My grandma used to say that there’s more than one way to skin a cat. She also said that she would turn every snapping turtle that she caught into an ash tray. I’m starting to think that my grandma was kind of into animal cruelty.  

The point is that you can do so many things with cannabis. You can smoke it, eat it, vape it, use it topically, put it in cannabis lube, or make a simple and handy tincture with it.  Even if you decide on making a tincture, there’s a world of options. You can make honey tinctures, grain alcohol tinctures, and vegetable glycerine tinctures.  

This vegetable glycerine tincture is an amazing way to use cannabis in a fast-acting, discreet and sweet formula that you can put in anything (can anyone say cannabis coffee?) and take with you anywhere (well, anywhere that it’s legal).

What is Vegetable Glycerine? Is it Safe to Eat?

Sometimes it seems like vegetable glycerine is in everything. Whether you know it or not, VG is probably part of your daily life, and usually, you should probably try and avoid it whenever possible.  

Why? It’s usually made with genetically modified corn or soy leftovers from the industrial processing for things like biofuels. Sometimes it’s made from used cooking oils or low grade vegetable oils. Alternatively, it’s created using dubiously grown palm oil that is notorious for deforestation, unfair trade practices, and animal cruelty, among other things.  

While vegetable glycerine isn’t inherently harmful, it can be hard to know what’s in it, so it’s a good idea to find a type of vegetable glycerine that you know for sure is made with good ingredients.

Since it’s almost impossible to know exactly how any given bottle of conventional vegetable glycerine is produced, try to find a solid company that produces organic vegetable glycerine.

Storing Your Vegetable Glycerine Tincture

While VG is an excellent alternative to alcohol when it comes to making tinctures, its shelf life is much shorter. Vegetable glycerin will store for up to year, as opposed to alcohol, which can last three to four years. You can keep it in any glass container, but dropper bottles are inexpensive, portable and are an easy way to measure dosage on the go. I keep mine in the refrigerator door, labeled with a cannabis stamp and dosage info. Always remember to store your cannabis infused products out of reach for children, pets and unstable adults.

Quick & Easy Vegetable Glycerine Tincture Recipe

There are a many ways to make a potent vegetable glycerine tincture. You can make a relatively quick tincture by heating it up and mixing it using a Magical Butter Machine or Crock Pot. The Magical Butter Machine has set temperature settings and a tincture button that takes 4 hours to cycle. You can also use the 8 hour button to make a stronger tincture. I usually run a few cycles on the MB Machine for a total of 12-16 hours depending on how much time I have. Just follow the recipe here if you’re using a Magical Butter.

It’s a little more difficult to control the temperature using a crockpot, but it’s very simple and virtually smell proof. You may have to alternate the temperature control from warm to off to make sure the mixture doesn’t overheat. 

  1. In a Quart Mason Jar combine:

  1. Cover with a lid and shake the mixture until material is completely covered with vegetable glycerine.
  2. Line the bottom of a crockpot with a washcloth or folded hand towel and fill halfway with warm water.
  3. Place the sealed jar into the crockpot, cover the crockpot with a lid if it fits, and set it on warm for an entire day (24 hours). Shake occasionally for best results.
  4. Using an oven mitt, remove the jar from the crockpot. Open the jar and allow to cool for at least an hour.
  5. Using cheesecloth or a bubble bag, strain the vegetable glycerine into a small bowl or into another jar. Save the cheesecloth bag of leftover material and make a batch of High Chai.
  6. Transfer vegetable glycerine tincture into dropper bottles using a small funnel (optional).