CBD Tinctures: How To Choose A CBD Tincture

The mainstream popularity of cannabinoids is steadily increasing, giving rise to an ever-growing range of CBD products. The sheer amount of choices can make it difficult for consumers to decide which product is right for them. Vape pens, capsules, tinctures, and even transdermal patches can be found everywhere from online retailers to convenience stores.

Just decoding what different product names and descriptions mean can be a daunting task. The lack of regulation in the industry means companies can stray from the real definition of the terms they use to market their products. What one company refers to as a tincture may not be considered one by the next company.

Iconic Remedies wants to demystify the process of selecting the best CBD tincture for your needs. Read on to learn more about what a tincture is, how they work, and what goes into producing quality CBD products.

What Is A Tincture?

A highly concentrated liquid, the word tincture is defined as ‘a substance dissolved in alcohol for use as a medicine’ by the Oxford Dictionary. Iconic Remedies CBD tinctures fit this traditional definition and are made using a cold ethanol extraction method to produce potent hemp oil and cannabidiol isolate. 

CBD Tinctures 101

Cannabidiol tinctures are made using hemp or cannabis extract combined with a carrier oil. Because cannabinoids are fat-soluble, using a carrier oil provides the additional fatty acids needed to fully break them down, and absorb them into the system. Iconic Remedies uses natural MCT oil derived from coconuts as a carrier oil in their tinctures, which provides additional health benefits of its own. 

The hemp extract used varies by tincture. Full and broad-spectrum tinctures are made using extracts that contain essential oils, terpenes, and other cannabinoids found in the hemp plant. Tinctures made with pure CBD isolate do not contain these additional compounds.

Are CBD Products Safe?

Yes! Cannabidiol has been proven to be both safe and effective in a multitude of studies. There is no evidence to suggest it causes any dangerous side effects or has any potential for abuse. There has never been a case of a human fatality caused by CBD or any other cannabinoid. If you compare that to the majority of pharmaceuticals, tinctures and other CBD products are remarkably safe.

Of course, everything on earth has the potential to cause unwanted side effects. People react to things differently. Take allergies, for example; something as seemingly harmless as a peanut can cause life-threatening anaphylactic shock in some people and is perfectly safe for others. Cannabinoids are the same way. While most people do not experience any side effects, some people do.

What Are The Potential Side Effects?

In some individuals, CBD can cause mild side effects like changes in appetite or mood, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, and digestive issues like vomiting. There is also a small chance that CBD might make some prescriptions more or less effective. If you use medication regularly, you should consult with your doctor before using CBD products.

How Do Tinctures Work?

Although cannabinoids are often considered an ‘anti-pharmaceutical’ because of their natural origins and high level of safety, CBD does have some things in common with traditional drugs. The way medications and cannabinoids produce their effects is known as a method of action (MOA). Although the exact MOA remains unknown, and it is likely each one differs slightly, it is understood that cannabinoids work by interacting with the endocannabinoid (EC) system.

What Is The Endocannabinoid System?

The EC system is a network of receptors and proteins that interact with endocannabinoids (endo meaning within) that occur naturally in the body. This system is also responsible for processing phytocannabinoids (phyto meaning plant) like THC and CBD.

There are two principal receptors within the endocannabinoid system, known as CBR1 and CBR2. Targeting these receptors can treat mood disorders, movement disorders (like Parkinson’s), neuropathic pain, glaucoma, osteoporosis, and even strokes, among other things.

What Kind Of Tincture Works Best?

The best CBD tincture for your needs is dependent on what effects you want. While some people swear by full-spectrum tinctures, others find those containing pure CBD to be more useful. Deciding which tincture to buy is easier when you understand the differences between them.

Broad and full spectrum tinctures contain additional essential oils, terpenes, and cannabinoids that have added beneficial effects. When taken together, these compounds produce what is known as the ‘entourage effect’ – meaning the user experience the full benefits of the hemp plant at their maximum potential. Check out this article on Leafly for a full explanation of the entourage effect and a beautiful chart illustrating how it works.

