Have you tried out some cannabis tinctures yet? They really are one of my favorite ways to medicate since you can control your dose down to the drop, onset is quicker than most edibles, it’s smoke-free, and there are so many different ratios you can use depending upon your needs, whether you want something for daytime, bedtime, or moments of stress. I’ve been trying the entire line of tinctures from the female-owned The Farmaceuticals Co. since the summer, and really enjoy their effective and well-made formulations.


The company got started back in 2014, when founders Robin and Chaos wanted to help their mothers—who were going through some health and wellness issues—and they wanted to provide them with the purest, cleanest cannabis medicine. One mom was suffering from a shoulder injury and depression, while another had knee injuries and was on steroids. Their daughters were able to work on some different formulations and infusions, and provide some relief to their dear mothers (one even said “bye” to Xanax). It’s the core of their philosophy of how they make their products: is it the best and purest product, one you’d give to your mother? Based on their best practices, the answer is “yes.”


They do whole-plant infusion, and source pesticide-free cannabis from Clean Green-certified farms (their partner farm is Mendo Sour Power, a third generation family farm). The tinctures are full-spectrum, whole-plant infusions in organic and non-GMO olive oil, which extracts more terpenes and preserves more cannabinoids than other methods (you can and should read more about this here). Small-batch, too. You can really taste it in these tinctures: it’s just cannabis and olive oil. They use a lighter Tunisian oil that won’t prickle your throat. 


I think they taste beautiful and verdant-bright, pure plant magic in each drop, but if you’re still getting used to the taste of cannabis, this may not be a first choice for you (but trust, you’ll grow to love it in time!). And since you’re (probably) taking them sublingually, the taste won’t be as pronounced as if you were putting it directly on your tongue. You can also use these tinctures with food since the olive oil tastes so good—put some drops in your salad or on your avocado toast (consuming the drops internally can offer systemic support!).


You can also use them topically! Tight shoulders, creaky knees, sore hands…rub some on, especially the CBD or Balance Therapy Drops! Chaos (one of the founders) likes to put a few drops in the bath for all-over relaxation, and she also notes that she’s allergic to cats, and if she doesn't wash her hands well enough after holding a kitty, she can break out with hives and a bumpy rash. But when she puts some drops on, it completely goes away. I get occasional eczema flare-ups on my hand from stress or reactions to jewelry and cleansers, and if I rub a little oil on, it can help reduce inflammation (and the oil feels great). Always do a patch test to see if you’ll react, especially if you have psoriasis, but it may help. And it can seem counterintuitive to put an oil on a pimple, but if I have a little bump showing up, I can apply some Balance Therapy and it often zaps it away overnight, or gets it to chill out. Plants are such amazing healer friends.


The Farmaceuticals Co. makes a variety of formulations and ratios—I’ll walk you through each of them below (people love their Doze Drops!). Always give the bottle a little shake before using. When you’re taking a tincture sublingually, try to hold under your tongue as long as possible, at least 30 seconds and up to 90. While I usually feel the effects of some of these in about 20 minutes, always give yourself 90 minutes for the tincture to fully express itself. Sometimes things sneak up on ya. Remember that many people can start feeling psychoactive effects and a little lifted from THC around 2mg. Had too much? It’s why having CBD on hand is always a good idea—you can take a dropper of CBD and dial down the lift of the THC.

Do Drops

Need some pep in your step? Do Drops are here to bring a little euphoria and brightness to your day—it’s like liquid sativa (Sour Tangie) going right into your system. Sunshine yellow. I enjoy Do Drops when I exercise outdoors, and I was loving them on my walks in Lake Tahoe this summer. I measure about 4 to 6 drops for a lift, so if you consider the dosage is about .5mg per drop, that would be about 2mg–3mg. My kind of cruising altitude for a few hours. 


These are potent drops: one full dropper is approximately 15mg, so keep an eye on these! I always look in the mirror when I’m administering a dose. If I’m feeling a little sluggish in the afternoon, cranky, or meh, I’ll give myself a few drops and let the sunshine in. You can start your day with Do Drops, and expect a little boost in creativity. Also great for doing your dishes (may as well make them fun), housework, or going to a party. Or making your own edibles!


The Farmaceuticals Co. ladies also note these drops can help ease nausea for people going through cancer treatment. Same goes for any hangovers (it happens)—a couple drops of these throughout the day can help cut through the fog.

Balance Therapy Drops

These 1:1 drops are also made with the uplifting sativa Sour Tangie, but the CBD helps keep things from getting tooooo zippy. I’m a huge fan of 1:1 ratios, and have noticed these are more daytime for me—I can still function and do my work while these drops maneuver in the background, without getting too lifted. They’re kind of stealth—you can forget you took them. 


