Lydia K
Cannabis-infused tea has been consumed in different parts of the world for hundreds of years. It offers healing, relaxation, and is simple to make.
If you’re like me, a pot of tea is welcome at any time of the day. Now that I’m no longer a spring chicken I try to infuse my tea with anything the textbook says may delay aging. Recently I found out that cannabis falls into this category. As you guessed, I decided that cannabis-infused tea would be the next fad for me.
Why I Love Cannabis-Infused Tea
I’m not particularly into the fancy apparatus used by seasoned tokers. This comprises of dab rigs, cigars, bongs, and even the cool vape pens are still not my thing. Sitting on the porch and seeping a cool cuppa tea while still taking in my weed is very appealing to me. That goes to say that I’m old fashioned, or simply gracefully aged.
Simplicity is the underlying reason. Cannabis-infused tea is simple to prepare, takes a short time, and uses common kitchen equipment. Most importantly, weed-infused tea can be made using the stems and leaves of the cannabis plants, these are parts that would otherwise not be used for smoking.
Unlike smoked weed, it will take about two hours to feel the full effects of weed-infused tea. This is because the weed has to go through the digestive system before it finally hits your bloodstream or finds its way up to your brain. This is something you should remember when taking cannabis-infused tea.
Before You Make Cannabis-Infused Tea
With simplicity mentioned above, you might have imagined that this is going to be as simple as steeping a tea bag in hot water and then bum! You have your tea. I will still maintain that the process is simple, but not that a “1-step kind of simple”.
Weed has certain compounds known as cannabinoids that are responsible for the therapeutic and recreational effects. These compounds are found in their inactive state in weed, and so they will need to be activated through a process known as decarboxylation.
Decarboxylation entails heating up the buds to a temperature of about 240 degrees Fahrenheit. This should be done for about four hours, and then you will be ready to start making your weed-infused tea.
Also, cannabinoids are lipophilic or fat-loving. This means that they will need a carrier oil to bind to, water will not do the trick here. So in every weed-infused tea recipe, there needs to be carrier oil for the cannabinoids to bind to. Coconut oil is great because it has a mild flavor and is easily digested.
How To Make Cannabis-Infused Tea
What You Will Need
- 0.25-gram cannabis buds, dried and decarboxylase
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 empty tea bag
- Honey or sugar, optional
Method:
1.Place your decarboxylated buds in a coffee grinder and turn on the grinder. Grind until the buds are in small particles, don’t make them into a powder.
2. Add your coconut oil and mix it with the cannabis particles.
3. Place the mixture of cannabis buds and coconut oil in the empty tea bag.
4. Take a pot and fill it up with water, bring to boil.
5. Throw in the tea bag and allow it to steep for thirty minutes in the boiling water
6. Remove from the stove and pour into a cup
7. Add sugar and honey if you prefer sweetened tea
8. There you have your pot-infused tea!
On occasion, you may want to try out something different but that’s as handy as weed-infused tea. Pot-infused tea latte fits this tab pretty well, only that it is more flavorsome. Here is a quick recipe to add some spice to your weed-infused tea.
How To Make Pot-Infused Tea Latte
What you will need:
- 25 grams of decarboxylated cannabis buds
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- Tea infuser and favorite tea
- Honey or sugar, optional
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup of water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Flavors such as cinnamon, optional
Method:
1. Place the decarboxylated cannabis buds in a coffee grinder and grind to very small particles.
2. Add the coconut oil, milk, and vanilla to the cannabis buds and mix thoroughly.
3. Set aside the mixture for one hour to allow the ingredients to blend.
4. Put the mixture in a sauce-pot, place your tea leaves in the tea infuser, and the water and stir
5. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes without boiling. If it starts to boil, turn down the heat.
6. Remove from the heat and strain into your favorite mug, throw in any flavors you may wish to.
Benefits of Weed-Infused Tea
1. Anti-aging
Cannabinoids in weed have anti-aging properties; this is why I love this tea.
2. Relaxation
Cannabinoids plus terpenes found in cannabis have a relaxing effect on both the body and the mind. One particular terpene called linalool is used in aromatherapy as a mood enhancer.
3. Pain relief
Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have pain-relieving properties. This is especially true for chronic pain as well as inflammatory pain.
Most pharma drugs cause addiction when used over prolonged periods of time. The opioid crisis is actually a reality. It definitely helps to have safer and cheaper alternatives for the management of chronic pain.
4. Sleep
Cannabinoids and terpenes once again work together to promote sleep. To achieve this, however, you need to go for cannabis strains with less THC, otherwise, you will have racing thoughts and non-REM sleep may just escape you. The terpene myrcene, in particular, is useful in promoting non-REM sleep.
Lastly, cannabis-infused tea comes in different flavors. Yes, you heard me right; you can never run out of options. Not all strains of weed have the same dank taste. You can explore different strains and discover which strains appeal the most to your taste buds!
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