When most people think about using cannabis they’re drawn to edibles, vapes, or even good ol’ flower to smoke. But sublingual consumption methods are becoming much more popular, and it’s not hard to see why.
The THC tincture benefits include convenience, precision, fast onset of effects, discreetness, and of course, protecting your lungs from any harmful compounds. But one thing we see so much confusion on is the difference between THC oil vs tincture.
Is there really a difference? What is THC tincture vs oil, and is one better than the other? We’re here to clear the air and help you understand which product best suits your preferences.
Ultimately, these are very similar. THC tinctures are traditionally made using alcohol, while THC oils use carrier fats. This impacts everything from absorption rate to taste, shelf life, and more. You can’t go wrong either way as long as you’re sourcing from a reputable brand.
Here’s where things get confusing, though. These days, you can create THC tinctures from more premium forms of cannabis concentrate, like live rosin. Plus, THC tincture and oil are often used interchangeably to describe the same type of product - but in other cases, people will refer to the contents of their vape cartridge as “THC oil.” There’s a lot of moving parts.
Either way, we think we’ve done a pretty stellar job producing the best THC tincture on the market. We use single-strain hemp and have formulated the tincture with a 1:1 THC to CBD ratio for balanced effects. Try it today, or learn more about the tincture vs oil comparison below!
What is THC Tincture vs Oil?
So what is THC tincture vs oil? We want to start by walking you through the behind-the-scenes process of making each product as this dictates all the differences between them.
What is THC Tincture?
This liquid cannabis product involves soaking hemp flower in high-proof alcohol, which pulls out all the good stuff from the plant. That includes THC, CBD, and other secondary cannabinoids, along with terpenes and flavonoids - which shape effects as well.
Once you strain the plant material you’re left with a highly concentrated liquid that can be used sublingually (under the tongue), added to food or drink, or taken by the dropper as-is.
Many tinctures are blended with carrier oils like MCT or hempseed oil for smoother taste and absorption. We use MCT oil derived from coconut here at Evn. This leads to fast-acting effects and makes it easy to dose your intake with unparalleled precision.
But what we don’t do is use alcohol to create our tinctures. Instead, we’ve sourced premium-grade live rosin and simply infused it into MCT oil as a carrier. The natural citrus flavor is added for taste.
What is THC Oil?
Talking about THC oil can get a bit messy because it’s such a broad term. A lot of people refer to the contents of their vape pen as “THC oil,” or even RSO. Yet, people can also refer to THC tincture as THC oil simply because the composition looks the same.
The key distinction is that alcohol isn’t used at any point in creating THC oil, unlike traditional THC tinctures. Instead, the extract - whether it's THC distillate, CO₂ oil, or live resin - is blended directly into the carrier oil.
This results in a cannabis-infused oil that can be used sublingually, swallowed, or incorporated into edibles. Anytime a product is labeled for oral use, THC oils and tinctures tend to look and function identically, even if the terminology differs.
So, Is There Really a Difference Between THC Oil and Tincture?
Technically, yes - but it all depends on how you define a “tincture.” The old-school definition of THC tincture being made from alcohol is different from THC oil.
But if you’re going by how most cannabis brands use the term today, “tincture” just means an oil-based cannabis extract designed for oral or sublingual use. They’re essentially the same thing. So is one actually better than the other in comparing THC tincture vs oil?
THC Tincture vs Oil: Which is Better?
Just like in choosing between a tincture vs edible or even live resin vs rosin, there’s really no one-size-fits-all answer as to which is better between THC oil vs tincture.
It’s even harder to say that one form is better than the other in this case because they can technically be the same thing. However, we’re going to do our best to help you feel more clear about whether THC tincture vs oil is right for you.
Extraction Process
Let’s go back to how each is made, as this is where much of the confusion on this topic comes from. THC tinctures used to be alcohol-based, but most modern tinctures - like the ones we make - skip alcohol entirely and use oil-based carriers.
