A cannabis tincture is a liquid extract of cannabis, usually in an alcohol, oil, or glycerin base, that comes in a small bottle with a dropper. You measure out a few drops and either hold them under your tongue or mix them into food or a drink. Tinctures have been around a lot longer than vape pens or gummies, and they’re still one of the easiest ways to measure how much you take.
This guide covers what a weed tincture is, how it differs from an edible, how to take one, and what to ask about before you buy.
What’s in a Tincture
Every tincture starts the same way: cannabinoids like THC, CBD, or both are pulled out of the plant and suspended in a liquid. What changes is the liquid.
Alcohol-based tinctures are the original version. They’re thin, shelf stable, and have a sharp, boozy taste.
Oil-based tinctures use a carrier oil like MCT oil. They taste milder and feel a little thicker. Strictly speaking, a tincture is alcohol based, so some people call these cannabis oils rather than tinctures, but you’ll see both names on dispensary shelves.
Glycerin-based tinctures are sweeter and alcohol free. They tend to taste the best and work well mixed into drinks.
On top of the base, tinctures vary by what’s in them. Some are mostly THC, some are mostly CBD, and some are a mix at a set ratio, like 1:1. Many are flavored. The label tells you the total cannabinoid content of the bottle and how much is in a single serving, and reading that label carefully is the most important thing you’ll do with a tincture. If labels make your eyes glaze over, we wrote a guide on how to read a cannabis label.
Tinctures vs Edibles
Tinctures and edibles are close cousins. Both are taken by mouth, both skip the smoke, and both can take longer to kick in than flower or a vape.
The difference is how you take them. With an edible, you eat it, it gets digested, and then you wait. Lots of people describe it as a slow build that can take an hour or more. With a tincture, you have a choice. If you swallow it or mix it into a drink, it behaves a lot like an edible. If you hold it under your tongue for a bit before swallowing, many people say they feel it sooner. Everyone’s body is different, so treat those timelines as rough, not promises.
The other difference is control. A gummy is one fixed amount. A tincture lets you adjust by the drop, which makes it easier to find the amount that’s right for you. For more on choosing edibles, see our post on picking the right edible for your experience level.
How to Use a Tincture
Under the Tongue
- Shake the bottle well.
- Fill the dropper to the amount the label lists as one serving, or less if you’re new.
- Drop it under your tongue.
- Hold it there for 30 seconds to a minute before swallowing.
- Wait before you take more. A long time. More on that below.
In Food or Drinks
Add your measured serving to a drink, a smoothie, a cup of tea, or a dressing. Glycerin and alcohol tinctures mix into drinks easily; oil-based tinctures blend better into food or something with a little fat in it. Remember that once it’s mixed in, it works more like an edible, so plan to wait before deciding it “didn’t work.”
What Not to Do
Don’t vape or smoke a tincture. They aren’t made for it. And don’t eyeball it straight from the bottle. The dropper is there for a reason.
How Much Should You Take?
Start low, go slow. That’s the whole rule.
Read the label to find how many milligrams are in one full dropper and how many in a single serving. If you’re new to cannabis or new to tinctures, start with less than a full serving. Then wait. Give it at least an hour or two before taking more, especially if you swallowed it or mixed it into a drink. A common tincture mistake is taking a second dose because the first one “isn’t doing anything” and then having both kick in at once.
Keep a note of how much you took and how it felt. Tinctures make it easy to repeat what worked, but only if you remember what you did.
THC, CBD, or Both?
THC tinctures produce the high cannabis is known for. CBD tinctures are not intoxicating in the same way. Mixed-ratio tinctures land somewhere in between depending on the ratio. Which one is right for you depends on what kind of experience you’re after, and that’s a great question to bring to the counter. Our budtenders can walk you through what’s on the shelf. You can also browse our edibles and CBD pages for an overview.
Storing Your Tincture
Keep it tightly capped, in a cool, dark spot, out of direct sunlight. Most tinctures come in dark glass bottles for exactly that reason. And because a tincture can look like an everyday dropper bottle, keep it locked up in its original labeled container.
Can You Make a Tincture at Home?
You can. Home tinctures are typically made by soaking decarboxylated cannabis in high-proof alcohol or glycerin and straining it. The catch is that you can’t know the strength of a homemade tincture the way you can with a lab-tested product, so dosing becomes guesswork. If you try it, label it clearly, start with very small amounts, and keep it locked away.
Find a Tincture at Lit
Stop by Lit on Federal Blvd or South Broadway and ask a budtender whether we have tinctures in stock, or look over the Federal menu or Broadway menu first. Take your time choosing.
