Сannabis-based settings, how does it work?

These are an excellent way to utilize the plant’s medicinal ingredients, and a good alternative to smoking. Tinctures are easy to make and involve soaking your dried cannabis buds in ethanol or ethyl alcohol. The proof listed on commercial alcohol refers to the percentage of ethanol that the drink contains. The proof is twice the percentage (purity), so 70 proof means that the mixture contains 35% ethanol. The higher the alcohol content, the better the extraction. High-proof spirits such as Everclear 95% pure grain alcohol can be difficult to obtain, but if you have access to these products, they are ideal to use.

How to make alcohol tincture from cannabis?

When you are making a tincture, the cannabis used must be dry and decarboxylated by gently heating it in an oven at 110°C (230°F) to activate the cannabinoids. The process of heating converts the cannabinoid acids such as THCA into THC. It is advisable to chop but not finely grind the material before use. The cannabis should be soaked for between one and 10 days, with around seven days being adequate. The recommended minimum effective ratio to use is one gram of bud per 35 milliliters (one fluid ounce) of alcohol, with up to eight grams per 35 milliliters used for those preferring a stronger tincture. Place the solution into a sealed jar that you can periodically shake to assist in the process. Throughout the soaking period use only enough ethanol to cover the plant material. To make what is known as a “cold extraction”, place the jar in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator and remove it periodically to shake the container. This cold extraction can be completed in around four days but is not necessary for good results.

Once the soaking process has finished, strain the solution, and then further purify it by filtering it through a coffee filter. Store the tincture in a cool dark place, preferably in a bottle with a dropper. Because of the varying strengths of tinctures, patients should experiment with small doses until the desired effect is achieved. Administer under the tongue using the dropper.
You can further concentrate the tincture by reducing the volume of the alcohol by evaporation; the more alcohol you evaporate the more potent the tincture will be. Evaporate too much though, and you will have oil and not a tincture!