Cannabis products, specifically CBD, are quickly becoming a holy grail of modern wellness rituals. And while the market is booming with CBD products like CBD joints, oils, soft gel capsules, and everything else in between, CBD tinctures and gummies are stepping into the limelight.
They’re easier on your lungs and have longer-lasting effects compared with traditional vaping, so looking into them makes every sense.
Yet, how do you know what to expect in terms of the impact? Tinctures and gummies vary in potency, bioavailability, taste, and onset times, and this can be a lot to take in (whether you’re a newbie or a toking veteran).
Here at Dad Grass, we love digesting things for you (pun intended).
That said, today, our mission is to make your CBD tinctures vs. CBD gummies decision a bit easier. Choosing which product is right for you is a point of preference, but it’s best to have some knowledge before making the final decision.
And the best part, we bring you the mac and cheese of the CBD world: tinctures and gummies combined. This combo is not an accident compared to the ultimate comfort foods (more on that later).
But let's start with the tincture vs. gummies differentiation.
Are Tinctures The Same As Edibles?
A hemp or a cannabis tincture is consumed orally, just like edibles, but it’s pretty much a different category of products. While edibles (including CBD gummies, CBD chocolates, and cannabis-infused beverages) are popular among long-standing CBD users and newbies for their convenient “pop it an’ chew it” benefit, tinctures have a different makeup and come with slightly different effects.
| Tinctures |
Tinctures are highly concentrated extracts rich in cannabinoid compounds extracted from hemp or cannabis plant material. These compounds are absorbed through your mouth and into your bloodstream when taken in tincture format. How does this concentrated goodness look in the making? |
| Edibles |
Edibles are also rich in cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, terpenes, and flavonoids but are used in the form of food products. They’re made by adding pure hemp extract to a conventional confectionery product and consumed like any other food item. |
Tinctures v. Gummies - How Do Those Babies Work?
To differentiate between tinctures and gummies, you need to look beneath the surface. Here’s where the following questions arise. If you have two products with the same amounts of CBD or THC on the label, does this mean you’re taking the same amounts of cannabinoid compounds?
Will one format of CBD give you the same results as the other? Will both delivery methods be as effective in terms of therapeutic effects?
First and foremost, what differentiates one format from the other is how they are processed in the human body. Without further ado, here is how cannabis tinctures and gummies work.
- CBD Gummies. The active compounds in a CBD gummy pass through your body’s digestive system before being released into your bloodstream. This means a gummy will have a delayed onset compared to a joint or tincture. It’s also the secret behind anecdotal reports of gummies being too intense. The thing is, they don’t give an intense experience per se. It’s rather down to users' proclivity to compensate for a delayed onset by reaching for larger doses. The way gummies are absorbed by human metabolism also impacts their bioavailability. That said, gummies have a bioavailability between 4 to 20% because they have to be metabolized in the digestive tract first.
- Cannabis tinctures. Conversely, CBD tinctures are taken sublingually by holding them under your tongue for 30 seconds before swallowing. The CBD is released directly into your bloodstream as they come in direct contact with the arterial blood supply under your tongue. This powerhouse CBD format has a bioavailability between 40 to 50% which means your body will absorb more helpful cannabinoids. In other words, using cannabis tincture is a way to get the best of what hemp has to offer.
Tinctures v. Gummies - Onset Times
So, how do you resolve your tincture vs. gummy dilemma? Look at it this way, for some users; it’s pretty much down to how quickly they want it to work.
A tincture will give you the first effects 15 minutes after you’ve sprinkled the dropper. This is because CBD tincture skips all the business of going through the digestive tract and the liver. This is good news because some people may want to get that mellow buzz ASAP.
As far as the gummies go, you can expect them to kick in anywhere between 30 minutes to two hours after eating them. As we’ve mentioned, this is because CBD gummies need to go through metabolic breakdown before reaching the target areas in your body.
Now, this is also where gummies draw their advantages. Since the active compounds need to travel further to your bloodstream, you get to feel the cannabinoid goodness for longer. So, while tinctures might be ideal for the impatient types, gummies are great for the patient and indulgent ones.
Related: How Long Do Edibles Stay In Your System
Benefits of Cannabis Tinctures
There are many benefits of CBD tinctures, but the top one is that it’s taken sublingually, just like CBD oil. It’s an ideal way to take blissful cannabinoids if what you want is to remove the guesswork about the right dosage and the effects that might kick in.
With tinctures, there’s no fooling around—just knowing exactly how much of the good stuff you’re taking.
