Basic Cannabis Tincture
Cannabis Tincture is very easy to make and it can help with many problems. i use it to get rid of fibromyalgia nerve pain that was ruining my life. sometimes it hurt so bad the stinging burning stabbing pain that it would make me cry. then one day someone told me about cannabis tincture.
A tincture is made with plant material and alcohol. thats it. you can use everclear that has a high alcohol content or even cheap vodka, as long as it is at least 80 proof. usually at 1.75 large vodka jug will run you around $12 or so..not a bad deal when it all comes down to it. you actually can use whisky, rum, brandy, any alcohol as long as it is at least 80 proof. so here is how you make Cannabis Tincture.
You Need:
dried cannabis
alcohol
large glass jar with lid like gallon pickle jar or half gallon canning jar. NEVER EVER use aluminum, ok? everything needs to be clean, sterile and food grade, avoid plastic unless you know it is safe food grade. you can make any amount, no matter how big or small, it depends on how much plant material you have. you can use a quart jar if you want. as long as the level of the dried material fills around half or a bit more but dont stuff the jar. i like filling the jars to half way with the dry then pouring the alcohol over that , it allows for expansion of the herbs.
for cannabis tincture you need to decarboxilate it first, that means basically to heat activate it. it changes the THC-a in the cannabis into the THC we are familiar with. this is very simple.
To Decarboxilate:
Cut or chop your dried cannabis. put into a glass or stainless steel pie pan or any pan. spread it out nicely, cover with foil and put in over set at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. remove from over, take foil off and let cool. thats it. you have just activated the cannabis.
be aware, this will make your house smell like pot. alot. if it is important to you to not let your neighbors know what you are doing, do this late at night
take this dried cannabis, mash it up good, it will be drier and brittle and will break apart more easily.
put in clean sterile glass jar.
pour vodka over the dried cannabis. pour enough to cover the material plus enough to go over the top of the plant material at least one inch. stir this around real good, mash a couple times with wood spoon, put lid om jar then put a piece of tape with name of tincture and date. trust me, put the name and date on this.
shake or stir this once or twice a day til it is done steeping. keep this jar in a place that is away from heat and sunlight, i put mine in the linen closet on the floor.
now, some people steep their tinctures 2 weeks up to 4wks. i am in the 4wk catagory for all tincture making. thats just me. after the time is over, then you will need a strainer and some cheese cloth to strain. slowly pour thru strainer to capture the material. squeeze out every drop you can. i store the liquid back into the vodka bottle that i label and date.
now here are some Tips:
alot of people throw away the plant material at this stage but i do not. i toss it in a holding bucket i always have going, which is a large food grade 6 gallon bucket with lid with other remnants of cannabis covered in alcohol. see, people think with their first soak they have drawn all the good cbd /thc and the materiel leftover is worthless. that is a big mistake, there is still plenty of good stuff in there. dont throw it away, reuse it. add to another soak jar (or bucket).
Recipe #2 – Green Leaf Tincture
if you are growing cannabis or has a fried who is, you can use the trimmings and leaves and small stems. this is called Green Leaf Tincture. you do not decarboxilate this Green Leaf Recipe, just rip it all into small pieces or do a rough chop put in jar or bucket and cover with alcohol as above and let steep for a good 30 days. longer is fine, nothing bad happens if you go on vacation or forget for a few days. give it a stir every now and then, you can toss in used dried stuff too. dont waste any cannabis, use it. strain when ready.
USE AND DOSAGE
some people use the tincture to help relax adding to tea, or for pain relief. i found that when i took 2T about 5 times a day through out the day it dropped my fibro nerve pain level by 80-90%. i tell you, before this i have tried everything i could find and this alone has helped me. i have been taking this for over 3 yrs now and it has given me my sanity back by taking away most of the pain. some days i might take an extra dose if i feel i need it. but that is all i need. it does not taste great to me so i chug it and follow with some tea or water. it is not much. maybe you would need less, maybe a bit more.
start off with 1T every 4-5 hours and see how that helps. i noticed a change in the pain level in a day or 2. i was amazed. and no this does not get you high, at least for me it does not. i guess if you drank ALOT it would, but dont do that ok? Be Smart, ok?
i do not have a strong stomach for alcohol, i am a cheap date, i cant even drink a glass of wine full strength i have to water everything down. i prefer to take after a meal.
ive learned if i miss a dose or am late the stinging stabbing pain starts to creep back so i make sure to carry a little bottle of this with me when i leave the house. makes a real difference. i will be on this the rest of my life and i dont care because it takes the pain away. at least this kind of pain. i have not noticed the tincture helping with muscle pain or head ache or anything ales but nerve pain. i dont know why maybe it is the low dose.
Another tip: you can boost the strength of this and end up taking LESS but adding in a concentrate called Green Dragon. i have tried this and added about 15 drops of Green Dragon to this basic cannabis tincture and it does extend the length of time between doses.
i think this is a worthwhile recipe to make and try out.
again, i do not get high or drunk off this, it is a real low dose that for some reason knocks back the nerve pain. if you or a loved one is suffering from fibro or MS or nerve damage, maybe give this a try and see if it helps.
oh–buying vodka—i buy by the case and watch for sale. there is usually a discount that way, check your area for discount liquor stores. i used to save up for a couple cases to last me all year (as i make other medicinal tinctures besides cannabis) and id be embarrassed going to the liquor stores and walking out with 3-4 cases of vodka. but i got over it.
just smile and nod when they remark about a party at your house. but if you are more embarrassed in being caught buying cheap vodka instead of the good drinking kind, just smile and tell them you make herbal medicines.