‘Three drops of a tincture will cure whatever ails you.’ ‘Tinctures are so good because they are powerful forms of medicine.’ Or, ‘Tinctures don’t work because they’re too weak.’ None of these assertions are true. This is the biggest problem with tinctures; they are wrapped in a conundrum of mystery and confusion.

So, let’s sort out the truth about tinctures. Knowledge, after all, will give you the power to determine if tinctures offer any hope for you and will allow you to approach tinctures with realistic expectations.

1. What are cannabis tinctures? Cannabis tinctures are known by the colorful names green or golden dragon. They are a mixture of alcohol and cannabis extract.
2. While their names – green or golden dragon – may give you the impression that they are powerful concoctions, that isn’t true. That, however, doesn’t mean that they don’t hold promise of offering relief from various conditions and/or symptoms.
3. Many dosages listed on the bottles of pre-mixed tinctures are unrealistically low. Finding the correct dosage for yourself is a trial-and-error process. You can start by putting a small amount under your tongue – maybe a quarter of a teaspoon – and gauging how it works. If you feel you could take more to get more relief, try half a teaspoon.
4. Yes, you can cook with tincture. The varieties of recipes where you can use cannabis tincture as an additive are broad. A short perusal of the Internet will turn up many such recipes, including mixed drinks – alcohol or non-alcohol based. You can makes salad dressing, mashed potatoes, soups and more with cannabis tinctures.
5. This brings up another factoid about tinctures – they don’t all come with an alcohol base. For instance, there are oil-based tinctures you can use.
6. Tinctures have long shelf lives. The alcohol, as well as other liquid bases for the tinctures, retard spoilage.
7. Tinctures are low-calorie alternatives to, for instance, cannabis brownies.
8. With cannabis containing THC, you may feel a high when using your cannabis tincture. You may feel the high a little longer than you would if you smoked the same cannabis.

You can make your own cannabis tincture, too. Once again, there are recipes online that can help you.