Brew Your Own High-Quality CBD Tinctures
Research shows that CBD offers myriad benefits—everything from decreased inflammation, help with anxiety, and improved sleep. But, if you’re like us, the steep prices of premium CBD tinctures can give you pause. Some premium CBD products exceed $100 per fluid ounce! Knowing how to interpret COAs to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth can be a barrier, too.
This got us thinking about making tinctures ourselves. If nothing else, sourcing your own hemp will give you control over dosing strength and give you peace of mind regarding quality and potential contaminants.
Thankfully, making your own CBD products is easier than you think. DYI projects like this are fun and provide a satisfying sense of ownership. To produce your own high-quality CBD tinctures with a minimum of fuss, we will guide you step by step.
This article, Part 1 of 3, details how and where to source your hemp. Part 2 will cover decarboxylating (“activating”) your hemp. Part 3 will cover extraction and storage.
Where to Source Your Hemp Biomass
Hemp biomass is widely available online and easier to purchase than you think. Here are a few of our favorite sources:
Tweedle Farms
Oregon-based Tweedle Farms works with a variety of hemp growers to source a very wide variety of high quality, high-CBD hemp flower.
Advantages:
- The company’s Tweedle Rewards program offers discounts and bonus goodies
- Product comes sealed in “TerpLoc” bags for freshness (cannabis flower degrades over time and loses cannabinoids and terpenes)
Specifications:
- Sells in 1 gm, 4 gm (1/8th oz), 8 gm (1/4 oz), 15 gm (1/2 oz), 30 gm (1 oz) increments
- Offers sampler packs
- Offers shake and “smalls”
- Lists quantities of all cannabinoids clearly in product description
Image Source: Tweedle Farms
Organic CBD Nugs
LA-based Organic CBD Nugs offers a good selection of high-CBD hemp flower. What they lack in variety, they make up for in offering bulk quantities.
Advantages:
- Most varieties available in ½ lb quantities
Specifications:
- Sells in 3.5 gm (1/8 oz), 7 gm (1/4 oz), 14 gm (1/2 oz), 28 gm (1 oz), 112 gm (1/4 lb), 224 gm (1/2 lb)
- Offers sampler packs
- Offers wholesale pricing
Image Source: Organic CBD Nugs
CBD Hemp Direct
Las-Vegas-based CBD Hemp Direct
Advantages:
- Orders come in cool-looking sealed glass jars
- Sampler packs have eight or more strains
Specifications:
- Sells in 1 gm, 3.5 gm, 7 gm, 14 gm, 28 gm increments
- Offers sampler packs
- Offers shakes and smalls
- Lists quantities of all cannabinoids clearly in product descriptions
- Offers wholesale pricing
Image Source: CBD Hemp Direct
What to Look For
When you’re shopping for CBD hemp flower to make your own extract, look for sites that have a wide variety of strains. If you’re not sure what hemp strains work best for you, you’ll want to experiment with a few. To that end, companies that provide sampler packs are well worth the effort to locate.
For smoking, many people love large, well-manicured buds. But, since you’re cooking them down, many people prefer “smalls” (also called “air buds” or “popcorn buds”), which cost less but contain the same quantity of cannabinoids by weight. Value-conscious consumers look for “shake” or “trim,” which contains fewer cannabinoids by weight and costs less. If you’re brewing up larger volumes of tinctures, look for companies that offer quantities larger than 1 oz, or even wholesale pricing.
There are potential contaminants in raw hemp, depending on how it’s grown. Make sure the company discloses its COA for each batch of flower.
Comments