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Most think you can only enjoy cannabis if you smoke, vape, or eat it, but cannatea is a delicious alternative to these conventional methods. In this article, we look at what marijuana tea is, consider its benefits, help you figure out an optimal dose, walk you through the effects, show how to make it yourself, and recommend optimal strains.
Cannatea may just be your new favourite way to enjoy your daily dose of THC or CBD.
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You may have heard of magic mushroom tea from your psychonaut friend, but have you heard of cannatea before? Smoking and vaping are fine ways of getting your dose of cannabis, but some people can’t physically handle hot smoke or vapor running through their airways.
So, if you’ve been looking for a way to enjoy weed that’ll soothe your throat rather than hurt it, marijuana tea may be a welcome addition to your routine.
While you might suspect the benefits of cannabis-infused tea to simply line up with those of cannabis in general, there’s something to be said about consuming it specifically as a tea.
To start, if you find that enjoying weed and sipping tea both relax you, imagine the soothing sensations you’ll experience when enjoying both at the same time. Since you don’t have to worry about quickly inhaling any hot smoke or vapor, you’ll end up noticeably more content in the moment. The drink may be hot too, sure, but slow sipping and the addition of things like butter or milk should make that manageable.
You may find yourself even more relaxed if you sip a tea that’s free of caffeine, such as chamomile, peppermint, or ginger. We’d also suggest utilising an indica strain, or one including terpenes like myrcene and linalool, to enhance those effects. That might be too sleepy for some, though, so be cautious when dosing your tea with an unfamiliar strain.
Along with helping us stay relaxed, drinking certain teas can keep our gastrointestinal tract (GI) in good working order[1]. Herbal teas, such as peppermint and ginger, are considered to be especially effective, but different people will have different experiences, and it’ll take some experimentation to figure out the perfect tea to support your internal workings.
Most of us are used to hurting our throats when enjoying cannabis, whether we’re smoking, or, less harmfully, vaping. However, when sipping cannabis tea, you may find it actually soothes your throat[2], rather than damages it. While the weed itself isn't responsible for this, your throat will enjoy the (moderate) heat of the tea. Chamomile and green tea, specifically, are the ones considered most effective in this regard.
While it isn't as simple as putting a tea bag in a cup, making your own marijuana tea is ultimately easy. You just need a few basic ingredients, namely your usual tea fixings and some ground cannabis, and less than 30 minutes of effort and waiting.
While we mentioned ground cannabis flower in the recipe, you can actually make tea with (practically) any part of the plant. You grew every part of your cannabis, so why not get some use out of each and every bit?
Cannabis buds of course, should be your go-to when making cannatea. They contain the highest concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes, so infusing them will lead to the most potent possible cup.
The drawback, of course, is the fact that you don’t have an endless amount of buds, and using them exclusively can make your cannatea habit quite expensive in the long-run.
You’re going to have more leaves than buds on your hands come harvest-time, and there’s usually no other use for them—but they work very well when making cannabis tea.
You can either add dried, decarbed leaves straight into the water, or heat them in some coconut oil. If you go with the latter method, the oil should bring any present cannabinoids forward, making the resulting tea a good touch more potent than it would be otherwise. Even then, however, the relative scarcity of cannabinoids and terpenes on the leaves (relative to the buds) means cannabis leaf teas are weaker in general.
We’re sure you’ve got stems piled up somewhere, and now you have a way to finally put them to use. They may look humble, but you’d be surprised by how many cannabinoids you can squeeze out. You’ll need a decent amount for a pot of tea, about five grams worth, although that could easily come from an ounce of shake or mid-quality buds.
If you don't want to make your own tea, you can buy a ready-made one. Cannabis-infused beverages will be everywhere pretty soon, and there are some teas already on the market. In particular, CBD-infused teas can be found in shops and online in many places, as the soothing cannabinoid makes a great complement to a warm brew.
When brewing your own tea, you have the luxury of choosing your mixer, which can notably alter the experience. Don’t overthink it though; whatever you usually put in your tea will blend into your cannatea perfectly fine.
