By Luke Sumpter

Cannabis glycerin (or glycerine) tinctures are easy to make, discreet to take, and a good alternative to those made using alcohol. Find out their unique benefits, how to make them, and how best to put glycerin tinctures to use.


Can You Make Cannabis Tincture With Glycerin?

Yes! Glycerin works as an effective solvent for making cannabis tinctures. By definition, solvents have the ability to extract other substances. Glycerin, like alcohol and vinegar, is able to extract the valuable compounds found in cannabis. It pulls out cannabinoids, terpenes, and other desirable molecules, leaving the bulk of unwanted components and plant matter behind.

As well as working as an effective solvent itself, glycerin has advantages over other solvents that make it a firm favourite among many cannabis extract makers. Continue reading to discover exactly what glycerin is and why you should consider using it when making a cannabis tincture.

Cannabis Tincture
Cannabis Tincture

What Is Glycerin?

Before we delve any further into making cannabis tincture with vegetable glycerin, let’s review exactly what glycerin is. This compound has a simple molecular structure composed of a combination of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. The way these atoms are positioned makes glycerin hygroscopic, allowing it to attract and retain water molecules.

The chemical substance shows up all across nature, in animals, plants, and even the human body, where it contributes to metabolism and the structure of cell membranes. As a clear, odourless, and sweet-tasting liquid, vegetable glycerin has become a popular ingredient in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. Largely extracted from soy, coconut, and palm oil, it’s also used as a popular alternative to alcohol when crafting tinctures.

Glycerin vs Alcohol Tincture

Artisans have used alcohol to make tinctures for thousands of years. So, why do some people opt for glycerin instead? Well, both of these solvents work well, but each has its own pros and cons. Check out the major differences between using glycerin and alcohol for tincture making below.

Glycerin for Tinctures

The main benefits of making cannabis tincture with glycerin include:

  • Sweetness: Glycerin has a sweet and pleasant flavour that makes it an attractive solvent when making a herbal tincture.
  • Alcohol-free: The lack of alcohol makes the ingredient more suitable for an array of users, including those with an aversion to alcohol in general.
  • Moisturising: Some people use cannabis tinctures for topical purposes. Because glycerin has moisturising properties, it works much better for this purpose than strong alcohol, which can dry out the skin.

Some of the drawbacks of using glycerin when making tinctures include:

  • Extraction time: Glycerin takes longer to sufficiently extract cannabis phytochemicals than alcohol, which makes it unsuitable in some circumstances.
  • Solubility: Glycerin has a lower solubility than alcohol, meaning it doesn’t extract some desirable plant constituents as well.

Alcohol for Tinctures

Alcohol has long served as a tincture solvent, for many reasons, including:

  • Extraction efficiency: Alcohol works exceptionally well as a solvent, enabling it to successfully extract a wide range of plant metabolites, including cannabinoids, terpenes, alkaloids, and flavonoids.
  • Extraction speed: Tinctures take some time to make, but the efficiency of alcohol as a solvent reduces the latency period.
  • Shelf life: As well as working as a solvent, alcohol serves as an effective preservative, meaning alcohol-based tinctures last much longer in storage.

Alcohol as a tincture solvent also has some disadvantages, including:

  • Flavour: Strong alcohol has a sharp taste that makes taking the tincture directly rather unpleasant.
  • User compatibility: Not everyone can consume alcohol, even in small quantities, such as for religious or medical reasons.

The Benefits of Cannabis Tinctures

You’re now aware of the benefits of glycerin when making cannabis tinctures, as well as a couple of its drawbacks. Before we delve into how to make cannabis tincture using glycerin, let’s explore the benefits of marijuana tinctures and why many weed users love them.

Cannabis Tincture Benefits

Discretion

Tinctures are inherently discreet. Users can easily take a dropper bottle out of their pocket while sitting on a train, bus, or at their desk and dose themselves with cannabinoids without raising nearby eyebrows. Unlike smoking and vaping, it doesn’t leave a highly suspect aroma in the air.

Fast Onset

Swallowing cannabis tincture drops will send cannabinoids through the digestive system, meaning they’ll take some time to take effect. However, tinctures are flexible. Place a couple of drops under your tongue, and you’ll feel the effects within minutes.

