How to : MMJ Tinctures

Tinctures are great for fast relief without the need to inhale smoke or vapor. Unlike edibles, which need to travel through the liver before reaching the areas of the body that cause physical effects, tinctures are absorbed into the arterial system and is quickly transported to the brain and the body. Tinctures are designed to address the problems of rapid medicine delivery and consistent dosing. Along with being easy to make, tinctures are a great alternative form of medicating with Marijuana.

To make Medical Marijuana tinctures, there are three easy steps. Grind, pour and store. First, choose your medium to soak the MMJ. Alcohol is the main choice, as it grabs more of the cannabinoids (good stuff) compared to the alternative, vegetable glycerin. Your ideal choice if using alcohol, would be Everclear aka Grain Alcohol. In our home state of Washington, this can be found at local liquor stores. If that is not available, 100-proof (50 percent alcohol by volume) is what you should aim for. If choosing vegetable glycerin, make sure it is food grade.

Keep in mind, the potency of the Marijuana, will be reflected in the final tincture (the stronger the Marijuana, the stronger the tincture). Once you've legally obtained your Medical Marijuana, if it is fairly moist, let it sit in the open air for a few days. Before we grind, it is best if the MMJ is a little dry or crispy on the outside. Do this in a cool dark place, light and heat are destructive to the beneficial cannabinoids.

The other consideration before we start is to decarboxylate or not to decarboxylate. Huh? Decarboxylation is the process of using low heat for a prolonged time to activate a variety of cannabinoids in the MMJ. This process activates THC, which is the main psychoactive cannabinoid in MMJ. Before being heated, it is THC-A, the acidic precursor to THC. THC-A is non psychoactive, which appeals more to Seniors.

Recent research has shown the potential of an increased medical benefit from THC-A and CBD-A compared to (the still beneficial) the decarboxylated forms, THC and CBD. Seniors have different medical needs, but since our goal is to medicate with minimal psychoactive effects, we chose not to decarboxylate. If you seek a stronger psychoactive effect combined with the healing properties, you can learn to decarboxylate here --> http://goo.gl/2AB86T

Now we can begin, lets review our materials -

Everclear, jar for storage, MMJ and a grinder.

You'll also need a strainer, something to capture the tincture in, as well as something to dispense the tincture from.

Here we have cheesecloth, a measuring cup and a dropper bottle.

Step 1 - Grind

The goal is to grind the MMJ as small as possible, this allows the alcohol to cover more surface area and absorb the desired cannabinoids.

Once you've filled your jar, pack the MMJ down into the jar.

After being ground, the MMJ can be airy and the goal is to fit as much MMJ into the jar as we can.

Pack it down and continue to fill the jar until you are left with a small gap at the top.

Step 2 - Pour

Pour slowly and get the final level of your liquid to rest even with the top of your ground MMJ.

Before you put the top back on your jar, be sure to label it in a way that makes it easily identifiable as a Medical Marijuana product.

Labeling your infused products is responsible, do it every time. We also suggest you write the date that you jarred it, along with the MMJ strain name on your label.

Step 3 - Store

We recommend letting the jar sit in a cool, dark place for one month. We've seen suggestions ranging from 48 hours to two months and even longer. Our experience provided a tincture that was stronger at one month compared to two weeks, but it was no stronger at two months compared to one month. We spoke to a handful of crafters and one month was a general consensus.

During the first week, give the jar a little shake every day to swish the alcohol around the plant matter. From then on, flip it over once per week and let it sit. After one month has gone by, it's time for the final steps.

Step 4 - Strain

Attach your cheesecloth to the measuring cup with a rubber band. Leave some slack in the middle, so that the ground MMJ can rest in there. Once the cheesecloth is secured, open your jar and dump the contents into the cheesecloth. Allow the contents to drain naturally for 5-10 minutes.

*NOTE - We recommend wearing thin gloves and to cover your work area as to avoid staining from the tincture or ground MMJ. Do not be near an open flame.

The ground MMJ will retain much of the tincture, remove the rubber band and pick up the cheesecloth. Press it or squeeze it to release as much liquid as possible into your collection jar.

Once it is all strained and collected, time to put the tincture into your medicine dropper bottle. Be sure to label this as a Medical Marijuana product too. Always label your tinctures. You should store your tincures in a cool, dark place.

The best way to use tinctures is sublingually (under or on the tongue). Titration (dose control) is easily achieved by the number of drops placed under the tongue. 3-4 drops is a good starting place for most. Effects should be felt within 5-15 minutes. Tinctures can be taken straight but for some, it may burn the tongue. If that is the case, dilute the tincture with equal parts water, so that you can hold the dosage under your tongue without burning. One trick is to not swallow the dose and let it absorb, if swallowed, absorption will be in the GI tract, which is much slower.

We hope you've enjoyed this "How To" article. If there is anything you want to see reported on or that you have questions about, please contact us. The link is at the top of your screen.

#alternativewaystomedicate #recipes