Anybody have luck with dispensary-bought tinctures? (or butter?)

if it makes u feel better, i too spent around 30 bucks for some bull shit potion ( tincture ) of medical marijuana and nothing happened to me, i even said wow ill just gulp it all and so i did and still nothing. ripped off, never had a good edible except from a homemade brownie from pops in plpc. shouts.

 

Because money is more important than honesty to most people now these days.

 

I'm sorry you folks seem to be having trouble with your dispensaries. One-two ml should be enough to fix you up, if the tincture is good. I make high grade glycerin hash tinctures for vaping with e-cigs, which only hold 1 - 2ml, and half a cart gets me going just about as much as a drop or two taken sublingually (under the tongue).

If you're swallowing it, particularly just before or after a meal, that can dilute the effectiveness. Otherwise I'd explain your troubles to your dispensary, and ask them to disclose just how much herb or extract was used in your tincture. If another patient happens to be present, you can always ask offhandedly what they think of the tincture if they've tried it. Could be that you got a bad batch, or they just don't have the patience to make it properly... they can jam all the cannabinoids in there that they want, but if it's under processed it's not going to do much.

 

If you want a more well-rounded effect from a small amount of tincture, so that you don't need to drink a large amount of glycerin, you should use herb at the rate of at least 3 grams per liquid oz of glycerin. Using hash on its own usually seems to give a bit more of a heady effect with a body-zing, rather than being relaxing.

There are 30ml in a liquid oz, that only makes each ml a .10g dose. Using only 2g per liquid oz makes each ml only .07, and just one gram of bud per liquid oz, and you're down to about .03g. Most edibles require around .15g up to .30g, depending whether it's concentrate (hash) or herb they're measuring. This is why instead of drinking, these tinctures are better for more immediate sublingual use.
If like most folks, you find you have a hard time coating that much herb, with with that little glycerin (it's somewhat more possible to accomplish in larger and less-heated batches, but still easier to do the following), you make two or more runs, using half the material once, straining, then repeating the process. If you want a well-rounded effect, and more potency, just do as described above, then add a final round of processing with a half gram of hash. The resulting tincture should provide the more immediate sublingual effects you need with between 8-15 drops (not droppers-full, drops), using just a little more if you intend on just eating it. So now, that small liquid oz, finally contains close to 30 strong doses.

Most likely, the dispensary only used 1 gram of bud, per liquid ounce of glycerin. This would require around a full dropper or two, somehow delivered under the tongue in a reasonable amount of time, and that's if it is made properly. I could see why drinking the bottle may be tempting!

As far as processing goes, the most important aspects when using heat, are to keep your materials very well-sealed, and the heat relatively low. Like I may have mentioned earlier, glycerin is the vapor vehicle used in many e-liquids for use in e-cigarettes. Meaning, as soon as you start seeing glycerin vapor, you can be certain it contains some cannabinoids, more or less, depending how far along you are in the process.. the later in the process it happens, or the longer you allow them to leak out, the more potency you're losing.
If this happens, you'll be left with the more resistant plant waxes and chlorophyll. In other words, a strong-flavored canna tincture, with very little punch.

I recommend using a low-medium heat, around 190, for 10-24 hours. But still, most people find that even heat-processed tinctures, especially when made with glycerin, still improve after they've been allowed to sit for several weeks. You will definitely have an immediately decent effect when heated properly, but it can improve over time as the glycerin slowly continues to break down the cannabinoids.

Unfortunately, many people rush this process, and think "more heat = faster", and they over heat and cook the cannainoids too much and too quick, causing them to become too brittle to break down as quickly and effectively.

Another thing to watch out for, is that once the tincture is finished and has been sitting, the potency tends to sink, even after it's been for the most part liquefied... the tincture at the base is often stronger, than that near the surface. Dispensaries make huge batches, and they occasionally don't stir them well enough when doling out the doses into bottles, and so the last bottles they fill (or the first bottles, if the dispenser port is at the base of the tub) will be the most potent.

 

We hadn't taken your personal tolerance into account yet If made properly it really should be more effective for your body than smoking, which destroys cannabinoids in the process and loses a few more upon exhalation, so whatever the cost is, you will probably find you need less medicine when taken orally/sublingually, if the tincture is made well. Similar to vaping, you are losing and wasting less material in edible form. If you're looking for longer lasting effects, I would drink it a few moments after a small oily snack. If frequency of use is an issue you may wish to skip using it sublingually, unless you want immediate relief or a stronger but somewhat briefer effect. Eating will allow for a slower on-set, and longer lasting relief. If you smoke three times a day, you likely will need a well made edible only once a day, twice max if you want to be able to function at all

It's unfortunate because I've privately supported several and for the most part I approve of what they're doing and what they stand for, but each day, the more folks I speak with, and the more I read the forums, the more I begin to doubt the edible methods practiced by some dispensaries. Unless you have a somewhat serious digestive condition, your average edible medicine weight-for-weight should really be anywhere from 'ever so slightly', to 'greatly' more effective as well as being longer lasting than your smokable meds.

