CBD Every Day: How to Make Your Own Infused Tinctures And Pain Relievers

By Sandra Hinchliffe

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a cannabinoid occurring naturally in the cannabis plant in varying percentages. More than 60 different types of cannabinoids have been described in scientific literature, with CBD occurring in the most concentrated amounts, after THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). CBD was first analyzed and described in depth by Dr. Raphael Mechoulam in 1963.

It should be noted here that CBD doesn’t start out as CBD in raw cannabis plant material. CBD begins as CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) and becomes CBD through the process of decarboxylation, when carbon atoms are dropped from the original CBDA molecule over time, or through the application of heat, or with both heat and time.

CBD is specific to the Cannabis sativa plant and does not occur in any other plant. However, similar cannabinoid-like chemistry can be found throughout the plant kingdom, such as the terpene beta-caryophyllene in black pepper, cloves and carnations, which has affinity for CB2 receptors. More studies are needed to understand the relationship of cannabinoids like CBD and cannabinoid-like substances in other plants to the endocannabinoid system as well as their effects and usefulness for humans and animals.

CBD has become one of the most talked about and promising plant medicines of the 21st century. Apart from the documented medicinal effects of CBD, many people are interested in this cannabinoid simply for the gentle, sober relief and relaxation effects that they have experienced while consuming CBD-rich cannabis plants and products.

Most people who consume CBD plants and products report that there is no psychoactive “high” from CBD. When compared with THC, the psychoactive effects and the health concerns for which CBD is therapeutic are not completely understood by scientists at this time. Your experience with CBD will depend on many factors, so it is important to embark on this exploration with both an open mind and skepticism.

CBD and CBDA Tincture Recipe

Making CBD-infused tinctures is an easy way to prepare CBD-rich cannabis for use in many herbal remedies. A good-quality tincture requires some very powerful alcohol; grain or any culinary-grade alcohol (150 proof or more) is required—anything less will be disappointing. Higher proofs are always better for creating tinctures, so if these higher-proof alcohols are available where you live, you will obtain the best results by using them. While these are culinary-grade, they are also extremely flammable, and you should not work with them around any open flame or spark. I always tincture with my kitchen window open and all appliances, except for the refrigerator, turned off.

Choose the whole-plant form that will work best for your needs. Whole flowers and leaves will lend their chlorophyll to the tincture and make it a lovely emerald color just like whole-plant oil infusions. Sifted hashish will have less or no chlorophyll. Full-extract or RSO will contain chlorophyll, similar to the flower and leaf tincture. Raw resins and rosin will be similar to sifted hashish. Chlorophyll has some of its own benefits as an antioxidant, and I prefer tinctures with it.

Once you have chosen the form of CBD-rich cannabis you would like to use in your tincture, you will want to make this as concentrated as possible so that it can serve as a base tincture for other recipes. You may also enjoy it on its own and make it as concentrated or mild as you desire.

If you are using flowers, leaves or sifted hashish, there is a good chance that they are not decarboxylated, which is a step you need to perform before you make the tincture. If the plant material you have chosen is already decarboxylated, or if you desire to tincture mostly CBDA, you may move forward with the tincturing part of the recipe, skipping the decarboxylation step.

You will hear a lot of different opinions about the exact temperature to decarboxylate CBDA into CBD! In some experiments, I have found that 275°F (135°C) for 60 minutes has produced tinctures that are rich in CBD. I most often decarb for 90 minutes, and this produces the best tincture in my experience. Decarboxylating your cannabis material longer than 90 minutes at that temperature may impart undesirable flavors, so it’s best to use this temperature (275°F) and time (90 minutes) for the best flavors in my experience.

The Decarboxylation Process

1. Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C).
2. Place whatever form of cannabis you have selected into a glass or silicone baking dish with a lid. There is no need to chop the plant material for this process.
3. Process in the oven for 90 minutes, covered with a lid that fits well to prevent as much of the terpene content from escaping as possible. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the counter before coarsely chopping to perform the tincture process if you are using flowers, leaves or large chunks of hashish material.