The term “tincture” today really just refers to a cannabis extract (like live resin, rosin, or distillate) suspended in a carrier oil such as MCT. THC oils are made similarly but are more broadly defined as anything from edible oils to vape oils depending on the context.
Whatever the case, the common theme is cannabinoids are infused into oil post-extraction. It just depends on how that oil was originally pulled from the plant matter. Was it alcohol? It’s definitely a tincture. Was it solventless? It’s still probably a tincture.
But with solvent-based extraction, like live resin or CO2, it could be either THC tincture or THC oil. What matters most is the quality of the extract itself, so only shop with brands that provide transparency into how their products are made - and of course, look for lab tests.
Taste and Palatability
Alcohol-based tinctures can taste sharp or bitter, which is why oil-based tinctures have become the gold-standard. You’d be hard-pressed to notice a difference between modern THC oil vs tincture when they’re blended with high-quality carrier oils and natural flavoring.
That said, oil-heavy formulas may feel thicker under the tongue, while some tinctures are formulated for faster absorption and smoother mouthfeel. This is where you’ll notice differences between THC tincture vs oil depending on the brand and its process.
Versatility and Ease of Use
Both THC tinctures and THC oils are easy to use and very versatile. So, how do you use THC tincture? The classic approach involves dropping the liquid under your tongue and letting it sit for 15-30 seconds. Then you can swallow the oil. This is known as “sublingual” use, and provides super fast-acting effects.
Or, you could drop the tincture into your favorite beverage - be it coffee, tea, or anything else for that matter. Then when you drink the liquid, you’re basically creating your own “THC infused beverage” that will behave like an edible since it’s going through the digestive tract.
THC oil may refer to more general-purpose products, and in some cases, they may not be optimized for sublingual use at all. THC oil can be added to a vape cartridge, for instance. Or, it could be used to make Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), which is not used sublingually.
Bioavailability and Strength
Is one stronger than the other between THC oil vs tincture? Not necessarily - it all depends on source material you’re starting with: the flower itself. Then, the efficiency of extraction comes into play, as does the process of diluting the concentrated extract into either a tincture or oil.
Some tinctures are specifically emulsified for faster absorption under the tongue, while others act more like traditional edibles when swallowed. But one thing is for sure - MCT oil is the most efficient carrier oil these products can be made from. This impacts bioavailability.
All this is to say that neither form is inherently stronger than the other. Cannabinoid content ultimately dictates how strong a THC tincture or oil is.
Onset Time for Effects
When used correctly, sublingual tinctures can begin working in 15–30 minutes. Oils that are swallowed (either directly or in food) behave more like edibles, with effects kicking in after 45–90 minutes.
Again, this has less to do with the label on the bottle and more to do with how you use it. This is why we love THC tincture so much - it’s so versatile, you can control the experience both in terms of dosing, onset time for effects, and staying power of those effects.
We recommend holding the dose under your tongue for at least 60 seconds before swallowing if you want the fastest onset time possible - whether you’re using a THC oil vs tincture.
Bringing Our THC Oil vs Tincture Guide to a Close
We hope this THC tincture vs oil comparison has provided some sense of clarity on where they differ and how they similar. This can be a pretty convoluted topic since the terms are often used interchangeably, but sometimes, incorrectly.
The key takeaway is that all THC tincture contains THC oil, but not all THC oil is a tincture. Some THC oil is infused into edibles, while it can also be used to fill up a vape cartridge. But the common theme is that tinctures are always used sublingually, or to infuse a beverage with THC.
Whether labeled oil or tincture, what matters most is what’s inside the bottle: clean ingredients, reliable potency, and a formulation that fits your routine. That’s what you’ll find here at Evn.
So, don’t settle for anything less than the best. Spoil yourself with precision, purity, and a balanced high that doesn’t miss. Order your THC tincture today and experience firsthand why this is one of the best consumption methods on the market!
