Cannabidiol-based tinctures are becoming popular almost as much as CBD oils. These are natural remedies based on alcohol, containing active substance CBD and many other ingredients (terpenes, flavonoids, other cannabinoids, and natural aromas).
Like oil, tinctures are easy to use and contain enough CBD to treat many diseases. As seen on http://www.cheefbotanicals.com, these products are quite affordable too. But unlike oils, tinctures have much better taste due to added aromas.
You can make CBD tincture at home because this process is not too demanding. It’s desirable to have your own hemp plantations. This way, you will know the potency of ingredients you use, since you are familiar with the properties of the strain you are cultivating.
Decarboxylation Is a Must
For starters, you need CBD buds. To prepare the tincture, they must be dried and powdered. If you do not have your own plants, you can buy dried buds at any dispensary or CBD store. Just make sure these sellers are trusted, and that you buy buds of the highest quality. It is not advisable to buy fresh flowers, especially not from private breeders, as you can’t be sure of the hemp strain’s features.
If you have a hemp plantation, you need to know when you should pick the buds. If you do this too soon, they will not reach full potency, and overblown flowers are useless for tincture making. Experts agree that the right time to pick buds is when the hair around them starts to darken and curl.
Fresh buds should be dried, and the professional name for this process is decarboxylation. That’s necessary to activate CBD in them and for its bioavailability to be high. Although this process sounds complicated, it is actually about drying hemp buds at temperatures around 240F, between 40 and 60 minutes (check when they turn golden-brown). After that, let them cool for about 15 minutes before you grind them.
Not All Mediums Are the Same
After grinding the dried hemp buds, place them in a glass jar. Fill about two-thirds. Now it’s time to add the medium and pour it to the top of the jar. You can use alcohol or carrier oils like MC or coconut oil if you want a non-alcoholic remedy. The last version is more like CBD oil, and how to get this product at home, find out here.
It’s advisable to use alcohol to make tinctures as it best extracts CBD from hemp buds. You can use pure grain alcohol (for potent tinctures) or processed alcohol in the form of vodka or brandy. The last one will taste better and have a little less potency than the tincture made from PGA.
Store the Remedy Properly
After filling the jar to the top, it’s crucial to close it tightly. It’s best to use completely new glass jars for home-made CBD tinctures. Store it in a dry spot not exposed to direct light, heat, and air. If it’s too hot outside, you can also put this mixture in the fridge.
If you want your home-made tincture to get the best of the ingredients, you will wait about a month. During this period, shake the jar once a day. In case you do not have time to wait, ‘speed up’ the tincture by putting the jar in cold water and heating it to 170F. Let it heat up for about 20 minutes. Take care of the temperature because alcohol is a flammable substance.
In either case, the next step is straining. You need clean cheesecloth and a jar or bottle that is hermetically sealed. Filter the contents of the glass jar through the cloth, and that is it. If you want your DIY tincture to have a particular aroma, now is the time to add it.
You can put a cinnamon or vanilla stick, grated citrus peel, or a couple of mint leaves in the strained mixture and leave it like that. Enjoy the benefits of this natural remedy whenever you want, just take care of the dose.
CBD tinctures of reputable manufacturers rank well among users. Still, there are always people who want to have full control over the remedies they take. Although CBD product labels contain a list of ingredients, the concentration of cannabidiol, and information about hemp origin, some still prefer DIY products.