The Essential Tinctures

My personal CBD medicine cabinet generally has one or more of these four tinctures available at any time. CBD or CBDA can be infused into these tinctures along with the other herbs, depending on your preference. As a general rule of thumb, I do think that tinctures work best when there are at least five milligrams to 10 mg of CBD or CBDA per 1-milliliter serving. The amount of CBD- or CBDA-rich cannabis that you add should be based on the calculations you have made for each serving size you desire.

Each of these four tinctures follows the same directions, with the only difference being the ingredients. See the directions below the ingredient lists to make approximately four ounces (120 ml) of each tincture.

Quick Relief Tincture

A simple formula for pain relief that pairs the anti-inflammatory roots of peony with CBD cannabis and other inflammation-fighting herbs.

• 1/4 cup (25 grams) peony root, dried and sliced
• 2 tbsp. (15 grams) frankincense serrata resin
• 2 large thumb-size pieces fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
• CBD-rich cured cannabis flowers (decarboxylated before tincturing-see above) or CBDA-rich cured cannabis flowers
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) 150-proof culinary alcohol (or a little more as needed to cover the herbs)

Sleepy-Time Tincture

A relaxing blend of herbs paired with CBD-rich cannabis. Try this with hot water or hot lemon balm tea before bed.

• 2 large thumb-size pieces fresh turmeric, chopped
• 1/4 cup (15 grams) fresh or dried chamomile flowers
• 1/4 cup (15 grams) fresh or dried lemon balm leaves
• 1/2 tsp. (1 gram) whole black peppercorns
• CBD-rich cured cannabis flowers (decarboxylated before tincturing) or CBDA-rich cured cannabis flowers
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) 150-proof culinary alcohol (or a little more as needed to cover the herbs)

Mood Therapy Tincture

This is an extremely effective mood-lifting tincture infused with CBD that’s great for when you are having a bad day or just feeling a little blue.

• 1/3 cup or 5 sprigs (18 grams) fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp. (6 grams) ashwagandha powder
• 50 saffron threads
• 1 tbsp. (8 grams) frankincense serrata resin
• CBD-rich cured cannabis flowers (decarboxylated before tincturing) or CBDA-rich cured cannabis flowers
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) 150-proof culinary alcohol (or a little more as needed to cover the herbs)

Detox Tincture

Detox means a bunch of different things to many people. In my herbal remedy repertoire, “detox” is a kind of bitter tincture to have around when you’ve had a little too much to eat or drink. Cannabis is a bitter and cooling herb, and since this tincture is infused with other bitter herbs and CBD-rich cannabis, you’ll feel the relief right away.

• 1 medium-sized fresh burdock root, chopped
• 1 medium orange, peel only, chopped (wash the peel to remove any coating before using in this recipe)
• 1 medium fresh dandelion root, washed, peeled, chopped
• 1 tsp. (2 grams) fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp. (8 grams) milk thistle
• CBD-rich cured cannabis flowers (decarboxylated before tincturing) or CBDA-rich cured cannabis flowers
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) 150-proof culinary alcohol (or a little more as needed to cover the herbs)

Directions

1. Put all the herbs, including the cannabis, into an amber glass canning jar. Pour the alcohol over them. The alcohol should cover all the herbs completely. Affix the lid.
2. Prepare a pan with very warm water and allow the jar to sit in the warm water until it cools to room temperature. This step will soften the resins and other ingredients. Shake the jar and put in a dark, warm spot in the kitchen.
3. Allow the jar to rest for three to four weeks for best results. Shake the jar at least twice a week.
4. Shake the jar before decanting and straining the tincture from the herbs through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Squeeze out as much of the liquid from the herbs as possible.
5. Prepare clean glass tincture bottles with dropper caps. Using a funnel or spout, fill each bottle and affix the caps. Use within six months for best results.

