How To Make Cannabis Tea: Best Recipes
Cannabis tea, like edibles (gummies, brownies, and cookies), offers a safer way to consume Marijuana than vaping or smoking. But, unlike edibles, this tea doesn’t contain sugar, preservatives, or food allergens and offers a healthier option.
Marijuana tea is also quick and easy to make at home and can be made in several ways using different parts of the plant. Of course, how you make it depends on the effect you’re after. So, let’s dive in and look at how to make a steaming cup of “green” tea.
Does Cannabis Tea Get You High?
Cannabis tea can get you high depending on the marijuana you use and how you go about brewing your tea. Cannabis tea will get you high if the plant matter, tincture, or oil you use contains THC. The various ways your body processes cannabis cause this outcome.
Cannabinoids can almost instantly enter the bloodstream when smoking or vaping, however, edibles require the liver to process the THC after passing through the digestive system. The liver produces the metabolite 11-hydroxy, which has the ability to five-fold boost potency.
What’s the Difference Between THC and CBD Tea?
When prepared correctly, THC tea can get you high. Cannabis plants produce THCA, which is a non-intoxicating compound. Essentially, this is THC, but with an additional carboxyl element that prevents intoxication. However, when this compound comes into contact with heat, it converts to THC in a process called decarboxylation. THC, or Tetrahydrocannabinol, is the primary psychoactive compound responsible for getting people high.
Because Cannabis needs to go through a heating process to release THC, many people smoke or vape the plant or cook Cannabis with butter or oils. For this reason, if you want to make a tea that gets you high, you’ll need to apply a heating method to your Cannabis or make a THC-infused tea using a Cannabis tincture, THC-infused honey, or coconut oil.
So, what is the difference between THC and CBD? In contrast to THC tea, CBD tea does not contain any psychoactive properties and won’t make you high. But then, why drink CBD tea?
Our bodies have a natural endocannabinoid system that regulates emotional responses, hunger, pain, temperature, sleep, memory, and stress. This system comprises Cannabinoid receptors placed throughout the nervous system, which are stimulated by natural Cannabinoids created by the body.
CBD or Cannabidiol produced by the Cannabis plant reacts the same way with these receptors as the natural Cannabinoids our bodies produce, helping to alleviate pain, improve sleep, relieve anxiety, and stimulate appetite. So, people with chronic pain, insomnia, or stress may prefer to drink cups of tea that won’t get them high but will diminish their symptoms.
How to Make Marijuana Tea?
Now that we understand the differences between THC and CBD tea, let’s look at what making Cannabis tea entails. In order to make the complicated process of decarboxylation as simple as possible, we have created a step-by-step guide. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as dropping some marijuana in a tea bag and letting it steep (unless you enjoy the taste of soggy cannabis and don’t actually want to get high).
However, it’s not necessary to go all out to prepare a quick serving of decarboxylated buds. You can do this.
How Long Does Cannabis Tea Take to Kick In?
Smoking or vaping Marijuana provides almost instantaneous effects as it is absorbed by the lungs and passes directly into your bloodstream. In contrast, edibles and Cannabis tea must first pass into your stomach and be digested before being absorbed by the liver.
The liver then metabolizes these molecules. Generally, this process takes between 40 minutes to two hours, which means you’ll only feel the effects of the tea an hour or two after drinking it. However, while the tea’s effects take longer to kick in, they are often longer lasting and more potent.
How Much Marijuana Do You Need?
The amount of Cannabis you’ll need depends on how much tea you’re making and how strong you want it to be. For instance, if you use one gram of Cannabis flower with a 20% THC level, you’ll be consuming anywhere up to 200 mg on average. However, remember that decarboxylation and digestion both lessen the potency of the Cannabis flower.
Additionally, the form of Cannabis you intend on using also plays a part in determining how much you’ll need. For example, if you plan on making your tea using dried Cannabis buds, you’ll need more than if you use a Cannabis-infused fat-based butter or oil that often has a far higher concentration.
How Many Grams of Stems Do I Need to Make Cannabis Stem Tea?
If you’ve run out of ground Cannabis and all you’re left with are stems, you can use these to make Cannabis tea. However, keep in mind that Cannabis stems contain much less THC than buds, which means you’ll need to use a lot of them to make a decent tea.
Generally, half a cup of (64 grams / 2.25 oz) is a good place to start. Additionally, because the stems are tougher than the buds, they take longer to steep.
Best Cannabis Tea Recipes
We have a fantastic recipe to help you make the perfect cup of Cannabis tea. So, let’s get started with our favorite Cannabis tea recipe:
Straight-Up Cannabis Tea
(Makes approx 3 cups of tea, recommended at one cup per person)
Ingredients:
- 1 gram of ground cannabis (citrusy strains work well)
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or unsalted butter
- 1 Tea bag of your choosing (English Breakfast or Early Grey make great options)
- 4 cups of water
- Flavorants such as sugar, honey, sweetener, milk, cinnamon, etc.
- A fine strainer
Method:
- Bring the four cups of water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Once boiling, add in your butter or coconut oil and let it dissolve completely. (This is essential as THC is fat-soluble and needs something fatty to bond with.)
- Add the gram of ground Cannabis to the boiling mixture, and lower the temperature to a simmer.
- Simmer this mixture for 15 minutes. If possible, simmer the mixture on a lower heat for longer to preserve the fragrance as the Terpenes are the first to burn if the Marijuana comes into contact with high heat too quickly. (Terpenes are aromatic compounds present in the Cannabis plant that gives it its aroma.)
- Finally, strain your Cannabis tea through a fine strainer to eliminate the plant material. Strain it into a teapot to make pouring a little easier.
- Add your tea bag to the pot and leave it to steep for a minute or two. Then pour your tea, and add in milk, sugar, a dash of lemon juice, or any other flavorants, and enjoy.
If you have any questions or want to learn more about how to make CBD tea, come and visit us at our Torrance Marijuana Dispensary. Alternatively, you can contact our dispensary by giving us a call; we are always here to help.
