Cannabis Tincture

Step 1

Take your dried cannabis and grind it. A hand grinder is best, but you can also use a food processor or coffee grinder.

Step 2

Once you’ve finely ground the cannabis, place it on a cookie sheet and bake at 240°F (115°C) for 20-30 minutes. This decarboxylates the cannabis, a necessary chemical reaction in the production of edibles. Some of the terpenes and flavonoids are lost during the carboxylation process, but you can limit this by keeping an eye on the oven to make sure the temperature doesn’t get too high.

Step 3

Once you’ve taken the cannabis out of the oven, pour it into a glass jar that you can tightly seal.

Step 4

Pour the alcohol into the jar and gently shake it before sealing and storing in a cool, dark space.

Step 5

The general rule of thumb is the longer you store the tincture, the stronger the final product. Some recipes claim that the tincture will be good to go within a few hours, while others recommend letting it sit for weeks or even a month or longer. If you do store it for more than 24 hours, make sure to give it a good shake once a day.

Step 6

Once you’re done letting the mixture sit, take it out and place a mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth over a large container. Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth and let it strain through, and then repeat a second time.

Step 7

Take the mixture and use a funnel to pour it into small glass dropper bottles. Make sure to use dark dropper bottles, which will suffer less light damage and thus have a longer shelf life.

Step 8

If you would prefer not to use alcohol, you can substitute glycerin or vinegar in the above recipe.