There’s no shortage of ways to consume cannabis these days. From traditional flower consumption to extracts and edibles, there is something for everyone.

But the tradition of making cannabis edible products at home hasn’t gone anywhere. Cannabis tincture is one of the oldest cannabis edible products that has been made DIY for decades. Knowing how to make tincture provides a way to create your own cannabis edibles easily with just a few steps.

Check out our simple cannabis tincture recipe to learn how to make tincture and create your own quality edibles at home!

What is cannabis tincture?

A tincture is typically an alcohol-based extraction that is made with a high-proof alcohol like Everclear or other grain alcohol. Tinctures themselves have been used in medicine for centuries.

Cannabis tincture has become popular because it is easy to make with few ingredients, and it is a tried and tested method that we know works. Compared to other edibles that require baking or mixing in multiple ingredients such as brownies, cookies or gummies, a cannabis tincture recipe will typically only have just two ingredients; cannabis and alcohol.

The result is a liquid form concentrate that can be easily consumed with a dropper under the tongue. This consumption method is typically faster acting, making it great for those who don’t want to wait an hour for edibles to kick in.

In addition to consumption with the dropper, another major benefit of cannabis tincture is that it can be mixed into just about everything. Once you know how to make tincture there is more room for experimentation like adding in flavors, other herbs and adding it into various dishes.

Using MCT oil instead of alcohol

When purchasing cannabis tinctures from retailers, it is likely that the tincture will be made with MCT oil instead of alcohol. This can be for a few reasons.

MCT oil, or Medium Chain Triglyceride, is a cheaper alternative that is more readily available than high proof alcohol, which may not even be legal in various states in the US. It doesn’t have any flavor, it is colorless and it has a high smoke point. These qualities make MCT great for longer cannabinoid extraction processes that can create a more concentrated final product.

Anyone who wants to avoid any hint of alcohol taste in their tincture should definitely consider picking up MCT oil instead. It may even be available at your local grocery store.

Now, on to the cannabis tincture recipe!

How to make tincture (alcohol based)

Firstly, you’ll need to gather your “ingredients” for making the cannabis tincture. Luckily very few are required. Here is what you will need for this alcohol-based cannabis tincture recipe:

• 1 Glass Jar
• 1 Baking Sheet
• 1 Small Funnel
• 1 Strainer (cheesecloth or coffee strainer will do)
• 1 Glass Tincture Bottle with Dropper
• Cannabis Flower (at least an eighth of an ounce)
• High proof alcohol (190 proof grain alcohol recommended)

One of the most overlooked steps in following a cannabis tincture recipe is the decarboxylation process. More commonly called “decarbing”, this process helps to activate the THC molecules in the flower using heat. This is why you cannot get high from just eating raw cannabis flower.

To decarb your cannabis, break it up and place it on the baking sheet. Preheat your oven to 230 degrees Fahrenheit and place the baking sheet in for 30 minutes. After this time is up, remove the cannabis flower and place it into the glass jar. Make sure your jar has enough space for you cannabis flower and your alcohol.

After adding enough alcohol to completely submerge the cannabis, seal the jar and store it in a cool, dark place for at least three weeks. Be sure to shake the jar once daily for roughly 21 days. This is typically how long it takes for the cannabinoids to completely dissolve into the alcohol.

Extremely impatient people can instead shake the jar rapidly for several minutes after sealing it and strain it after for a much quicker, and much less potent result. For everyone else, the jar can be strained after 21 days through your filter, into the tincture bottle. It can be easy to overfill the bottle without leaving room for the dropper, so make sure to leave a little extra room at the top.

That’s it! Your alcohol-based cannabis tincture is done and ready to consume. For those that want to make tincture with MCT oil instead, the cannabis tincture recipe is slightly different. However it’s just as easy, and even quicker!

Cannabis tincture recipe (MCT Oil)

To make cannabis tincture with MCT oil instead of alcohol, the only addition is a crockpot. In terms of ingredients, you’re just swapping out the alcohol for MCT oil. You will want to use roughly an eighth ounce of flower per 1 cup of MCT oil.

The first crockpot method is super simple. Pour in your MCT oil followed by your decarbed cannabis flower. Turn the crockpot to “warm” or “low” and simmer 2 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Lower time requires a higher temperature, while longer time can stay at a lower temperature. The community is split on which produces a better product, so it is probably comparable either way.

Pouring the finished tincture directly from your crockpot into a dropper jar will prove difficult. So strain your tincture first into a larger jar to separate out the cannabis flower. You can then use this jar to store the bulk of your tincture, and refill your dropper bottle as needed from the jar.

If you’re really trying to avoid extra mess, or if smell is an issue, there is a twist on the crockpot method that will help.

Instead of pouring your MCT oil and cannabis directly into the crockpot, fill the crockpot about halfway with water. Then take your MCT oil and cannabis measurements and put them into a sealed glass jar. Put the sealed jar into the water filled crockpot and turn it to “High”.

Burp the jar and shake it regularly to make sure there isn’t a build up of pressure. After 30 minutes, strain into your dropper bottle and the tincture is done.

Knowing how to make tincture at home can save a lot of money at the dispensary. Not only that, having a cannabis tincture recipe on hand is always useful, and not just for cannabis! The medicinal benefits of various herbs and flowers can be extracted in the same exact way.

Let us know what you think of this cannabis tincture recipe and how it worked out for you, and what we should give a guide on next!