How to Make Edibles with CBD: CBDA + CBGA Tincture

Where does one find CBDA, CBGA, and other acidic cannabinoids?

As always, we at Tweedle Farms are here to help. Not only did we release a tincture dominant in acidic cannabinoids in 2021, but our mission from the very beginning has been to provide the highest quality hemp flower possible and guess what hemp flower contains? That’s right! Acidic cannabinoids!

Before hemp flower is burned (i.e. decarboxylated or “activated”), the majority of cannabinoids are still in their acidic, or “raw,” form.

Right now, I bet you’re thinking “so, can I just eat the raw nugs?” Yes, you can, but it’s not very fun. Instead, why not try making a raw cannabinoid tincture with an alcohol base? No heat is required, so the majority of the cannabinoids in the tincture will remain in their acidic form.

How do I make a raw cannabinoid tincture?

Before we dive in, we’ve got a couple of tips:

• Use Small Buds or Shake. Full flower is not necessary. NOTE: If you do not use shake, there is no need to grind the flower!
• Get creative! Mix CBD flower with CBG flower for a 1:1 CBDA:CBGA tincture. Or you could even throw some CBDV flower in there for a 3:2:1 CBDA:CBGA:CBDVA tincture!

Ingredients:

• Hemp Flower (or Small Buds or Shake)
• High-proof grain alcohol
  • NOTE: Only ethyl alcohol is safe for human consumption. Do not use isopropyl or methyl alcohol.
  • Ideally, you’re shooting for 151-190 proof alcohol. Vodka will work in a pinch, but higher proofs will help you to achieve a more efficient extraction.

Materials:

• Mason jar
• Coffee filter
• Empty tincture bottle(s)

Directions:

Step 1
Put your hemp flower in a mason jar. 

How much flower? That's up to you! Most people will fill the jar to about halfway, but if you'd like a stronger end result, fill it nearly to the top, leaving about 2 inches of space. Move the jar, as well as the alcohol, into the freezer and leave them overnight. 

Why? The trichomes (aka crystals) on the flower are where the majority of the cannabinoids and terpenes are contained. When you freeze them, they become brittle. Then, they’re easier to separate from the plant matter. It’s good to freeze the alcohol as well, so that the whole process takes place in a cold environment.

Step 2
When it’s time to make the tincture, pour your alcohol over the flower. Make sure the flower is completely submerged. Then, screw the lid on tight!

Step 3
Give it a gentle shake! Put it back in the freezer.

Step 4
Depending on how strong you want your tincture to be, you can leave it in the freezer for as little as a few hours and as long as a few days.

• If you opt for a few hours, give the jar a gentle shake every 30-60 min and return it to the freezer.
• If you instead decide on leaving it for a few days, give it a gentle shake 3-4 times each day.

Step 5
Remove from the freezer and strain the tincture through a filter.

Step 6
Store in a dark bottle. If you have an empty bottle of Tweedle Farms CBD Oil, that will work great.

Interested in evaporating the alcohol from your tincture?
Pour the strained tincture into a mason jar, cover it with a coffee filter (to keep any contaminants from landing inside), secure the filter with a rubber band and leave it in a cold, dark place for 4+ days. Remember - grain alcohol is flammable, so keep the jar away from flames!

How do I calculate the potency of my tincture?

If you purchased your hemp flower from us, you'll have test results handy. If you can't find them, no worries! You can always visit the product page of the hemp flower you purchased and look at a digital version.

Let's start with a manageable number and say that your flower contains 10% CBDa. At 10% CBDa, each gram will yield about 100mg of CBDa. If you used 10 grams in your tincture, it should contain about 1000mg of CBDa.

What if I used 50% CBD flower and 50% CBG flower?
Let’s say your flowers contain 10% CBDA and 10% CBGA, respectively. If you use 5 grams of each, your tincture should contain around 500mg CBDa and 500mg CBGA.

Now that we’ve made a tincture - what is CBDa? (and what's the difference between CBDa vs CBD?)

There are a plethora of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, but in hemp, CBDa (cannabidiolic acid) is the most prevalent. Like all cannabinoids, CBDa stems from the “mother cannabinoid,” CBGa, and later converts to CBDa over time. It later converts to CBD when it is exposed to heat.

Because it is most abundant in raw cannabis (i.e. the raw hemp plant), the best way to consume CBDa is through the ingestion of a CBDa tincture (like the one you just made!).

What is the Endocannabinoid System (ECS)?

Before we start to discuss the importance of CBDa and other acidic cannabinoids, we’d like to remind you what the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is and what it does.

The human body processes cannabinoids using the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS produces endocannabinoids, which are neurotransmitters. These endocannabinoids are similar enough to the cannabinoids produced by the cannabis plant (called “phytocannabinoids”) that the ECS can process them as well.

The ECS is a vital part of the human body. Endocannabinoids travel through the bloodstream, participating in every bodily process by attaching to cells and letting them know what’s happening in the body and what the cell should do. How cool is that?

So, what is CBDa good for? And why is it important?

Most cannabinoids bind directly with the body’s CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. CBDa, on the other hand, interacts with our endocannabinoid system by blocking the COX-2 enzyme; an enzyme associated with inflammation.

Additionally, CBDa has been found to have 100 times the affinity for the body’s 5-HT receptors (especially the 5-HT1A serotonin receptors1), compared to CBD. What does that mean? Well, when a chemical and a receptor have an affinity for each other, they are more likely to work together. This is an amazing thing, because 5ht receptors mediate neurotransmission. That means they act as an intermediary between your brain and your body, helping your body’s subconscious, and conscious, processes take place as smoothly as possible.

In fact, GW Pharmaceuticals, the company that produces Epidiolex, found CBDa to have a much higher bioavailability and faster onset than CBD in its own studies.

Can you get high off cbda?

Nope! It is entirely non-psychoactive.

What about the other acidic cannabinoids? Why are they important?

Much like CBDa, acidic cannabinoids have been found, in general, to be easier for the body to metabolize and to have a higher rate of bioavailability.

And that is that! We hope you enjoyed the recipe, as well as the refresher on the importance of acidic cannabinoids!