There is approximately .25mg of CBD and THC each per drop, and half a dropper will deliver about 2.5mg of CBD and THC. With the CBD in there, Balance Therapy Drops can help with pain, discomfort, cramps, and migraines (I had a nasty three-day migraine recently and started taking these drops at onset to help soften the severity).


Since Balance Therapy drops are designed for immediate relief, they may also be useful for panic attacks and moments of anxiety. If I find myself getting too stressed with work, I can take 4–5 drops and dial down the pressure, and feel less like I’m in a pressure cooker in about 20 minutes. Serenity now!

CBD Therapy Drops 

It’s always a good idea to have a CBD tincture in your arsenal, and these have a unique ratio of 11:1, so there's a little THC in there to make sure everything works extra-efficiently together. It should be a non-psychoactive experience, with less than 1mg of THC in a full dropper, which will deliver approximately 10.5mg of CBD. You get a lot of bang for your buck with this tincture. One drop is about .5mg of CBD.


CBD does different things for different people, but it may help dial down anxiety, inflammation, or chronic pain, from arthritis to fibromyalgia. CBD is believed to assist in bringing our internal systems to homeostasis, and that is a highly personal process. It helps many folks relax, but some get activated by CBD, so don’t depend upon it helping you with rest and sleep until you test drive it first. I like taking a half-dropper before a nap—if I time it right, like 45 minutes before, I sometimes feel a little floaty. So nice.


If you’re trying to discover the right dose for you, a good place to start is with 1mg of CBD for every 10 pounds of body weight. Each dropper is approximately 10mg; so you can take a dropper and a quarter (for a 125-pound person), or a dropper and a half (150-pound person), or two droppers (200-pound person), depending on your size. Remember that less is more, so start low and titrate up as needed after a few weeks. Be patient: it can take over a month to start feeling the effects from a steady CBD regimen, although some may notice relief or benefits quickly. If you take other medications, it’s always recommended to talk with your healthcare professional first.

Doze Drops

Now, many of us have sleep issues (I WONDER WHY, IT’S NOT LIKE OUT LIVES ARE CRAZY OR ANYTHING), so yeah, every minute of shuteye is precious. Some of us have a hard time getting to sleep (BRAIN, PLEASE STOP), and others have a tough time staying asleep after their first or second REM cycle (YUP, IT’S 3AM, HERE I AM, AWAKE. AGAIN). Doze Drops to the rescue. Not only are these made with Indica flower (OG), but they use high-CBD flower as well: you get a 1:2 ratio of CBD to THC with this tincture, which The Farmaceuticals Co. ladies believe helps keep you asleep and ease your mind.


The trick is to not have so much that you intoxicate yourself and feel groggy when you wake up, so you’ll need to dial this in. A full dropper is approximately 10mg of THC (and 3.3mg of CBD), so I recommend starting with a quarter dropper (2.5mg) or half dropper (5mg) if you’re new to THC (or sensitive, like me). 5mg is plenty to make me quiet my mind and slip into the land of nod. I try to take it about 45 minutes to an hour before I want to get to sleep, but I usually start feeling relaxed in 30 minutes or so. 


I like Doze Drops when I’m traveling or just having an overnight somewhere—sleeping in hotels or someone’s house with new noises can mess with my sleep ease. And sometimes I just need to get the eff to sleep—if I’m not going to get my usual amount of Zzzzs, I don’t want to mess around and count sheep, just get me to sleep already.


Doze Drops is a favorite of a number of friends with sleep issues who totally swear by it. I was up a little late with a friend recently (we were high and taking a night walk in Wine Country, fun), and I gave him a half dropper before bed—the next day, he texted and said that despite having a short night of sleep, he felt so rested. Love that! Thanks, cannabis.


Sidekick CBD Pet Drops

Do you have a pet? The Farmaceuticals Co. also make Sidekick drops (20:1) to help diminish pain, arthritis, and anxiety in animals. They recommend: “These drops can be dropped onto food or treats, on paws to be licked off, or directly under the tongue for our non-squirmy fur babies. Dosage instructions on the side of each bottle.” And guess what? The Sidekick drops are great for people, too. They named it Sidekick with the intention that both you and your furry friend could use the same bottle to help each other feel like the true heroes you are. Awwww.

Visit thefarmaceuticalscompany.com for more info and the mymilligram page on getsava.com to purchase any of the these tinctures.

Disclaimer: The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult your healthcare professional about potential interactions or other possible complications before using any product.