Enjoy the benefits of CBD by making a simple DIY CBD Tincture recipe with hemp flowers and a few basic kitchen supplies.
In the 1800s and early 1900s, tinctures (alcohol-based, plant extracts) were the most popular way to ingest cannabis or hemp (Cannabis sativa). In her book, Healing with CBD, Eileen Konieczny writes “Well-known companies like Eli Lilly, Parke-Davis, and Bayer produced tinctures that contained cannabis, which were considered safe and effective for conditions of nausea, delirium, epilepsy, migraine, and painful spasms.” Cannabis tinctures faded in popularity after the Mexican Revolution began in 1910 and Mexicans fleeing the war brought with them rolled cannabis leaves and flowers that they smoked and called Marijuana .
Tinctures are experiencing a modern revival as more people look for non-synthetic, safe, and affordable forms of medicine. Tinctures are relatively easy to make at home, and they’re a wonderful alternative for anyone who wants to consume the benefits of THC or CBD without smoking.
Tinctures are experiencing a modern revival as more people look for non-synthetic, safe, and affordable forms of medicine.
Also CBD tinctures make great mocktails and are an added benefit to self-care rituals. Put some in a juice, light our Soulshine Candle, and give your self a face massage with our CBD Face & Body Serum. Self-care is not just for Sundays!
CBD tinctures
Now that hemp is federally legal, you can buy hemp flowers online nationwide and make your own CBD-based hemp tinctures at home (see Hemp Flower Resources, below). The difference between hemp flowers and cannabis flowers is that the hemp strains contain no more than .3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in cannabis. This means your hemp tincture will not get you high – but it will provide an effective way to ingest the healing properties of CBD.
If you’ve made tinctures before, then you’ll have a great idea of how to get started. However, when tincturing hemp (or cannabis) flowers you do need to go through an extra step called “decarboxylation.” This step involves heating the flowers at a low temperature to convert the CBD from its inactive acid form (CBDa) to its bioavailable active form – the CBD we all know and love.
MATERIALS
1/4 ounce of hemp flowers
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
High-proof alcohol (For example, Everclear)
Glass jar with lid
Cheesecloth
Mesh strainer
Bowl
1 oz. glass bottle with dropper lid
INSTRUCTIONS
- The first step is to decarboxylate or “decarb” your hemp flowers to activate the CBD. Preheat your oven to 240-degrees Fahrenheit. While you’re waiting for the oven to come to temperature, break apart your hemp flowers with your hands or a coffee grinder reserved for this purpose. Spread the hemp on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake the plant material for 40 to 60 minutes. After the flowers have turned from green to slightly golden brown, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add your decarbed hemp flowers to your glass jar and cover the plant material completely with high-proof alcohol. (Your plant material should take up approximately half to 2/3 of the jar, then fill the rest of the jar with alcohol.) Screw on the lid, shake, and then place in a cool, dark location for 3 to 4 weeks while the alcohol extracts the healing constituents from the plant material. Shake the bottle a few times per week to keep the hemp flowers submerged.
- After about one month has passed, pour the infusion through a cheesecloth-lined mesh strainer to separate the plant material from the finished tincture.
- Fill your 1 oz. glass jar with a dropper lid first for easy access. Store the rest of your finished tincture in a cool, dark spot where it will last for years (alcohol is a super strong preservative). Make sure to label your jar with the ingredients and date.
How to take a CBD tincture
Tincture are typically taken by putting a few drops under your tongue (sublingually) or mixing them into a drink. High-proof alcohols, like the Everclear used in this recipe, taste very strong, so you may lean toward diluting a few drops into your drink of choice.
You should feel the effects within 30 to 40 minutes. As with all new substances, start small and increase your dosage based on your body’s response.
Hemp flower resources
There are a lot of hemp growers that you can source online. Be sure to find someone who uses Organic hemp flower. We love it best when it's grown outside!
Want to grow your own Hemp?
It is legal in many states to grow your own. Check out our blog post on How To Grow Your Own Hemp in your backyard garden. Or for a tincture with added herbal properties, grab a bag of our Empress Tea. Each bag contains 500mg of full spectrum hemp (that we already decarbed) and other healing herbs to relax, soothe, and comfort. Or if you want a little less CBD try our Armonía Tea, it has 300mg of CBD with nourishing heart-opening herbs and Ceremonial Cacao. It makes a wonderful tincture.
