you ate before your dose.
Anything eaten after you took your dose.
Your psychological state when taking your dose
Your level of physical activity
When you first start taking tinctures, we recommend keeping a medical marijuana journal to keep track of how you feel and the factors surrounding your cannabis so that you can get the most out of your experience.
How Long Does it Take to Feel the Effects of a Tincture?
This depends - mostly on the method in which you are taking your tincture. For your first time trying any new cannabis product, we recommend waiting until you have several hours free. As we said before, cannabis affects everyone differently.
Swallowing or Mixing Tinctures Into Your Food
When you consume a tincture with your food, it’s very similar to taking an edible. It usually takes anywhere between half an hour and two hours to take full effect. If you are new to tinctures and find that you aren’t feeling anything, we recommend waiting the full two hours before taking more, so that you don’t end up accidentally getting too “high.”
Taking Tinctures Sublingually
If you’re taking tinctures sublingually, they are going to hit you faster. Since they’ll be directly introduced to your bloodstream, the tincture should start to take effect within twenty to thirty minutes. However, we do still recommend waiting at least an hour before taking any more when you use this method.
How Long Do the Effects of Tinctures Last?
The length of time the effects of your tincture will last depends on the method of consumption as well as the concentration of THC in the product. If your tincture has a higher THC concentration, it may last longer.
When taken via swallowing or with food or drink, the strongest tinctures usually last about four hours. But, keep in mind that they have been known to last up to 24 hours depending on your metabolism and diet. So, if you’re trying these for the first time, have a game plan in place.
Even if it feels like the effects have worn off, they could resurface suddenly. We recommend clearing your calendar for the day when you are trying any new cannabis product, just in case. Tinctures that are taken sublingually will move through your system more quickly, but we still recommend using caution when trying something for the first time.
What Types of Cannabis Tinctures Can You Find at Missouri Dispensaries?
We’re hoping the variety of tinctures offered at Missouri dispensaries will begin to expand. There are some options, but not nearly the variety we’d like to see. Right now, there are many CBD-only tinctures that don’t provide the psychoactive high that most cannabis users seek for pain relief.
You can find some 1:1 tinctures that have an equal amount of THC and CBD, and the options will continue to expand as the market in Missouri grows. It’s worth contacting your local dispensary to see what kind of tinctures they carry and to let them know you’d like to see a wider array of tincture products on their shelves.
Make Your Own Homemade Tinctures
If your dispensary doesn’t stock the tinctures you need, you can make them yourself at home from buds you purchase at dispensaries or from buds you grew yourself if you have a Missouri home cultivation license, which can be added on when you get your medical card. If you are interested in making your own cannabis extract products, check out this beginner’s guide to Missouri DIY extracts.
Relief is Calling
If you are ready to experience the legal, natural relief that cannabis provides, you’ll need your Missouri medical marijuana card. If you don’t have your card yet, we’re here to help. Our doctors are standing by to take you through a quick and easy evaluation to see if you qualify. Schedule an appointment with a marijuana physician online by CLICKING HERE, or give us a call at (877) 303-3117 to talk to a patient support representative.
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
At Missouri Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (877) 303-3117, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
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