Tinctures and Edibles: How They're Made and How to Read the Label
How cannabis tinctures, gummies, chocolates and drinks are made, and how to read the milligram numbers on their labels, with worked examples.
Edibles and tinctures are measured products: each piece or each milliliter carries a set amount of cannabinoid, printed on the label. This guide explains how they're made and how to read those numbers.
How tinctures are made
A tincture is cannabis in a liquid, sold in a small bottle with a dropper.
- Oil-based tinctures blend cannabinoids into a carrier oil such as MCT (from coconut) or olive oil. Most tinctures today are oil-based.
- Alcohol-based tinctures are the older style: plant material is soaked in alcohol, which draws the cannabinoids out.
Because the cannabinoids are mixed evenly through the liquid, the amount depends on how much liquid you measure. The dropper usually has marks for measuring.
How edibles are made
Edibles are foods and drinks made with cannabis. There are two common ways to put the cannabis in:
- Infused butter or oil. Cannabis is heated gently in butter or oil, which takes up the cannabinoids. That infused fat is then used in the recipe.
- A measured concentrate. A precise amount of distillate or rosin is mixed into the batch. This makes it easier to get the same amount in every piece. Many gummies and chocolates are made this way.
Drinks add one more step. Oil and water don't mix, so many cannabis drinks use nano-emulsion, which breaks the oil into tiny droplets that stay spread evenly through the drink.
Remember that the plant makes THCA, not THC, so cannabis is always heated before it goes into edibles and tinctures. See THC, CBD, CBN and CBG for why.
How to read the label
Edible and tincture labels give two kinds of numbers:
- The total in the whole package or bottle, for example "100 mg THC".
- The amount per serving: per piece for edibles, or per milliliter (or per dropper) for tinctures.
The total is not the amount in one piece. To find the amount per piece, divide:
100 mg in the package ÷ 10 pieces = 10 mg per piece
For a tincture, divide the bottle's total by its volume:
600 mg in a 30 mL bottle ÷ 30 = 20 mg per mL
These numbers are just examples for the math. Every product's label is different, so always check the label of the product in front of you.
Ratios and other cannabinoids
Some labels list more than one cannabinoid, such as THC with CBD or CBN, or give a ratio like 1:1 (equal amounts of CBD and THC) or 20:1 (twenty parts CBD to one part THC). Each cannabinoid is listed in milligrams, so you can read each one the same way.
Storing them safely
Edibles look like ordinary food. Keep them in their child-resistant packaging, clearly labeled, and out of reach of children and pets. Tinctures keep best sealed, away from heat and light.
Find them at New Mill
Browse our edibles (gummies, chocolates, drinks and more) and CBD products. Each product page lists its milligrams. For questions about how much or how often, talk with your medical provider, and our budtenders can walk you through any label.
New Mill is a medical cannabis dispensary in Bethel, Maine, serving qualifying patients 18 and older from Maine or another state, with a valid medical cannabis certification and photo ID from the same state. This article is general information about how these products are made and labeled, not medical advice.