How to take a tincture
Put the drops under your tongue. Hold them 60 to 90 seconds. Swallow what remains. Wait one minute before you drink water. This is sublingual use.
An alcohol or glycerin base carries the CBD. The tissue under the tongue has thin walls and many capillaries. Some CBD moves into the blood there. The rest goes down the throat and through the digestive tract.
Steps
- Shake the bottle. Oil separates on the shelf.
- Draw liquid into the dropper. Squeeze the bulb one time.
- Check the marks on the glass. A full dropper holds about 1 mL.
- Lift your tongue. Place the drops under it, to the left or right of the frenulum.
- Hold 60 to 90 seconds. Swallow.
- Wait 15 minutes before a second dose.
How much to take
Read the label. A 30 mL bottle with 1,000 mg CBD holds about 33 mg per 1 mL dropper. A 30 mL bottle with 500 mg holds about 16 mg per dropper. A 15 mL bottle with 300 mg holds about 20 mg per dropper.
A common starting dose is 5 to 10 mg CBD. Wait 2 hours. Note the effect. Add 5 mg at a time on later days. Some people use 25 to 50 mg per dose. Data on one ideal dose for all adults does not exist.
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Timing
Sublingual CBD shows in blood in 15 to 45 minutes. Swallowed CBD takes 30 to 90 minutes. CBD half-life is about 18 to 32 hours, so doses can stack.
Other routes
You can mix drops into food or a cold drink. This raises the onset time. Heat can degrade some compounds. Do not inhale or inject a tincture sold for oral use.
Storage and safety
Keep the cap tight. Store at room temperature. Keep the bottle out of direct light. Check the batch test result on the label or the brand site.
CBD can slow CYP450 enzymes. Those enzymes process some prescription drugs. Talk to a pharmacist before you combine CBD with a prescription medicine. The FDA has approved one CBD drug, Epidiolex, for two rare seizure conditions. Other CBD products are not FDA approved.