In the most traditional sense, tincture is a form of medicinal extract contained within an alcohol solution. It wasn’t until the 1920’s, THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol: the psychoactive chemical compound within cannabis) that tinctures could no longer be found at your local pharmacy.

Tinctures seem to be a lost method of medicating these days. Yet, in 1864, Lewis Carroll wrote of Alice. She drank a magical blue elixir in a bottle with the tag, “drink me”. For most of us, the idea of elixirs and tinctures allude to a pharmacological past where one might imagine sepia toned photographs. These photos would present alchemies of primeval potions, lotions, serums, salves and elixirs of all sorts. Really… the RX (which means “recipe” in Latin; the literal translation is “to take”) culture of the past 90-100 years ago appears to be more reminiscent of witch craft than medicine.

However, today in our culture, tincture may come in handy for those that have trouble smoking. Yet, still allow one to receive the pain relieving benefits the tetrahydrocannabinol compounds offer.

The easiest way to acquire THC tincture is to make it yourself. For the most effective tincture, use 90% proof alcohol (such as Everclear) as your base. The main ingredient in Everclear is ethyl alcohol. The ethyl alcohol will take the cannabis and diffuse it as time goes on, then preserve the THC compounds within the alcohol.

Start with 35ml of Everclear and combine with 1 gram of medication. According to this article, soaking the cannabis for seven days should produce effective results. Shake, strain, then store in a dark, cool area.