“Oral Tinctures: Using Full Spectrum Boosters and Distillate Applicators to Create Your Perfect Match”

A.J. Tinker March 13th, 2020

The term “Full Spectrum” has been a term that has been around for quite some time, and I think it is safe to say that the majority of us have come across this term in relation to tinctures, especially in shopping CBD products. However, full spectrum does not just apply to tinctures anymore, as full spectrum extract has since been made available to consumers. You may be asking yourself what this means, and why should you care, so let’s jump into that now. One of the largest issues with edibles and tinctures is the lack of available strain specific products. Although some states do offer strain specific cannabis edibles for consumers, they are generally limited to those states, and the options are generally far and few between. This creates an issue because it limits patients in their ability to accurately treat their ailments based on strain effects, as they are forced to adhere to the effects of whatever strains are used to create that product for that particular batch. In many cases, the consumer can purchase the same product on two separate days, and the effects will vary due to the difference between the batches. Although this may not always be an issue, it can be in the event that the strain used previously was a Sativa, for example, and all of a sudden, on the next batch, the consumer receives a product that has the effects of an Indica blend when they were looking for the uplifting and energizing effects of the Sativa they had previously experienced.





This is where the full spectrum boosters and distillate applicators come into play. I will specifically be discussing the Full Spectrum Boosters from Sira Naturals, as this will be the product I will be using later when we attempt to make our tincture. Sira’s full spectrum boosters were originally advertised as Sativa or Indica, which allowed the patient to at least choose a consistent effect. The great thing about these products, which I believe has and will continue to lead to the increased interest in these products, is the versatility of these boosters. They can be used to vape, infuse edibles, add to tinctures, put in a joint, or on top of a bowl. This is great news for those of us who are looking to create tasty edibles that are tailored to specific experience we are hoping to achieve. Although the option to create edibles at home is not a new concept, the idea of creating tinctures at home is one that seems to be more up and coming. In my research, I have found that one of the aspects of creating your own tincture at home that makes the process so intimidating is trying to understand the decarboxylation process, which in short, is a necessary first step that must be taken to prepare your cannabis for use in your tincture if you are looking for the psychoactive effects. Luckily, Sira’s Full Spectrum Booster’s take this process out of the steps, as the product has been put through this process during production, and the terpenes have been added to the booster following the completion of this process to ensure that the benefits of the strain are experienced, regardless of how this product is used.

I am currently making two tinctures. The first is with the Sira Naturals Full Spectrum Booster Granddaddy Purple strain, and based off of the results of this tincture, I will make my adjustments and create another tincture using the same amount of the Headband Full Spectrum Booster. Tinctures can be a difficult science to determine, so I reached out to my friend Jason, who is the owner and creator of Panda Styx CBD Company, and asked for assistance in determining the best equation to use as a starting point for my tincture recipe. At this point, I had 0.25 ml remaining of my booster, and I was looking to create a mid-range potency tincture. In looking at the information on the product label provided by Sira Naturals, the percentage of THC is 73.5%, which we would multiply by 0.25 ml, which give us a THC content of 183.75mg. Per Jason’s directive based on a desired strength of 20 mg per ml, I divided the 183.75 mg of THC by 20, which gave me a total of 9.19 mls of MCT oil to add as a base to this tincture. Once the math has been figured out, it is time to start putting together the materials to make the tincture. The items needed are a base oil, such as a grapeseed oil, coconut oil, MCT oil, etc. I chose organic coconut MCT oil because I very much enjoy the flavor and consistency of Sira Natural’s tinctures, and those products are coconut oil-based. I also chose Organic Coconut MCT oil because of its ability to boost energy, aid in the muscle recovery process, enhance cognitive function, and improve gut health. Next, we need a small measuring cup to measure our oil, something to stir the oil with (I chose a whisk), a bottle with an eye dropper, a hair dryer, and of course our full spectrum booster concentrate.

Since we do not need to decarboxylate the concentrate, we can skip that step and jump right to the next step, which is to heat up the oil. Now you do not need to make the oil extremely hot. I heated my oil up in the microwave in about 40 seconds, to a point where it was on the hot side, but not extremely hot. I kept the oil in the small measuring cup and turned to heat up my concentrate with the hairdryer. This is a vital step, and you want to take care not to overheat the concentrate. Under-heating is okay, but if you overheat, this will render the tincture useless. Warm the tincture slightly, just for a few seconds to thin it out a little, and then add it to the warm oil. Stir until all streaks of the concentrate have dissipated. The amount of time this takes will depend on the temperature of the oils and how vigorously you are mixing them. Using a whisk, the oils blended pretty quickly, within a matter of minutes. This process is called homogenizing, and once the tincture has successfully reached this state, it is ready for use. The final step, following the homogenization process is to pour your tincture into your dropper bottle. As a side note, you do not have to refrigerate your tincture, but it does extend the shelf-life if you do.

