In December of 2018, the President of the United States assigned into the Federal Farm Bill into law, legalizing industrial hemp across the country. This was exciting for a lot of people, especially those interested in CBD. It has led to CBD products showing up everywhere, especially CBD tinctures. You likely have heard of their benefits and maybe even had them recommended to you. It may leave you wondering, what even is CBD and what are tinctures?
What is CBD?
It is always good to start with the basics of something before getting into the nitty-gritty details. So, let’s define CBD. Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of over 113 chemical compounds, known as cannabinoids, that are naturally produced in Cannabis plants, like hemp and marijuana. These compounds can have a few several impacts on humans. The familiar odor of Cannabis plans comes from another set of compounds called terpenes which give cannabis plants their distinctive flavor and smell.
One cannabinoid is especially well-known but should not be confused with CBD. It is tetrahydrocannabinol, known by most people as THC. The reason it is so well known is because THC is psychoactive. It creates the high that is so commonly associated with Cannabis. CBD should not be, but often is, confused with THC. CBD does not have any psychoactive effects. The closest thing to a change in cognitive functions that people experience when taking CBD is an increased sense of calm, but they do not get a high from it.
While CBD is found in hemp and marijuana, CBD products are made from hemp. This is for two reasons. The first one is, as we mentioned, industrial hemp is legal across the United States, while marijuana is only legal in some states. Recreational marijuana use might be legal in some states, but what an individual or a business can grow is still highly regulated. The second reason is that hemp has much higher levels of CBD than THC. In fact, hemp is legally defined as Cannabis with less than 0.3% THC. Marijuana, on the other hand, is the other way around with high levels of THC and low levels of CBD.
People take CBD for several reasons. These reasons can range from helping with stress relief to assisting in keeping down inflammation to boosting their general well-being. There has been a recent upswing in research on CBD’s benefits for many conditions and the results have been encouraging. Some have been on conditions like CBD’s effect on bipolarity and PTSD, while others have been focused on what CBD can do for Chrohn’s Disease. There is still a lot of ongoing research. It is exciting to imagine what else researchers may discover about CBD.
CBD can be taken in a number of ways. It is available as lotions and other topicals; this is good to help with more localized issues. You can also find CBD in several food and drink products like gummies and coffee. These are popular because of the ease of taking them, but they are a bit more limited than an oil, which can be used in more ways. You can add CBD oil to food or drink, apply sublingually, mix with a topical, etc. Cannabidiol even comes in capsules that you can take like any other vitamin. Then there is, of course, CBD tinctures. But what exactly are CBD tinctures?
What is a tincture?
Tincture is a term that applies to more than just CBD. It is defined as a preparation that may include alcohol, water, oils plus some sort of compound. Tinctures are a lot more common than many may realize. Things like essential oils are technically tinctures. In our case though, we are focusing on tinctures made using hemp. CBD tinctures are made by soaking hemp leaves in a solution of water and alcohol, taking the resulting mixture, and often mixing in some sort of flavoring. They are usually stored in a bottle that has a dropper to make measuring the tincture easier.
Tinctures are a good way to take CBD. This is partially because they mix with other things easily, making them easy to use. It is also because they tend to have a longer shelf life than some other CBD products. If you’ve found that your CBD regimen is on an as-needed basis, using a tincture means you won’t need to worry as much about using it before it goes bad.
What makes a good CBD tincture?
Now that you have a better understanding of what CBD and tinctures are, let’s answer a very important question. What should you be looking for in a CBD tincture?
One of the best ways to find a good CBD tincture is by researching the manufacturer. Quality CBD products come from companies that are transparent about their practices and methods. They should also have a third-party laboratory test their products for purity. It also helps to look at the company’s reviews for customer satisfaction.
After you have decided on a company to buy the tincture from, you then need to decide two other things: what strength of CBD and what flavor. Some tinctures are going to be stronger than others. If you are new to CBD, it is smart to start with a lower concentration (we go into more detail why below). But if you already use CBD and are just looking for a new way to take it, you likely already know what dosage works best for you.
Many CBD tinctures have some sort of flavoring included in their formulation. This is to help improve the taste, as CBD coming from cannabis can taste a lot like, well, Cannabis. Most people appreciate formulas that include some flavoring. Common flavors include berry and vanilla, but there are many different kinds out there. Some people don’t mind the Cannabis flavor and opt for more natural tincture formulations.
One thing to bear in mind is that price is not always an indication of a good or poor-quality product. Some CBD products are more expensive for a reason. They may be strong, very pure, or have some great flavoring. Other times, people charge more because they feel like they can get away with it. As mentioned before, researching the company is one of the best ways to get an idea if their pricing is fair. Understanding how CBD content is measured and finding companies that advertise correctly and have their products measured by independent labs will help mitigate this risk.
How to take tinctures
There are a few different ways that people take CBD tinctures. All of them are effective, but some may work faster than others.
Some mix their tincture in with their food or a drink. While this will get the job done, it may take a little while for the CBD to take effect. This is because your body still must digest whatever the tincture has been mixed in with. You may also want to be mindful about how prolonged exposure to heat or cold might degrade the quality of your dosage. The appeal of doing it this way is flavor. As mentioned before, some tinctures have flavoring mixed in with them, but to sensitive palates it may still be too much. Mixing the tincture in with something else helps dull the bitter Cannabis flavor. However, you should note that CBD will start to break down at high temperatures, so mixing it in with hot coffee or tea may not be the most efficacious option.
The other way that people take tinctures is by putting the CBD drops directly into their mouth. The best way to do this is by placing the drops directly under your tongue. This way the CBD enters the blood stream more directly and starts working faster with more intensity. You can try a couple of different ways of taking the tincture and see which one works for you best.
Like stated above, you should start small in how much CBD you take. There are no serious side effects associated with CBD, but there are still some. They may include dizziness, fatigue, and mild nausea. The people who report having these usually experience them after a prolonged regimen of high-dose CBD use. The best way to avoid experiencing that yourself is by starting your dosage small and then seeing how it affects you. If you need more, then you can slowly increase how much you take. A lot of the process of starting to take CBD is just experimenting until you find the product and dosage that works best for you.
You should always consult with a medical professional before starting a new supplement, including CBD. As we covered above, there are no serious side effects associated with CBD, but it may not mix well with certain medications, depending on how the medication works.
No matter how you take them, or what flavor they are, tinctures are a great way to take CBD. It is easy, effective and can even taste good. There are a lot of tinctures out there. They even formulated tinctures with coconut or salmon oil for dogs and cats. The proof is in trying the products, so we encourage you to explore CBD tinctures.
We at Panacea Life Sciences hope this article has help answer your questions. If you still have some questions or any comments or concerns, please contact us. You can reach us here on our website or by emailing [email protected].
Sources:
https://www.healtheuropa.eu/cbd-oil-vs-cbd-tincture-whats-the-difference/96708/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/338491
https://www.leafly.com/news/health/cbd-tincture-for-beginners