But here’s the full picture of why some people may prefer CBD tinctures over other forms of CBD:
- Low-calorie. Tinctures might be a good option if you’re careful not to bust a belt. An average alcohol-based tincture will have roughly 7 calories/ml, which is much lower than the 100-200 calories that average baked goods contain per piece. Our Dad Grass CBD gummies contain no more than 20 calories per serving, so they’re not really a reason for concern.
- Precise Dropper Dosing. Unlike cannabis edibles, tinctures can be administered drop-by-drop. This translates to getting the desired results by titrating precisely the dose that suits you.
- Discreet sublingual application. Tinctures allow things to be handled discreetly, so they’re great for users who don't want to make a fuss about their CBD ritual. Dispensing a tincture under your tongue goes without recognizable odors that fill up the space immediately if you happen to be smoking or vaping.
Minimum effective dose. This is where tinctures kick it out of the park, and it’s about hitting the minimum effective dose (MED). Put simply; it’s the smallest amount of cannabis that gives you the desired effect. When you can feel the pulse of how CBD is working for you, then you can tweak your ritual for a more effective treatment. Figuring out your MED can also save you money and help you select products with the right potency.
Benefits of CBD Gummies
What makes CBD gummies a preferred choice is convenience. Their taste, ease of consumption, and discrete nature make them a triple threat in the cannabis space.
They’ve gained a real following thanks to their non-negligible benefits, which we outline below.
Gummies are:
- Portable and discreet to take. They’re as uncomplicated to use as swallowing a regular treat. Another advantage is that you can take your preferred amount of CBD without attracting much attention to yourself. In other words, gummies are the most discreet way to consume cannabis.
- Time-saving. They’re a lazy way of taking your CBD dose, as you can skip the measuring altogether. With gummies, it’s just pop and go—no drawing the right amount of CBD product into the dropper before consuming.
A tasty way to take your CBD. Finally, there’s grass you can eat. And there’s more—CBD gummies solve the taste problem, as this can be an issue with alcohol-based tinctures. CBD gummies come in a rainbow of tastes and colors, so there’s something for everyone.
Now, How About Tincture + Gummies Benefits - The 'Why' Behind Putting Tinctures and Gummies Together
Settling on tinctures or gummies will depend on what you want from your CBD product. When you have convenience, taste, and time-saving benefits on one hand and low-calorie, fast-acting, and precise dosing benefits on the other, it’s hard to tell what you want. We know it’s soul-wrenching.
The truth is, each product will blow your mind in its own right. So, why waste time doing test runs and banging your head against the wall to find the best product when you can pack a punch with tincture and gummies put together?
Skip the sweat torture and avoid compromising on either side.
You get this trade-off for settling on the Dad Grass CBD tincture and gummies bundle. Think of it as taking the best of both worlds. You get to:
- Enjoy the higher bioavailability of cannabis tinctures while savoring the sweater taste packed in the gummy format.
- Bridge the gap between the preference to enjoy the fast-acting effects of tinctures and the more prolonged effects of gummies.
- Take advantage of the more precise dosing that comes with using tinctures while not compromising on the convenience gummies can give you.
- Enjoy additional therapeutic benefits from full-spectrum tinctures and gummies (as each brings something different to the table).
This is known as the entourage effect in scientific circles. When consuming full-spectrum CBD (one containing all the phytonutrients in the plant), you get to feel all the benefits of the plant's goodness. For example, a product that combines terpenes and phytocannabinoids may better treat pain, anxiety, insomnia, and inflammation than standalone isolates.
When used together, tinctures and gummies will also give you an entourage effect as both have their own benefits. All compounds are working together in synergy, serving your ultimate well-being.
This is what happens in Dad Grass Classic Formula Tincture + Gummies Bundle. The formula leverages CBD, which has been shown to help with anxiety, pain, stress, and inflammation.
Made with 100% Organic hemp flower, the bundle is created to help tweak your routine for maximum chill.
It’s like blending the most praise-worthy macaroni and decadent cheese. The results are higher efficacy, higher bioavailability, and faster onset times.
Get Down To Business
So there you go—now you know which benefits to look for in cannabis tinctures and gummies, giving you control over your CBD experience. While tinctures might be a more efficient way to ingest cannabis, gummies are inarguably the tastiest way to take them.
That said, when faced with a CBD tincture vs. gummies decision, we always advise doubling up on the benefits.
The secret is to drop a little tincture into the sweet treat with a gazillion benefits and get the best of both worlds. Dad Grass CBD products are designed to satisfy both the novice and the veteran.
Thirsty for knowledge? Check out our popular Authentic Beginners Guide to Weed Gummies. And if you’re ready to start poppin’ and droppin’ browse through our online CBD shop.