As I took a couple of drops to test out the tincture, I took two drops and held them under my tongue for 60 seconds before swallowing. I chose to medicate with this tincture to attempt to address anxiety, depression, stress, and agitation. The flavor and scent are very herbal with an oil consistency. About 40 minutes into the test, I found that I was able to remain calm during an extremely stressful situation, which normally would have set me off and led me to make choices based on emotion rather than rational mind. My mood did increase and my anxiety decreased along with my agitation, and the stress seemed to mostly dissipate. My symptoms did remain at bay for approximately 2 and half hours, but I felt that this tincture could have had a little more kick to it. The strength is perfect for someone who is new to cannabis, or who does not have a high tolerance level, but for someone with a higher tolerance level, this lower strength tincture may not always do the trick, despite the fact that it really provided a great, relaxing, uplifting, and clear-headed high that left me feeling functional, yet detached enough that I was not easily influenced by the factors around me.

Noting this, I decided to try to see what I could do to take my Headband tincture to the next level. Using the same equation, I determined that 0.25 mls of the Headband Full Spectrum Booster with 164.75 mg of THC would come out to 8.24 mls when plugged into a 20 mg/ml equation. In order to intensify this tincture I decided to divide the .24 mls by 2, which gave me 4.12 mls. Following the same steps as above to create this tincture, with the exception of I heated the MCT oil in the microwave for 30 seconds this time, as there was half the amount of oil, I created my new tincture. Testing this product the following day for anxiety, stress, and agitation, I found that the potency of two drops was significantly more intense than the GDP tincture had been the previous day. I felt the effects within minutes, with the majority of the sensations experienced on a cerebral level. This tincture also carried a strong herbal and oily flavor and scent. Within the first ten minutes I could feel my mood increasing, and my anxiety significantly decreasing. I felt happier than I had in days, and almost euphoric. My mind felt more creative, and there was a boost that seemed to give this product a nice kick. Although the strength is more intense, it did not create an issue for my level of focus in the least. As I moved toward an hour in, I could feel myself becoming more and more laid back and the euphoria continued to encompass me and wipe away my anxiety, stress, and agitation. The creativity continued to rise, which is something I took advantage of throughout the effects, and ultimately, once the product wore off about two hours and forty-five minutes later, I immediately decided to take another dose to continue to experience these amazing effects. Ultimately, I have found myself grabbing this tincture several times since making it, as the effects are spot-on, the potency is strong, while not knocking you off your feet, and of course the longevity of the effects definitely are an added bonus.





As you can see, when it comes to tincture options, there are simpler tactics out there to create your own excellent quality tinctures that fit your particular needs and specifications. There were no high end tools or lengthy and potentially scary processes that can be intimidating to many. All that was needed was a small whisk, a small measuring cup, a blow dryer, a dropper bottle, and a microwave in the way of tools. From there, it is just a matter of what strain and strength the individual requires. Personally, although I love the GDP tincture I made, my go-to is Headband, both in regard to strength and effect. Other dispensaries, such as Revolutionary Clinics in Somerville, Ma and Liberty Cannabis in Somerville, Ma also offer these boosters in an array of strains, but they are called distillate applicators. I have tried this with Revolutionary Clinics’s Blue Dream Distillate Applicator, and I was just as blown away with the results of using this product for my tincture as I was using Sira’s Headband and GDP boosters. What is even better is that a tincture generally costs around $50 to $80 at most Massachusetts Dispensaries; some exceed that amount for 5 ml bottles. If you purchase one of the Full Spectrum Boosters or a distillate applicator, you only need 0.25 mls of the syringe for your tincture. This means that you can potentially create two bottles of tincture for the cost of one bottle of non-strain-specific tincture. So if you are looking for an oral tincture option that is more cost effective, then I would recommend checking out this route, because as amazing as the premade tinctures can be, and trust me, I personally love them, I have found a whole new love in medicating with this easy to make, strain-specific option.

(Note: For those of you who use Rick Simpson Oil, you can also use the same formula and process to create a tincture using this product too!)