How to Make Cannabis Tincture (Green Dragon & Golden Dragon)

WTF is a Tincture?

Tinctures are extractions made by soaking leaves, bark, berries, roots, or flowers in alcohol. The alcohol acts as a solvent that dissolves the active ingredients in the plant material, creating a concentrated liquid solution.

To make a cannabis tincture, we soak decarboxylated cannabis flowers in high-proof grain alcohol such as Everclear. The result is a highly potent, activated extract which can be taken by mouth, cooked with, or reduced into a more concentrated product such as FECO.

Two Common Cannabis Tinctures: Green Dragon and Golden Dragon

There are several ways to make a cannabis tincture. Two of the most popular are called the Green Dragon and the Golden Dragon. I have no idea who named these things, but I dig it. Which you use is a matter of personal preference, and there are pros and cons to each. Here are the highlights of both methods.

Do You Have to Decarb for Cannabis Tincture?

Yes! If you want the effect, you should decarb first. See our decarboxylation guide to learn how to activate your cannabis.

Which Alcohol Do I Use?

You're looking for high-proof food grade grain (ethyl) alcohol such as Everclear 190. Everclear is not the only brand of 190+ proof alcohol. As low as 151 proof will work, but it is not as powerful a solvent, so your results may vary. Many states don't sell 190 proof, which is unfortunate, but you may be able to find it online or in a nearby state. DO NOT use isopropyl or denatured alcohol for tincture. These are not safe for human consumption.

How to Make a Green Dragon Cannabis Tincture

1. Make sure to decarb your cannabis.
2. Add cannabis to a mason jar and pour just enough alcohol to cover the plant material completely.
3. Screw on a lid and give the jar a gentle shake.
4. Put the jar in a cool dark place for 24 hours, shaking gently occasionally. You can go longer, but you'll be pulling out more chlorophyll for a small increase in potency. That is up to your preference.
5. Strain using your preferred straining method (see our notes below).
6. You now have cannabis tincture or Green Dragon. Store in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.

How to Make a Golden Dragon (or QWET - Quick Wash Extraction Technique) Cannabis Tincture

1. Make sure to decarb your cannabis.
2. Put your cannabis in a sealed mason jar and then place it in the freezer for 24 hours.
3. Put your Everclear in the freezer for 24 hours as well.
4. When ready, pour the cold alcohol over the frozen cannabis. You only need enough to cover the plant material.
5. Screw the lid back on the jar and give it a gentle shake. Pop it back in the freezer for 5 minutes.
6. Take the jar back out of the freezer and give it a gentle shake before placing it back in the freezer.
7. Repeat step six one more time.
8. Strain using your preferred straining method (see our notes below).
9. You now have a Golden Dragon cannabis tincture. Store in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.

What Can I Do With My Tincture?

• Add it to recipes!
• Make cannabis-infused sugar
• Add it to tea, lemonade or other beverages
• Reduce it to FECO for capsules, syringes, and using directly in edibles (a FECO guide is on my to-do list!)

Straining Cannabis Tincture

Straining the plant material from your tincture helps create a more refined, longer-lasting, better-tasting product. You'll want to use something food-safe like unbleached coffee filters↗ and a funnel↗, a fine-mesh strainer↗, cheesecloth↗, or my personal favorite: a 25-micron bubble bag↗. I like the bubble bags best because they don't absorb nearly much of my valued tincture as cheesecloth or a coffee filter is prone to absorbing.

Storing Cannabis Tincture

Store your tincture in an air-tight container at room temperature, in the fridge, or in the freezer.