Although broad-spectrum and full-spectrum tinctures are very similar, they do have one key difference. Full-spectrum contains trace amounts of THC, less than 0.3%, while broad-spectrum does not. This amount of THC is not enough to cause psychoactive effects, but it may be enough to show up in a drug test. Click here for more information on different CBD tinctures.

If this concerns you, consider choosing broad-spectrum or pure tinctures instead. Pure CBD tinctures use an isolate that does not contain any additional terpenes, cannabinoids or essential oils.

What Conditions Does CBD Treat?

No matter what variety of tincture you choose, all of the options offered by Iconic Remedies contain hemp-derived CBD. Renowned for its many beneficial effects, cannabidiol can help treat many physical and psychological illnesses.

Neuropathic Pain

Using cannabis as a natural pain reliever dates back thousands of years to ancient China. In modern times, extraction methods have made it possible to isolate cannabinoids from hemp plants, eliminating the psychoactive effects of their ancient predecessors while still effectively managing pain.

CBD, in particular, is very effective in treating neuropathic pain (often associated with a burning or prickling sensation). Nerve damage and chronic illnesses like diabetes or kidney disease can cause this type of pain. CBD eliminates it by blocking the signals sent from the affected nerves to the brain, essential muting the messages that tell you to feel pain.

Pain From Inflammation

Another common cause of pain is swelling and inflammation. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, known as NSAIDs, are usually used to control this type of pain. NSAIDs work by eliminating inflammation-causing compounds like cytokines, histamines, and lymphokines. These compounds are a byproduct of the body’s reaction to infections and tissue damage.

Although this class of drugs includes medications you most likely have in your medicine cabinet, like ibuprofen (Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve), they still carry significant long-term risks. NSAIDs can cause stomach ulcers, kidney and liver failure, and anemia, which can be life-threatening. CBD works similarly to NSAIDs but does not cause the same dangerous side effects.

Seizures & Epilepsy

Treating epilepsy is perhaps the most well-known and well-studied use for cannabidiol. It is not completely clear how CBD produces its anticonvulsant effects, but it is clear that it works. There is even an FDA-approved drug containing CBD called Epidiolex that is used to treat severe forms of epilepsy.

Nausea & Vomiting 

You may notice serotonin regulation is a fundamental component of the health benefits of cannabis and hemp. That is because serotonin plays a vital role in many biological processes, all the way from emotions to digestion. By soothing overstimulated serotonin receptors that stimulate nausea, CBD works a lot like other antiemetics (emetic meaning vomiting) such as dimenhydrinate (Gravol). 

Anxiety & Stress

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and benzodiazepines are commonly used to control anxiety disorders. These drugs, such as citalopram (Celexa), can cause worsening anxiety, agitation, and restlessness, blurred vision, suicidal thoughts or ideations, suicide attempts, addiction, and the potentially deadly serotonin syndrome.

These medications work by increasing levels of certain chemicals in the brain that control emotions, like serotonin and dopamine. A far safer alternative that produces nearly identical results in the brain is CBD. Learn more about using CBD products to treat anxiety.

Sleep Disorders

In humans, a chemical called melatonin controls a 24-hour sleep cycle. During the day, light enters your retina, travels through your brain, down your spinal cord, and back up to your pineal gland. This process tells your body that it is time to be awake and halts melatonin production. 

At night, this signal goes silent. The pineal gland is free to start absorbing tryptophan from the bloodstream, which becomes serotonin and finally melatonin. This process tells your body it is time to go to sleep unless you have a sleep disorder.

CBD can help treat disorders like insomnia by increasing the amount of tryptophan available in the bloodstream. Higher levels of tryptophan make it easier for the pineal gland to produce serotonin, which it then turns into melatonin.

Cannabinoids are much safer than traditional hypnotics like alprazolam (Xanax). In a study of 43 polydrug users, hypnotics showed a high risk of dependence while an extremely high dose of 750 mg of CBD showed no abuse potential.

Other Mental Health Conditions

CBD has proven beneficial in treating other psychiatric disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, AD(H)D, PTSD, borderline personality disorder, and bipolar disorder. This improvement is due to its ability to increase levels of serotonin, anandamide, norepinephrine, and other positive neurotransmitters.

