Weed at Your Fingertips! Experience the Ease of Ordering Cannabis with Our 
Cannabis tinctures and edibles are two of the most common ways of consuming marijuana and gaining its effects without having to smoke or vape it.
Both are meant to be taken orally and do not need any preparation or cleaning afterwards as is the case with other types of products such as smokeables.
Plus, they are significantly safer and known to have the longest-lasting effects compared to other methods.
As efficient as they are, there are certain differences that make them rather distinct in their usage and effects.
Before we delve any deeper, let’s quickly understand what cannabis tinctures and edibles are.
Cannabis tinctures are liquid solutions of weed that are made by soaking the plant material in oil, alcohol, or glycerine.
As such, they are a highly potent form of cannabis concentrates due to the heavy amount of cannabinoids and chemical compounds in them.
Cannabis tinctures are meant to be consumed sublingually or by putting them under the tongue; although, they can also be swallowed directly or added to edibles and beverages.
What are Cannabis Edibles?
Cannabis edibles, on the other hand, are food items that are infused with cannabis as one of the main ingredients.
These edibles may range from homemade cookies, cakes, and brownies to off-the-shelf snacks such as chocolates, chips, and gummies.
Available in all kinds of mouth-watering treats and flavors, cannabis-infused edibles are the No. 1 choice for those using cannabis purely for medicinal reasons.
Differences between Edibles and Tinctures
To fairly distinguish the two, we will take into account multiple factors that play an integral role in defining the desired effects of each.
For instance, their potency or strength, the onset of their effects, and the duration of the effects among other things.
Without further ado, let’s go through them one by one.
1. Potency or Strength
When it comes to the potency or THC levels of cannabis products, edibles and tinctures might very well be two of the strongest forms of cannabis.
What makes them so rich in their THC and cannabinoid content is the lack of heating or burning of the compounds which prevents them from having any significant loss in their chemical composition and hence a higher bioavailability.
As a result, both edibles and tinctures tend to maintain a wider spectrum of cannabinoids compared to other products. Even when being digested or metabolized by the system, most major cannabinoids like THC and CBD break down into smaller molecules or other minor cannabinoids like CBG and CBN which only enhances the desired effects of cannabis in the process called “entourage effect.”
2. Onset of Effects
Cannabis tinctures have a faster onset of effects compared to eatables especially when they are consumed sublingually.
That is, by placing the tincture under the tongue, you can instantly absorb a significant amount of it through the salivary glands present underneath the tongue and start experiencing the desired effects within 15-30 minutes.
Edibles, on the other hand, take a longer time to do it since anything eaten takes about an hour or two to digest completely as it has to go through our entire digestive tract or metabolism to reach the bloodstream.
Therefore, edible cannabis can take anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours to show its effects. Despite being the slowest method, cannabis-infused edibles certainly have the longest-lasting effects.
3. Duration of the high
Both tinctures and edibles have a relatively longer duration of high which can last for up to 8 hours or more.
To be specific, cannabis tinctures can stay active for up to 6-8 hours. Whereas, the effects of cannabis edibles can go on for 12 hours while their residual effects might linger for another 12-24 hours. Hence, their longest-lasting effects.
Yet, the potency and the effects of both the products largely depend on their cannabinoid concentration. As such, a tincture with a higher quantity of cannabis compounds might be much stronger than a low-intensity edible.
At the same time, your tolerance level, metabolism, and mindset can also affect the intensity and duration of the effects of cannabis as a mind-altering substance that it is.
4. Ease of use/ Convenience
Cannabis tinctures and edibles are both two of the most convenient methods of consuming marijuana.
Apart from being a safer alternative to smoking and vaping, they are also much easier to use as they do not require any grinding, rolling, or other preparation as is the case with a joint or bowl.
Leaving homemade products aside for a while, both tinctures and edibles are readily available in a variety of strengths and flavors.
Lack of emissions of smell and smoke further makes them a more friendly approach to taking cannabis with the utmost discretion.
As far as their storage is concerned, most off-the-shelf products including tinctures and edibles come with proper labeling that describes the minutest detail you would want to know like the ingredients used, the THC or CBD level, and the recommended dosage.
5. Shelf Life
While cannabis-infused edibles can be kept fresh and safe for consumption for up to 6 months to 1 year; cannabis tinctures have a rather longer shelf life of up to 10 years.
Being made of pure cannabis compounds and nothing else, tinctures can be made to last for even longer than their stipulated lifespan if you store them properly in the right storage conditions such as a dark and cold place that is free from any kind of contamination.
Compared to eatables which may have certain elements such as added sugars and artificial substances, tinctures are usually made for medicinal purposes and less likely to catch any bacteria or contamination.
Moreover, most of these medicinal solutions, especially the ones bought from an authentic dealer, come in proper packaging that is meant for using as well as storing the tincture for as long as you want.
6. Taste Profile
Tinctures and edibles both have a wide range of tastes and aromas to choose from depending on your palate.
Still, edibles surely trump tinctures due to the plethora of available products and flavors. For instance, edible gummies, cakes, chocolates, cookies, chips, etc.
Tinctures, on the contrary, may also come in a wide variety of flavors depending on the type of terpenes they have in the first place but they would still have a sharp underlying taste of weed that is rather earthy and musky to bear.
Terpenes are the main aromatic compounds of weed and the floral world that give plants their unique flavor and smell.
Given the tens of hundreds of cannabis strains, with each having its unique composition of cannabinoids and terpenes, there are tons of options to choose from, be it cannabis-infused edibles or medicinal tinctures.
7. Dosing
Dosing is yet another integral component of cannabis consumption if you were to use it the right way.
The good news is that both tinctures and edibles come with easy ways to determine the ideal quantity of intake.
For instance, cannabis tinctures come in special medicinal droppers or vial bottles that are often used to administer a precise dosage of liquid medications.
Similarly, cannabis edibles are sold in portions of dosed-out pieces that make it easy to figure out the ideal dosage, just like the partitions in a readymade chocolate. Each piece typically contains about 5-10 mg of THC or CBD which you can further break down into two or three smaller parts to achieve the desired dosage.
8. Cost
Medicine-oriented solutions such as tinctures are naturally more expensive than edibles and other cannabis products including dry flowers and buds.
That’s because tinctures have a significantly higher concentration of cannabinoids in them compared to edibles.
On the contrary, since edibles have more to do with taste and appetite, they may have lower levels of THC, CBD, and other compounds.
As such, while an edible may cost you between $5 to $100 depending on its type; a bottle of tincture may range from $30 to $200 although with a greater amount of essential cannabinoids that is 2-5 times more than cannabis-infused edibles.
Plus, they do not cause any weight gain and are quite low in calories. This makes them a relatively healthier option for overweight people than cannabis edibles.
Conclusion
After considering all the factors such as the cost, effects, dosage, and storage, we can conclude that cannabis tinctures are more efficient and safer than edibles.
Albeit a bit costly, they have higher potency or THC/ CBD levels than cannabis edibles and a longer shelf life or lifespan.
Storable for up to 10 years, they offer a precise dosage or ease of use, thanks to their measured vial dropper.
The only catch is the lack of taste and flavor of cannabis tinctures as is the case with mouth-friendly cannabis edibles like gummies, brownies, and cakes.
For those with a lack of tolerance for the musky or skunky smell of cannabis, you can always opt for edibles over medicinal tinctures.
