Tinctures are an increasingly popular way to consume cannabis: They’re easy to dose and easy to take. The tincture’s versatility has meant that a growing number of product options are available in today’s modern cannabis market.

To manufacture cannabis products, phytocannabinoids like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) must first be extracted from the plant. There are many different ways of doing this, each with their pros and cons, but the three most common methods involve:

Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Butane
Ethanol

The end result of a cannabis extraction process yields a concentrate that’s the basis for many products like vapor pens, salves and—yes, you guessed it—tinctures. In traditional herbalism, tinctures are made of plant matter that’s soaked in alcohol, then strained and put in a glass dropper bottle for consumption.

In the cannabis world, tinctures can encompass this method as well as cannabis concentrates that are dissolved in a carrier liquid—be it alcohol, vegetable glycerin or oil—and then packaged in small, glass dropper bottles. These liquids serve as a vessel that THC, CBD, and other phytocannabinoids and terpenes can bind to.


A bottle of glycerin purchased at a pharmacy

Most people don’t think about the type of liquid being used in their tincture. However, this can be important information, depending on your individual needs and preferences. Following are some of the more common liquids used in cannabis tinctures as well as the pros and cons of each.

Learn more: Using Cannabis Tincture

What’s the difference between glycerin tinctures vs alcohol

Medical marijuana is a subtle herb because it not only affects the Endocannabinoid System (receptors on nerve synapses throughout the body) differently depending on how it is absorbed, but also alters your consciousness. We rarely talk about what consciousness is (scientists debate what it is and where it originates in us) but substances like sugar, alcohol, caffeine, marijuana and nicotine all alter our consciousness when we use them. But marijuana takes consciousness shifting to the next level. It’s the only plant with molecules that lock on to receptors throughout our entire nervous and immune system. Its effect on us is noticeable like the other substances, but goes way beyond a buzz- especially if you are using it correctly.

Glycerin is a vegetable based sweetener and can absorb the resinous molecules in marijuana. Glycerin tincture is typically made by soaking glycerin and plant matter for several weeks or months and the ‘cold’ process makes the resulting tincture less psychoactive while retaining medicinal benefits such as reduced inflammation, anxiety, tremors, and racing thoughts. The consciousness shift is more subtle as its affecting your body more than just releasing dopamine in the brain.

Edibles are typically made oil or butter that has been cooked with cannabis. This is more potent than glycerin (heating THC makes it more potent) and the oils carry the cannabis molecules more deeply in to the tissues and nervous system which increases the psychoactive and sentient affects such as increased appetite and libido, muscle relaxation and pain relief, and reduced insomnia.

Alcohol tincture is a more aggressive method of breaking down resins but is typically made the way glycerine tinctures are made, or is cooked away to make concentrated cannabinoid resin. The alcohol enters the blood stream faster (sometimes through capillaries in the mouth which bring it more directly to the brain) and can have a more narcotic or psychoactive effect than glycerin, but also decreased subtlety in the overall high. It is recommended for more recreational use, a quicker psychoactive response, and for patients who are dealing with chronic pain and need to diversify their dosages between smoking, vaping, edibles, or tinctures.

Learn more: Make Your Own Cannabis Tincture

Cannabis Tincture Glycerin vs Alcohol, Which Is Best?

1. Alcohol-Based Cannabis Tinctures

Alcohol was likely one of the first liquids used in cannabis tinctures, dating back to the early 1900s when marijuana was a common occurrence on pharmacy shelves. Alcohol can also be used to pull phytocannabinoids from raw cannabis flower—you’ll find plenty of recipes for how to do this online. In this scenario, you usually let the flower soak in alcohol for a period of time, strain and then consume the tincture as needed.

Another method, which involves the use of laboratory equipment, involves using alcohol to extract phytocannabinoids from raw flower, then evaporating off the alcohol, leaving a concentrate. Alcohol is then mixed back into the concentrate to create a tincture. Alcohol tinctures can have a bad taste, so it’s common for producers to add honey to make products more palatable.

Alcohol-based cannabis tincture pros:

Fast absorption rate, so effects are felt quickly
Longer shelf life due to anti-bacterial properties of alcohol

Alcohol-based cannabis tincture cons:

Unpleasant taste
Not accessible to those avoiding alcohol
No longer legal in California with the passing of adult-use marijuana

2. Vegetable Glycerin Cannabis Tinctures

Vegetable glycerin is a clear, odorless liquid that’s used in many industries. Chemically speaking, glycerin makes up the backbone of fats called triglycerides. Vegetable glycerin is made by taking these triglycerides from plant sources and breaking them down. Typical plant triglyceride sources are coconut oil, palm oil and soy. For this reason, it’s important to ask where a company sources its vegetable glycerin from, especially if you’re on a special diet or using tinctures in conjunction with a serious medical condition.

These types of tinctures can be made by soaking raw flower in vegetable glycerin or dissolving a cannabis concentrate in vegetable glycerin.

Vegetable glycerin cannabis tincture pros:

Sweet and palatable taste

Vegetable glycerin cannabis tincture cons:

Glycerin can’t hold as many phytocannabinoids as alcohol, so more product needed to get therapeutic effects
Shorter shelf life than that of alcohol tinctures
Sourcing can be questionable

All the Medicinal Plants of North America

With the help of Dr. Nicole Apelian, I finally gathered all the remedies and medicinal plants of North America and included them in one book.

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