How to Make a Cannabis Tincture at Home

This guide is about making a cannabis tincture — the extraction recipe, the alcohol, the steep, the strain, the bottle. It covers two proven methods: traditional cold ethanol extraction (the Green Dragon method) and QWET (Quick Wash Ethanol Technique). Both produce a high-potency, shelf-stable tincture from decarbed flower and high-proof food-grade alcohol. Already have a finished tincture and need to know how much to take? Skip ahead to our tincture dosage guide — that page covers droppers, sublingual vs ingested, onset times, and titration.

What You Need

• Decarboxylated cannabis — 7–14g per cup of alcohol (skipping decarb cuts potency by 60–80%)
• High-proof food-grade ethanol — 190-proof Everclear is ideal; 151-proof works but extracts slower
• Mason jar with airtight lid (pint or quart, depending on batch size)
• Fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, and unbleached coffee filters
• Amber or cobalt-blue glass dropper bottles for storage
• Funnel for clean bottling

Why Alcohol Proof Matters

Cannabinoids are non-polar and dissolve readily in high-proof ethanol; water in lower-proof spirits actually hinders extraction and pulls more chlorophyll. As proof drops, both efficiency and steep time get worse:

• 190-proof (95% ABV): Best efficiency, cleanest extract. Steep 2–4 weeks (Green Dragon) or 3 min (QWET).
• 151-proof (75.5% ABV): Good. Extend steep to 4–6 weeks; QWET still works.
• 80-proof vodka (40% ABV): Poor. 6–8 week steep, ~50% the potency of 190-proof, much greener taste. Use only if higher proof isn't available.

Method 1: Green Dragon (Traditional Cold Extraction)

The classic method: decarbed flower steeped in high-proof alcohol for several weeks at room temperature. Produces a full-spectrum extract with the broadest cannabinoid and terpene profile. Zero special equipment.

1. 01

   Decarb your flower first

   240°F for 40 minutes. Skipping this is the #1 reason home tinctures fail. See our decarboxylation guide for the mason jar method.

2. 02

   Place decarbed cannabis in a mason jar

   7g per cup (240ml) of alcohol for standard potency, 14g per cup for strong. Pack loosely — don't crush.

3. 03

   Cover completely with cold 190-proof ethanol

   Pour until the cannabis is submerged with about 1 inch of alcohol above. Seal the jar tightly.

4. 04

   Store in a cool, dark cabinet for 2–4 weeks

   Shake once daily. Darkness preserves cannabinoids; light degrades THC into CBN.

5. 05

   Strain through cheesecloth, then coffee filter

   First pass through cheesecloth removes plant material. Second pass through an unbleached coffee filter removes fine sediment for a clear amber liquid.

6. 06

   Bottle in amber glass dropper bottles

   Use a funnel. Label with date, strain, and estimated mg per dropper (use the dosage calculator).

Method 2: QWET (Quick Wash Ethanol Technique)

QWET produces a cleaner, lighter-colored tincture in minutes instead of weeks. The trick is freezing both the alcohol and the cannabis beforehand — cold prevents chlorophyll and waxes from dissolving, leaving you with a golden, clean-tasting extract.

1. 01

   Freeze decarbed cannabis and alcohol separately for 24 hours

   Cannabis in a sealed bag, alcohol bottle in the freezer. Both must be thoroughly frozen — this is non-negotiable for a clean QWET.

2. 02

   Pre-chill a mason jar in the freezer for 1 hour

   Warming the alcohol mid-wash defeats the technique.

3. 03

   Combine and shake vigorously for exactly 3 minutes

   Set a timer. Longer than 3 minutes pulls chlorophyll, waxes, and bitter compounds.

4. 04

   Strain immediately through a coffee filter in a funnel

   Speed matters — the longer the alcohol warms, the more plant compounds dissolve. The coffee filter catches fine waxes that cheesecloth misses.

5. 05

   Bottle in amber glass

   Finished QWET should be golden to light amber, not green. Green means the alcohol warmed too much or shaking went past 3 minutes.

Optional: Evaporate to Concentrate

To make a stronger tincture (and reduce the alcohol bite), pour the strained tincture into a shallow glass dish and leave it in a well-ventilated room (away from any flame or spark — ethanol vapor is flammable). As alcohol evaporates, the tincture concentrates. Reducing by half doubles the mg per drop. Stop when you've reached your target volume and rebottle.

Glycerin Alternative (Alcohol-Free)

If alcohol isn't an option, food-grade vegetable glycerin can substitute — but with significant trade-offs. Glycerin extracts only 30–40% as much THC as ethanol, requires 4–6 weeks of warm (90–100°F) steeping in a yogurt maker or sous vide, and produces a sweet, syrupy tincture rather than a clear liquid. Shelf life drops to 6–12 months versus 1–2 years for alcohol. Use only if alcohol is medically or personally off-limits.

Storage

Properly made tinctures stored in amber glass in a cool, dark cabinet maintain potency for 1–2 years. Alcohol is a natural preservative — this is the longest shelf life of any home cannabis infusion. Always label the bottle with the date made, strain (if known), and estimated mg per dropper. Refrigeration is not required but extends shelf life further.

Troubleshooting the Extraction

• Tincture turned dark green and tastes bitter: Too much chlorophyll. Switch to QWET with properly frozen ingredients, or shorten the Green Dragon steep.
• Weak or no effect: Almost always a decarb problem. Re-decarb next batch and verify oven temperature with a separate thermometer.
• Cloudy after sitting in the fridge: Plant waxes precipitating out. Re-strain through a coffee filter, or "winterize" by freezing the tincture for 24 hours and re-filtering cold.
• Burns harshly under the tongue: That's the high-proof alcohol, not a flaw in the recipe. Either evaporate to concentrate (reduces alcohol volume per dose) or take in food/drink instead.