The combination of long workdays, financial pressure, and stressful current events have many Americans, and people around the world, looking for ways to restore a sense of calm and balance to their lives. Cannabidiol, or CBD oil as it’s more commonly known, has developed a foothold in the global market as a natural way to ease mental tension and relax. In addition to having a calming effect on users, CBD oil also boasts a number of other health benefits, especially given the variety of ways it can be administered.
CBD can be prepared and administered using many different methods and depending on which methods are used, it can have varying effects on the body and mind. Among these many forms, factors include CBD edibles, vapes, topicals, capsules, oils, and even cosmetic products. Each of these methods of consuming CBD is made to fit the lifestyle and preferences of consumers, and each presents its own advantages and disadvantages.
Most commonly, CBD is prepared by mixing CBD oil with a carrier oil that makes it more easily ingestible and bioavailable. However, taking the slightly different approach of mixing and soaking CBD in an alcohol and water base presents some unique and important benefits and is becoming more popular in the CBD community. This process is what is used to make what has come to be called CBD tinctures, and it should definitely be considered and tried by anyone who is interested in an alternative way to enjoy some unique benefits of CBD.
Using a base solution is only one of the things that make CBD tinctures different. They also often include essential oils, flavoring agents, and herbal extracts to make it taste better and offer some additional health benefits. Vanilla, peppermint, rosemary, and lavender oils are often used for this purpose.
These oils and natural fragrances have become more popular with health-conscious consumers. To make sure that their daily habits are in line with their wellness goals, many people keep up-to-date with quality health and lifestyle publication.
Because of the added fragrance and taste that CBD tinctures often possess due to their flavoring agents and extracts, they are often used in CBD-infused drinks or cocktails. The popularity of these drinks and products has increased rapidly over time, which is why it’s natural to assume that the popularity of CBD tinctures is also likely to continue increasing in the coming years. Because of the way CBD tinctures are prepared using a base solution of water and alcohol, they are more potent than typical CBD oil and produce more noticeable positive effects which is yet another reason they’re preferred by many.
In a popular piece by The Washington Post, one author details his experience making CBD tinctures part of his routine and the relaxing effect of the oils that were included.
Many people prefer to apply CBD topically on their skin. For this purpose, CBD tinctures may not be the best option and many users are better off using regular CBD oil. While CBD is very healthy for the skin and is, in fact, featured in many beauty products, the essential oils that are often featured in CBD tinctures can be slightly irritating to sensitive skin.
Despite these important differences, CBD oil and CBD tinctures share many things in common. Both are often sold in similar tinted glass bottles and typically come with an easy-to-use dropper that makes measuring your dose simple. Moreover, both are administered using the sublingual technique, which consists of using the dropper to put the oil or tincture under your tongue, waiting ten seconds, and then proceeding to swallow.
While CBD tinctures are more potent than CBD oil, both contain a higher concentration of CBD than other CBD products, including edibles, topicals, or vapes. The proportion of CBD in tinctures varies but generally ranges between ten and thirty percent, depending on how it’s extracted when being prepared.
When it comes to the similarities and differences between CBD oil and CBD tincture this article from Kyro has some useful info.
Some readers might be surprised to know that despite past regulatory complications, CBD is, in fact, legal in all 50 states in the US. This is because the Farm Bill of 2018 effectively declassified hemp as an illegal substance, making it legal to farm and manufacture it. By proxy, this bill made it legal to manufacture and consume hemp products, including CBD.
Technically, the amount of THC in a hemp plant should not exceed 0.3 percent. This means that CBD that contains more than 0.3 percent THC would be considered illegal as a matter of federal law. This isn’t a concern for most CBD users however, because CBD is typically extracted from hemp plants that contain extremely low concentrations of THC.
This piece by Healthcare Weekly offers some useful tips for people that are looking into CBD or becoming curious about its benefits. Educating yourself on its benefits and legal status is the key to being an educated consumer.
CBD and CBD products are becoming gradually more accepted in the US. While some local state laws could have some ambiguous regulations surrounding the classification of hemp due to its close relationship to marijuana, CBD as a whole should be seen as legal and safe to consume in the US. However, it could be worth researching the specific regulations of your local state just to be safe.
Some users have taken to producing their own homemade CBD tinctures. Doing so takes time and some research, but can save a substantial amount of money over time.
There are many ways to make your own CBD tincture, but regardless of your method, the first step is always to create your own cannabis extract. Secondly, users mix the extract with an alcohol base, typically using alcohol with high proof and high concentration. 151-proof rum or Everclear is often used for creating an alcohol base.
Finally, some CBD do-it-yourself enthusiasts mix their tincture with essential oils or flavoring agents of their choice. It’s a process that many find rewarding as it offers them a way to personalize their CBD products, and to experiment with flavors that might be hard to find in stores or dispensaries.
As one New York Times piece puts it, many users of CBD oil describe the effect of CBD as a “body high.” Although this is somewhat of a misnomer as CBD does not technically get a user high due to its lack of THC, it does produce a relaxing and calming effect due to how it interacts with users’ endocannabinoid systems. It’s an effect that is even more thoroughly enjoyed by CBD enthusiasts that have embraced tinctures due to their greater potency.
If you’re interested in CBD and it’s many benefits, CBD tinctures might be well worth exploring as they can offer a greater potency and are more customizable.
