By Luke Sumpter

Kombucha is a sweetened, fermented tea that originated in the Far East over 2,000 years ago. The brew features large amounts of beneficial bacteria (probiotics), along with B vitamins and enzymes. This health elixir can be brewed with a large amount of beneficial herbs, so it only makes sense to infuse one of the most powerful herbs available to us; enter cannabis.

Cannabis is known for the many health-boosting compounds that it contains, including hundreds of cannabinoids and terpenes that have been shown to reduce inflammation, ease pain, and enhance various physiological processes within the body via the endocannabinoid system.

Let’s look into what makes kombucha so healthy and why it is so worthwhile to whip up a batch. Then, let’s explore how to bring it to the next level with cannabis.

WHAT IS KOMBUCHA?

Kombucha is primarily made using black tea and a source of sugar, such as cane sugar or honey. The sugar and tea are used as food for probiotic bacteria that are inserted into the tea in the form of a “SCOBY” or symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast.

During the fermentation process, the kombucha starts to produce all of the goodness it’s being made for, such as probiotics and B vitamins. This process also churns out vinegar and acidic compounds, minute levels of alcohol, and gases that make the drink carbonated.

SCOBY Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria And Yeast

CONTAINS BENEFICIAL BACTERIA

Kombucha definitely lives up to the hype it has generated, in part attributed to the vast amounts of probiotic bacteria that it contains, including strains such as acetobacter, gluconacetobacter, lactobacillus, and zygosaccharomyces.

These beneficial bacteria may help to promote gut health, a factor of overall health that has been recently revealed to impact the body immensely. Probiotics line the digestive tract and assist in nutrient absorption and also aid the immune system in combating infection.

A SOURCE OF ANTIOXIDANTS

Kombucha is a good source of antioxidants, substances that help to prevent DNA damage caused by free radicals within the body. Free radicals are produced as by products of the cellular process of transforming energy, and are released into the body where they can cause oxidative stress.

Antioxidants work to neutralise free radicals and render them harmless. This process is highly beneficial, as it is believed that free radical damage can eventually lead to conditions such as atherosclerosis and cancer. Kombucha made using green tea is especially full of antioxidants.
Animal research has also identified antioxidants as effective at reducing toxicity within the liver caused by toxic chemicals.

ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES

Various compounds within the brew may work effectively to protect the body against certain forms of bad bacteria. Acetic acid, formed within the fermentation process, is capable of killing these harmful would-be invaders.

Kombucha And Cannabis

MAY COMBAT HEART DISEASE RISK

This is perhaps one of the most impressive aspects of kombucha, considering the vast rate of heart disease, a primary cause of death worldwide. Kombucha is able to improve[1] LDL and HDL cholesterol markers. Additionally, green tea can prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, a possible contributing factor to the health condition.

ANTICANCER PROPERTIES

Kombucha has displayed some anticancer attributes, making it even more of a powerful ally to cannabis, which also has positive effects against the infamous health condition. In vitro studies[2] have found that kombucha can prevent the proliferation of cancer cells due to potent amount of antioxidants and polyphenols.

WHY CANNABIS IS THE PERFECT ADDITION

Kombucha can be made with an almost endless amount of powerful herbs, mushrooms, and plants. Having said that, cannabis may be the ultimate addition to the brew. Cannabis contains cannabinoids that interact with the body in a very specific manner via the endocannabinoid system.

The plant also contains many terpenes, antioxidants, and minerals that all carry unique and potent health benefits.

MAKING CANNABIS KOMBUCHA

Now that we realise the impressive health benefits of both cannabis and kombucha, it’s time to get this show on the road. Combining the two together is sure to assist with overall health and possible prevention.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

To begin the brewing process, we’ll first need to obtain the required items and apparatus. The following recipe will yield approximately 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS
  • 10 cannabis-infused tea bags or dried leaves and flowers
  • SCOBY
  • 1 cup organic cane sugar
  • 4.5 litres distilled or spring water
  • 1 cup premade kombucha (from the shop if needed)
  • Any other herbs you wish to add
  • Several large, sterilised glass jars
  • Jar covers

Kombucha And Cannabis Tea

INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1

We begin the process by brewing the tea. Take your spring or distilled water and bring it to boil. Next, add your cane sugar into the mix and stir thoroughly until the sugar has dissolved. Then, add your cannabis and other teas or herbs of choice into the mix and steep them in the hot water.

STEP 2

Let the brew cool down to room temperature to create a climate that is not hostile to your SCOBY culture. Pour the brew into your glass jars with around 5cm of space left at the top.

STEP 3

Now, pour an equal amount of the premade kombucha into each jar. Then, add equal amounts of your SCOBY into each jar.

STEP 4

Add the covers to each jar and close them tightly to prevent any external contaminants from entering the space. Place the jars in a relatively warm area of your house, preferably at a temperature around 25°C.

STEP 5

The fermentation process takes around 10 days to reach completion, so some patience is required. The wait is made far easier when remembering what the nourishing end result will be. The flavour of the kombucha can be tested using a clean dropper. The taste should be slightly sweet, yet bitter. If that is the case, then your brew is ready! Pour away!

External Resources:
  1. Hypoglycemic and Antilipidemic Properties of Kombucha Tea in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats - PubMed https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. Antiproliferative and Antimicrobial Activity of Traditional Kombucha and Satureja Montana L. Kombucha - PubMed https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: