Infused cannabis tea is one of the earliest forms of consumption around. Today, with tea enthusiasm booming across the globe, it only makes sense that cannabis-infused tea would pique the interest of consumers ranging from medical patients seeking pain relief to adult users looking to take the edge off.
Before diving in, let's touch on some basics:
- Keep in mind that not every infusion method is the same.
- It's challenging to find a more straightforward weed tea infusion method than simmering your buds, leaves, or stems for roughly a half-hour.
- The part of the plant you use will affect your outcome. Marijuana tea made from flower tends to generate the most substantial effects, while sticks and stems typically have the weakest impact.
- Beyond the plant, your infusion process will call for some fat, with butter and coconut oil as top choices. Like the part of the plant used, the fat you use may alter your production process and its overall effects.
With the top-level basics out of the way, let's explore how to make cannabis tea in detail and learn a few cannabis tea recipes you can easily make at home.
Will Cannabis Tea Get Me High?
The answer depends on the cannabinoid profile in your weed tea and your body's reaction to the dosage. Typically though, THC-infused cannabis tea will is psychoactive. The effects are likely to have you feeling a more substantial high than from smoking as well, with some effects lasting up to eight hours.
This result is brought on by the different ways your body processes cannabis. While smoking or vaping allow cannabinoids to almost immediately enter the bloodstream, edibles go through the digestive system into the liver, where the THC is metabolized. Once in the liver, the metabolite 11-hydroxy is produced, which can increase pot potency five-fold.
Dosage in Cannabis Tea
Dosages vary by each person's preference and the strain(s) used. Consider the following scenario for more of an idea:
Let's say a single gram of cannabis, totaling 1,000 mg in dry weight, has roughly 10% THC content. So a tea using that bud would contain about 100 mg of THC.
Additionally, cannabis tea follows the same rules as all other teas. Be sure to also keep in mind that strength depends on steeping time, with more extended periods resulting in stronger tea.
It's also important to remember that each person responds differently to cannabis. Therefore, determining your correct dose may take some trial and error. To play it safe, start with a low amount and slowly build up. If you've never tried cannabis tea before, consider beginning with a half-cup (125 ml) per day. In most cases, this amount is considered a relatively safe place to start for most new consumers.
Regular or semi-regular consumers may want to begin with one cup (250 ml) per day. Then, increase to two cups (500 ml) every 24-hours, consuming a cup every 12 hours if a stronger dose is needed.
Quick Tips for the Best Cannabis Tea Recipes
Making weed tea is a relatively simple process. Using the following tips will not only improve the consumption experience, they'll also help mask the earthy edible taste that some consumers don't enjoy.
Do Some Prep Work: Decarboxylate Your Cannabis
Making cannabis tea is easy, but it isn't without a tiny bit of effort.
Eating cannabis flower won't get you high. Raw flower contains various cannabinoids, including THCA.THCA won't produce the same effects as THC. But, when heated to 105°C/221°F, raw flower's THCA compounds convert into THC. This chemical process is called decarboxylation or decarbing. It's the same process that's required when cooking with cannabis.
While burnt flower is also suitable, using torched cannabis will require extra steps to infuse into tea. If possible, stick with a decarbed flower.
Add Milk or Cream to Your Cannabis Tea
This tip isn't just about flavor. Adding a fat source to your infused cannabis tea can help improve the potency of your beverage. Certain studies have concluded that fat-based formulations may enhance cannabinoid absorption 2.5-fold. More results are needed to verify the findings, but the current results present a case for fat-based infusions.
So, unless you're averse to fat for your own medical or personal reasons, consider dropping some into your tea. It could help deliver those more substantial doses many people need to address everything from body pains to physical and mental stress.
How Long Does It Take to Feel the Effects of Cannabis Tea?
With beverages and edibles carrying a much more potent punch, you'll want to be prepared for when the effects kick in.
Cannabis tea typically takes between 30-90 minutes before setting in. Several factors will affect your onset time. People with a higher metabolism or lower body mass tend to experience the effects in shorter order. A slower metabolism or higher body mass tends to lead to slower onset times, with some not feeling effects for almost two hours.
Once set in, effects tend to last four to eight hours -- making edibles a top choice for people with painful medical conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS). However, less experienced edible consumers may not be prepared for such effects the first time around. Cannabis newcomers might want to set themselves up in a safe, comfortable environment where they can fully enjoy the effects of their cannabis tea (or pleasantly ride out any ill effects they may experience).
3 Cannabis Tea Recipes
Below are some of the easiest recipes to get you making your weed tea. But before we dive into them, let's answer one pressing question you shouldn't overlook:
Herbal Weed Tea
Herbal tea is an excellent place to start. Like cannabis, herbal teas offer various flavors and remedies to consider. Like choosing the ideal cannabis profile, you'll want to decide which herbs best suit you and your needs when making a weed tea.
Prep time: 10 to 20 minutes
Steep time: Three minutes
Recommended dosage: One gram
Serving size: 4 cups
Ingredients:
- Your favorite herbal tea (bagged or loose)
- Fat (butter or coconut oil recommended)
- Ground cannabis
- 4 cups of boiling water
- A pot
- A strainer
Steps:
- Bring water to a boil, then add the fat. Wait for the fat to dissolve completely.
- Add the ground cannabis, reducing the flame to a simmer.
- Simmer for approximately fifteen minutes.
- Strain the cannabis material from the pot. This process will vary depending on the strainer used. A fine strainer will serve as the most straightforward process. Cheesecloth works well but increases the chance for spills, especially for a newcomer.
- Once strained, pour the liquid into your mug. Then, add the loose tea or teabag.
- Feel free to add other ingredients at this point. For example, now may be an excellent time to add that milk or cream we discussed earlier.
- Steep for three minutes before removing the teabag.
- Once cool enough, drink and enjoy!
*You should know your tolerance when deciding how much cannabis to use. If you infuse one gram of 10% THC cannabis, you'll be infusing 100 mg THC into your tea. When divided up between 4 cups, this provides 25 mg THC per cup. This may be too much THC for some consumers, so consider this when dosing and either use less cannabis or drink half a cup or a quarter cup instead.
Infused Golden Milk Tea
If you're looking for an easy-to-make, aromatic, flavorful, and potent infused tea, then this is one to try. Of course, you will need a few more spices from your rack, but the result is worth any minor additional costs.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Steep time: 20 minutes
Recommended dosage: Your comfort. Consider less than a tablespoon of infused coconut oil when starting out.
Serving size: 1 cup
Ingredients:
- your favorite tea
- infused coconut oil
- unsweetened milk (1 cup)
- pinch of cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ inch knob of ginger root
- a couple of black peppercorns
- honey to taste
Steps:
- Whisk your spices with the milk in a saucepan
- Heat the pan until a low boil begins
- Lower the heat, adding the coconut oil. Keep in mind that you can choose to use infused oil or stick with non-infused oil. When opting for the non-infused oil, be sure to add infused honey if you want to experience any cannabis effects.
- Let simmer for 10 minutes
- Strain and pour into your mug
- Add any cinnamon, honey, or other ingredients you enjoy. Those looking for an extra potent mug may want to use infused honey and infused oil.
Weed Stem Tea
The cannabis community was really misled when early consumers used to say that sticks and stems were worthless. They aren't ideal for smoking, but plant stems make excellent source material for weed tea.
Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Steep time: Varies, with longer times recommended to mask the earthy taste of the stems
Recommended dosage: minimum quarter cup of cannabis stems
Serving size: 1 mug per every 2 cups of stems used
Ingredients:
- Cannabis stems, with a minimum quarter-cup, recommended
- Water
- Straining device of your choice
- A half teaspoon of fat, butter, or coconut oil (optional)
- A saucepan
- Additional ingredients of your choosing
Steps:
- Grind your stems, or leave them as stems. Ground stems can make straining more difficult.
- Bring your water to a boil, then add the stems and fat
- Stir the pot for the next 10 or 15 minutes
- After stirring, remove the pan from the flame
- Strain the pan for any plant material using your preferred strainer
- Pour into a mug, let cool until you can drink. Then, enjoy!
These are just three beginner-level infused weed tea recipes worth trying. Like the cannabis plant, tea is an expansive world with ample options to choose from. Use this article as your jumping-off point and enjoy the many flavors and experiences that await you. And as always, consume responsibly.
And if you'd like to learn more about cannabis tea and whether it's a good fit for your treatment plan, make time to see a qualified medical marijuana doctor.
The information in this article and any included images or charts are for educational purposes only. This information is neither a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional legal advice or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about laws, regulations, or your health, you should always consult with an attorney, physician or other licensed professional.