“Roll Your Own” Pain Pills

Everyone loves pain pills. More pain-relieving pharmaceutical drugs are sold in the United States than any other class of drug. From prescription-only opioid pain relievers like OxyContin and fentanyl to over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen and Tylenol—we love our pharmaceutical pain pills. And we love them to death. People die because these pills become a lifestyle—instead of a rare necessity.

There are many of us who have rejected the death culture of pharmaceutical pain pills and have taken back our liberty to manage our own pain with home remedies. In locations where cannabis—CBD and all other cannabinoids—are legal, this gentle herb is often included in home remedies for pain management.

Pain pills are loved by humans for the convenience and fast relief they offer. When your hips and knees ache, the last thing you want to do is stand on your feet and make a decoction. We all want to lie down and pop some pain pills.

Now, if you’ve ever tried to make herbal gel capsules at home, you know how difficult they are to fill, their tendency to leak and get sticky, and sometimes they are a challenge to swallow. This recipe uses the ancient pill-making technique of rolling small (pea-size or smaller) spherical “pills” from a dough of blended herbs, resins and oils. Because you are “rolling your own,” these pills can be made as small as you need to make them—unlike gel capsules that have standard sizes and aren’t always suitable for people who need very small pills to swallow comfortably.

This easy-to-make pain pill recipe uses simple ingredients and is infused with measured doses of CBD so you can conveniently pop these whenever you need to. CBD pairs with a base of either pure frankincense serrata or frankincense frereana—both of which are noted in the traditional folk medicine practices of India and the Middle East for managing pain and inflammation while being cooling and soothing for the stomach. This recipe uses whole resin only; purchasing this resin in the powdered form is the most convenient way to work with this recipe. Do not replace whole resin frankincense with essential oil of frankincense—they are not the same.

Create your pills using the concentration of CBD you have calculated for each pill. I’ve had great results making these pills with three to five mg of CBD per pill and taking as many as five pills at a time. For proper digestion, always take one at a time if you are taking more than one, and always drink a glass of water. This recipe makes 100 or more small pea-size “pills.”

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (60 grams) whole food-grade frankincense serrata or frankincense frereana resin, powdered
• 2 tbsp. (15 grams) acacia gum, powdered
• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) CBD-in fused coconut oil, melted (concentrated with the dosage you desire for each pill)
• 2 tsp. (10ml) boiling water, ora little more as needed to bring the other ingredients together into a pliable dough
• Arrowroot, powdered

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the frankincense powder and acacia gum. Add the CBD oil and combine with the dry ingredients until it is thoroughly distributed.
2. Add the boiling water and stir and knead until you have a “dough.” Add a little arrowroot powder as needed to bring this together so that it is not sticky and can be easily rolled between your fingers.
3. Begin to roll out the pills in pea-sized pieces or smaller. Coat them in a little arrowroot powder as they are rolled.
4. Place the pills on parchment paper on the drying rack of a dehydrator or in a slightly warm oven on a tray and allow them to dry at very low temperatures. The ideal drying temperature is 120°F (48°C) or less, and they will take about two to six hours to completely dry depending on the environment.
5. Alternatively, the dough may be worked into a silicone mold with your desired pill sizes. This can be dried at low temperatures as described in step 4. When the pills are easily popped from the mold, put them on parchment paper and continue following the instructions in step 4 and complete their drying cycle.
6. When the pills are dry, allow them to cool completely and transfer to the containers you would like to store them in. Amber glass bottles are suggested for best shelf life. Always store the pills with silica moisture absorbing packets made for food storage. This is a must that you should not skip; the pills are very prone to picking up moisture from the environment.

Use the pills within six months for best results.

This excerpt from Sandra Hinchliffe’s CBD Every Day: How to Make Cannabis-Infused Massage Oils, Bath Bombs, Salves, Herbal Remedies, and Edibles was edited for space. Order this highly recommended book at skyhorsepublishing.com or amazon.com.

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Originally published in the August, 2019 issue of High Times magazine. Subscribe right here.