Full Spectrum of Cannabis Chemicals

Unlike cannabinoid isolate products, tinctures are full-spectrum products. They contain all of the desirable compounds found within cannabis flowers, including cannabinoids and terpenes. Emerging research shows that many of these compounds work in a synergistic manner.

Low Calorie

Unlike sugar-rich edibles, a couple of drops of tincture contain almost no calories whatsoever. They’re an ideal option for anyone monitoring their caloric intake.

Self-Sufficiency

The craft of making tinctures spans back incredibly far into human history. Learning to make your own will help you to develop a skill that goes hand in hand with growing your own herb.

How to Make Cannabis Glycerin Tincture

And just like that, you’re practically an expert in glycerin cannabis tinctures! Now, you just need to learn how to make them! Below, discover the ingredients and equipment you’ll need, and what steps to take to end up with a potent tincture at the end of the process.

Ingredients

  • 14g cannabis flowers (ground or broken into smaller pieces)
  • 2 cups vegetable glycerin

Equipment

  • Funnel
  • Slow cooker
  • Mason jar
  • Oven gloves
  • Dropper bottles
  • Bowl
  • Cheesecloth
  • Tea towel
  • Baking paper
  • Baking tray

Directions

Now that you have everything gathered together, follow the steps below to whip up a batch of glycerin tincture:

  1. To start, you’ll need to decarboxylate your weed to convert non-psychoactive THCA into THC. To achieve this, preheat your oven to 110°C. Line your baking tray with baking paper and spread your weed out evenly. Place the tray into the oven for 40 minutes.
  2. Remove your bud from the oven and let cool. Then, place it into the mason jar before pouring in your glycerin. Attach the lid securely and shake vigorously.
  3. Line the inside of your slow cooker with a tea towel and set it to warm. Fill it halfway with water and place the mason jar inside. Leave the mixture to gently cook away for 24 hours. Make sure to shake the jar every few hours during the daytime.
  4. After 24 hours, turn off the slow cooker. With oven gloves on, remove the mason jar and let the contents cool. Then, strain the mixture through the cheesecloth into a clean bowl. From here, use a funnel to decant your tincture into dropper bottles.

Xylem

How to Use Cannabis Glycerin Tincture

Congratulations, you’ve got yourself several dropper bottles filled with cannabis-infused glycerin! But how do you go about using your stash? Check out some of the options below.

Add Glycerin Tincture to Drinks

Do you like to sip on a warm cup of tea or coffee during smoking sessions? Well, why not infuse some cannabinoids into your beverage of choice? This oral route of administration will provide a long-lasting and rather intense high.

Use Glycerin Tincture Sublingually

The sweet taste of glycerin makes tinctures ideal for sublingual use. Placing a few drops under your tongue will lead to the rapid absorption of THC and a fast-acting high that isn’t as intense as that caused by oral ingestion.

Apply Cannabis Glycerin Tincture Topically

Cannabis does much more than get a person high. Certain compounds within the plant show great promise when it comes to skin care. Alongside the moisturising effects of glycerin, cannabinoids may help to soothe the skin.

Cannabis Glycerin Tincture: FAQ

How long does cannabis glycerin tincture take to make?
Using a slow cooker, it takes just over 24 hours to make a cannabis glycerin tincture.
At what temperature do you make glycerin tincture?
Set your slow cooker to warm/slow.
How long does it take cannabis glycerin tincture to kick in?
It depends on the route of administration. Sublingually applied tincture will kick in after several minutes, whereas oral tincture can take up to 1 hour.
Is THC soluble in glycerin?
Yes, glycerin does extract THC, although not as readily as alcohol.

Make Non-Alcoholic Cannabis Tincture Today

Are you loyal to blunts? Or perhaps dedicated to space cakes? Whatever your preferred means of taking cannabis, why not try making and consuming a glycerin cannabis tincture? Whether you find yourself mostly using cannabis on the couch or while out and about, it serves as an easy and discreet way to consume THC, CBD, and an array of terpenes. Take it sublingually for rapid effects, or orally if you prefer a more intense psychoactive experience.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: