Cannabadiol, or CBD, has seen an explosion in popularity in the past few years, showing up in everything from coffee to makeup to mocktails. CBD has been so popular, in fact, that CBD sales, which reached $535 million in 2018, will likely reach more than $19.5 billion by 2025, as predicted by cannabis data analytics firm BDSA.  Long before CBD made a splash in the food and body care scene, loyalists have been using it for its seeming ability to help all kinds of conditions, like depression and anxiety, cancer-related symptoms, its calming skin applications, and for its anti-inflammatory qualities. Many are drawn to CBD because it is non-intoxicating and contains little to no THC, the compound in cannabis that gets you high.  Even though CBD has surged in popularity, the price of good quality tinctures has not necessarily become more affordable. There are a dizzying array of CBD oil products available and a very wide and seemingly arbitrary price range – many of which have hazy legality and dubious quality control, if any at all. 

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Making a CBD Tincture at Home

The good news: the confusion of a CBD purchase online or at a dispensary can be bypassed completely by making CBD tinctures at home, and it is surprisingly simple, takes very little time, can be made to your preference, all while saving you some money, too.

hands holding a brown tincture glass bottle and dropping liquid into a coffee cup CBD tinctures are very versatile and discreet. Photo credit: Shutterstock
There are two primary ingredients for making your own tincture: CBD isolate, and MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil. CBD isolate is frequently the lowest price per milligram when compared with other CBD products. It is also very easy to add to food and beverages, and in this case, when combined with MCT oil, a homemade tincture. 

MCT Oil

Frequently made from coconut oil, MCT oil is thought to have many health benefits because of its shorter triglyceride chain length making it more easily digested, which is alleged to promote weight loss, reduce lactate buildup, fight yeast and bacterial growth, and could help manage the symptoms of autism, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s Disease. 

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CBD Isolate

Crystallized white powder in a clear plastic scoop CBD isolate comes in a crystallized powder. Photo credit: Shutterstock
When choosing your isolate, be sure to consider more than just the price. Knowing the source of the isolate, like where the hemp was grown, should be an important consideration. And always buy CBD sourced in the United States, if possible, because it is more likely to have some quality, manufacturing, and testing oversight than foreign-sourced CBD. 

Step by Step Instructions to Create CBD Tinctures

Now that you’ve got you’ve got your primary ingredients, here’s the complete list of what you’ll need: 

  • CBD isolate powder
  • MCT oil
  • Oral syringe or small medicine cup
  • Dropper bottle

The first thing to do is decide how concentrated to make the CBD oil. Adding around 1000 mg of isolate to 30 ml of oil will give you a concentration of about 30 mg of CBD per milliliter. 

woman dropping a yellow liquid under her tongue from a tincture dropper Tinctures work best when dropped under your tongue. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Once that’s figured out, transfer the isolate to the dropper bottle using a small scoop or spoon. Next, measure the oil and add it slowly to the container. Then, screw the cap on the dropper and shake for 30 seconds to a minute, at least long enough for it to dissolve completely. And voila! Your very own CBD tincture.

Conclusion

Now that the CBD is made, it can be taken orally under the tongue, or added to food and drinks, just like any other CBD tincture. By keeping it in a cool, dry place with little exposure to heat and light, it should keep for around six months or so.