If you're looking for a mellower high, you can keep your tea plain. THC is not water-soluble, so you won’t be able to take in every bit that’s in your plant material. However, if you’re not too particular about your dose and just want something quick and chill, plain cannatea will suit you fine.
If you want a stronger, longer-lasting high, we suggest you add in butter or oil. THC dislikes water and loves fat, so the fat in the butter or oil will combine with the cannabinoids so you can process them all.
If you're looking for a quick boost to your high, adding a couple drops of tincture to your tea could also be ideal. While they usually aren't as strong as the average cannabutter, tinctures can still give you a great buzz, and are easier to add to your tea in a pinch. It may throw off the taste, however, so be sure to add in some additional honey, sugar, lemon, etc. to improve it.
If you're making it yourself, the THC content in your tea will vary according to which strain you're using. To get a rough idea, use this general rule: add a 0 to the end of your weed's THC percentage. For example, if your weed has 15% THC, there'll be about 150mg in your cup for every gram used.
We recommend starting with a smaller dose if you’re a beginner, and further suggest you only build up the dose in small increments each time you enjoy it.
As it goes with edibles, the effects of cannabis-infused tea take a while to show. As far as what you’ll feel, that’ll come down to the type of tea you’re using and what strain of cannabis you’re infusing with it.
Typically, you're looking at around a 30–90 minute wait before the effects of your cannatea begin to take hold, though it can take up to two hours for some.
For example, those with lower amounts of body fat might feel the effects sooner than those with more, and shorter people may feel it sooner than taller folks. In turn, if it’s your first time, you may start to notice the effects creeping on earlier, while those who regularly partake will need more time before they feel things kicking in.
For most people, a marijuana tea high will last around 4–8 hours, but this will, again, depend on factors like individual physiology, food/drink intake, and tolerance to cannabis.
Instead of using high-THC strains for your tea, you could always make CBD tea instead. As mentioned earlier, you can find CBD tea in cannabis shops or make it yourself. Unlike high-THC tea, CBD tea won't get you high, but will instead offer all the effects you know and love from taking CBD in other forms.
Additionally, you can make CBD tea with tinctures you’d usually take under your tongue (sublingually). The tea will mask the tincture’s bitterness, and adding in honey, milk, or flavouring will make it virtually undetectable to the tongue.
You can make cannatea with any strain; but, for those unsure which would work best, we have a solid list of recommendations.
Bred for flavour, Fruit Spirit is ideal for a hot mug of delicious cannabis tea. A member of the White Widow family, Fruit Spirit is marked by sativa-dominant genetics, hints of blueberry, and a mellow and relaxing head high. With all that goodness, fuelled by a modest yet notable 18% THC, it’s definitely one of our favourites for milder highs.
Blueberry x White Widow | |
375 - 425 gr/m2 | |
80 - 120 cm | |
9 - 10 weeks | |
THC: 18% |
Sativa 30% Indica 70% | |
475 - 525 gr/plant | |
175 - 220 cm | |
Early October | |
Clear |
Known for her strong, tart fragrance that tiptoes between sweetness and dankness, Lemon Shining Silver Haze is sharp lemon soda in weed form. As well as a pleasant taste, you’ll experience the euphoria of the best sativas, powered by 21% THC. If you like a kick of citrus in your cup, give this a try for your cannatea, too!
Lemon Skunk x Shining Silver Haze | |
600 - 650 gr/m2 | |
80 - 140 cm | |
9 - 10 weeks | |
THC: 21% |
Sativa 75% Indica 25% | |
650 - 700 gr/plant | |
130 - 170 cm | |
Middle of October | |
Balanced, Clear, Stoned |
Potent and flavoursome, Green Gelato is reminiscent of a chocolate chip ice cream topped with orange drizzle. It also has a whopping 27% THC content, so it’s the perfect choice for the heavy THC users amongst us. It takes effect quickly, and the slightly indica-dominant genetics will have you basking in a physically relaxing yet clear-headed high.
Sunset Sherbet x Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies | |
500 - 700 gr/m² | |
80 - 120 cm | |
8 - 10 weeks | |
THC: 27% |
Sativa 45% Indica 55% | |
800 gr/plant | |
150 - 200 cm | |
Early October | |
Clear, Physically Relaxing |