 

I recommend a small oily snack a few minutes before hand, so that your liver is primed and won't rush to metabolize the glycerin, converting it more slowly to its most potent form, depositing fewer of your valuable cannabinoids directly into the 'waste bin'.

I think Lebowski and I have spoken a bit before about edibles and their lack of effectiveness on certain people, ourselves included, if I remember correctly (and I may not, there are quite a few of us who do the same) he makes his own edibles for the same reason I do, that the processing methods others use are often somewhat lacking.

I wouldn't feel a thing from a firecracker, for instance. Or weed 'tea', I used to try that back in the old days, even when brewed with enough fat it doesn't work for me at all, to be honest what people consider 'proper' butters and canna oils, made in only that brief amount of time (particularly if not decarbed), do virtually nothing for me.

I require intense, but very precise processing to achieve any sort of decent effect, it improves the systemic bioavailibility in your body immensely if you process the cannabinoids well enough first, and help them along the way, before you eat them. Just as if you were to eat a bud raw as it is, with a less-than-properly processed edible, your body can only do so much with those unactivated chemicals, before it gives up on them and sends them through, so to speak.

People who have digestive difficulties or 'edible immunities' (not really the correct term, just a common one) not only require the most skilled and precise, processing possible, they also frequently need higher doses.

Proper processing benefits every patient (not just those who need it) in the end-efficiency of the med. It's just not seen as crucial for those with an easier time absorbing edibles, because people assume when they feel 'something' that it worked pretty close to %100... which isn't usually the case, especially if it's a higher dose than you'd normally like to smoke, and you're not glued to the couch.

I spent years, jealous of my mates, assuming edibles didn't work on me, lol. I tend to go through them faster than anyone I know, when I have get-togethers or if I participate in festivals, to ensure folks have a good time, I have to make shared batches that are much weaker than those I make for myself.. I've seen far too many people bent over a toilet (or trash bin)! In the end it's usually best to go through the trial and error of making your own, especially if you're disappointed with what is available, whatever the reason.

In any case, sorry this is was so long.. on a side note, I recommend using tincture to sweeten up a small cup of un-sweetened hot cocoa, or a black earl grey or herbal tea.

 

If you want positive results from tinctures never trust a commercial operation to get the job done with efficiency. Just like with quality small grows compared to large scale operations, the love and time just doesn't shine through to the end product when made in large quantities. If you have some basic kitchen skills and want a good tincture you should just make it yourself. You can use as little as a gram to make it and it can be a finished product in not much longer than an hour or so if your experienced with the process.

ingredients
1. quality bud or shake
2. baking pan and oven
3. everclear or the highest proof clear consumable alcohol
4. mason jar to suit size of batch
5. pot of simmering water to set jar in
6. cheese cloth
7. tincture dropper bottles

grind your bud, spread it over a baking pan on aluminum foil just to prevent sticking, cook for no more than 5 mins on 300 to 325, place that cooked bud into a mason jar along with the alcohol (ratio - 1/8 to 2 oz of alcohol) so if you just use a gram or so use 1 oz. Place jar in simmering pot with lid off to release vapors and stir occasionally for about 20 mins. Strain your mix through a ultra fine strainer, cheese cloth or food press. Coffee filters are a pain but could work if you have all day to watch your mix strain they also tend to tear when squeezing out the remainder of liquid. Walah! you have some fantastic tincture. Store in freezer. This method is effective to the nines but tastes like burnt herb. If you want to preserve the yummy delicious taste of the herb don't bake it before you mix the herb and alcohol. The difference in this instance is the time it takes to make it, which is worth it for me cause i love the taste of the freshy freshness. I usually would do it for a week or more storing it in the freezer, opening it daily and shaking it. Then proceed with the simmer when you feel the time is right. Sativa buds give you nice energy and indica buds give you more of a night time or couch lock feel. Just like am and pm medications like Dayquil and Nightquil. I developed a pretty hoarse cough from smoking to much of both cigarettes and herb. After using tinctures and edibles i got the same effects for longer periods of time and my voice is back to normal. Ingredients always matter from the foods we eat to the ganja we ingest, if you can prepare a quality meal for you or your family then you can make a quality tincture. Hope this provides some help, it really is not difficult just don't over bake or bake at temps over 380 or you will vaporize the thc instead of just decarbonalizing it. The long period of time that it sits in the freezer for the tastier method does this for you. Some speculate that cooking it gives you a much stronger tinc and so far i would agree but i have only done the cooking method with an indica and it had me wanting to go to sleep. I did the cold extraction with a sativa and it was also fabulous but i didnt think to try it both ways at either time. Will def be researching further, i personally love it and think a Sativa blend could be used to treat drug addictions for dangerous speedy drugs and indicas to help with the withdrawals of pain killers and opiates because of its longer lasting but non addictive qualities. Those seeking alternative methods of relief for central nervous system distorters should try it as well as alternative to smoking. And of course just the everyday to occasional user just for sheer enjoyment of all the benefits of the most incredible plant the earth could provide. Peace out be good

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