While CBD is beneficial, you need to remember that THC can potentially worsen symptoms of some psychiatric conditions. Individuals with a history of mania or psychosis and those diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder should opt for tinctures that do not contain any THC. 

Overall Health Benefits

CBD has many other health benefits, of which the most notable is its ability to eliminate free radicals. Free radicals are a type of molecule that only contains one unpaired electron. These molecules form during oxidation, a process that breaks down cells.

When free radicals form, it sets off a chain reaction that can be very harmful to your health. The damaged molecule finds a healthy counterpart to take an electron from, creating another unpaired electron that does the same, and so on.

Excessive amounts of free radicals are dangerous and can cause numerous health problems, the gravest of which is cancer. CBD contains antioxidant properties that prevent the process of oxidation that produces these harmful molecules in the first place, improving your health long-term.

Why Choose Iconic Remedies Products?

With the number of companies producing CBD products, it can be hard to decide which brands you can trust and which you should avoid. There are three essential things to consider when looking for a reputable CBD manufacturer. Find out where the hemp used is sourced, what additional ingredients are in the tincture, and if there are independent lab test results for purity. 

Iconic Remedies goes above and beyond to provide you with all this information and more, so you can rest assured you are buying the best CBD products on the market.

Not All Hemp Oil Is Equal

The growing popularity of CBD products means some companies resort to sourcing their hemp from overseas to cut down on costs. Many foreign countries, like China and some European nations, do not have regulations in place to control the growth and cultivation of hemp. Poorly grown hemp can result in harmful chemicals making their way into products extracted from these plants.

Iconic Remedies uses hemp organically grown in Colorado, without the use of harmful pesticides, to make the extracts found in their products. Broad-spectrum, full-spectrum, and pure CBD are isolated using a cold ethanol extraction method (remember that a real tincture is made using alcohol). This extraction method is the same process food companies use to make things like lemon extract, and it results in a solvent-free product.

Pure Ingredients

The only extra ingredient you will find in Iconic Remedies tinctures is coconut MCT oil. Also known as medium-chain triglycerides, MCT oil has many additional health benefits. It is antimicrobial, antifungal, reduces cholesterol, reduces epilepsy symptoms, and may even help treat autism.

3rd Party Lab Tested For Quality

Anyone can make claims about the purity of their products, but if the manufacturer refuses to provide proof of those claims, it should raise a red flag immediately. Iconic Remedies tinctures are tested by an independent lab to ensure everything is as advertised. If you would like a copy of these results, please email inconicremediescs@gmail.com. 

Additional Information

Now you know how Iconic Remedies makes their products, where they source their hemp, what ingredients they use, and how tinctures work. There are still a few more questions that need answers.

Finding The Right Amount

Everyone is different when it comes to finding the right amount. There is no recommended daily allowance or universal dose for CBD as of yet, which is what prevents physicians from suggesting you use tinctures. You can still discuss using CBD products with your doctor, but you will need to start the conversation.

When using tinctures for the first time, it is best to start low and go slow. If you experience side effects, lower the dose, and wait a week or two before increasing it again. Remember that most side effects do not last will go away on their own within a few days.

How To Use Tinctures

Tinctures are one of the most versatile CBD products available. You can take it sublingually (under the tongue) or mix it into food and drinks. Some people even use them topically!

To keep your product free of bacteria, make sure to wash the dropper with soap and warm water. A thorough wash is especially important if it touches anywhere germs might be lurking, such as the inside of your mouth.

CBD tinctures can last for years when stored properly. Keeping it away from extreme heat, direct sunlight, constant artificial light, and oxygen help prolong the shelf life. Keep it closed. Keep it sealed. Keep it dark.

Order Your Cbd Tincture Today!

When you order from Iconic Remedies, you know that the utmost care has gone into making the best possible product whether you choose full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or pure CBD tincture. 

Start experiencing the many benefits that cannabidiol has to offer today in a discreet, mess-free product that makes getting your daily dose easy!

Remember to contact your doctor before taking CBD products if you take other medications regularly. It is recommended you avoid CBD tinctures that contain any amount of THC if you suffer from certain conditions, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.