Cost of Cannabis Tincture per Bottle: What Drives Price
How to compare cannabis tincture cost per bottle, calculate price per milligram, and spot which potency, fill size, and carrier oil fit your budget.
Short answer
A cannabis tincture is a liquid extract you make by soaking decarboxylated flower in a solvent, usually high-proof alcohol or food-grade glycerin. You strain it, bottle it in dark glass with a dropper, and dose by drops under the tongue. The whole process takes an afternoon if you use heat, or a few weeks if you let it sit at room temperature.
What you need
- Cannabis flower, 3.5 to 7 grams, dried and cured
- High-proof alcohol (190 proof, 95% ethanol) or food-grade vegetable glycerin
- Glass jar with a tight lid, a Mason jar works
- Baking sheet and parchment paper
- Cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer, plus a coffee filter
- Amber dropper bottles
- Oven thermometer
- Gloves and a well-ventilated space
Step 1: Decarboxylate the flower
Raw cannabis contains THCA, which is not psychoactive. Heat converts it to THC. Break the buds into small pieces, spread them on parchment, and bake at 240 F (115 C) for 30 to 40 minutes. Shake the tray halfway. You will smell it, and that is normal. Let it cool before you handle it. Skip this step and your tincture will be weak.
You do not need to grind to a powder. A coarse chop keeps the plant material easier to strain.
alcohol free cannabis tincture recipes
Step 2: Pick your solvent
Alcohol extracts fast and pulls out cannabinoids and terpenes well. 190-proof ethanol is the standard. Glycerin is gentler and sweeter but extracts less efficiently, so you need a longer soak. Some people use oil, but that makes a cannabis oil, not a true tincture. Pick one and stick with it.
cannabis tincture vs edibles dosage
Step 3: Combine and infuse
Use roughly 1 gram of decarbed flower per 10 ml of solvent for a moderate tincture. Put both in your jar, seal it, and shake. Two methods:
- Quick method (heat): Place the sealed jar in a water bath at 160 F to 180 F for 2 to 4 hours. Shake every 30 minutes. Keep the water level below the lid.
- Slow method (room temp): Store the jar in a dark cupboard for 2 to 4 weeks. Shake daily. This takes patience but needs zero equipment.
Alcohol evaporates, so check the level. If it drops a lot, top it off with fresh solvent.
Step 4: Strain and bottle
Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Pour the mixture, then gather the cloth and squeeze. The squeeze gets the last of the liquid. Filter once more through a coffee filter for a cleaner tincture. Funnel into amber dropper bottles. Label with the date, strain, and ratio.
Step 5: Store it right
Keep bottles in a cool, dark place. A cupboard works. The fridge is fine too. Alcohol tinctures last a year or more. Glycerin tinctures last about 6 to 12 months. If it smells off or grows anything, toss it.
Dosing without guessing
Potency math is rough because flower varies. A 1 to 10 ratio with 15% THC flower gives you about 15 mg of THC per ml. A dropper holds about 1 ml. Start with 1 to 2 drops under the tongue, wait 30 to 60 minutes, and see how you feel. Hold it under the tongue for 60 seconds before swallowing. Label your bottle with the number of drops per dose you settle on.
Safety notes
- Never work with high-proof alcohol near an open flame. No gas stoves, no candles.
- Ventilate the room. Ethanol fumes build up.
- Keep tinctures away from kids and pets. Dropper bottles look like medicine, so treat them like it.
- Store the solvent in a labeled container, not a water bottle.