In the ever-growing world of edibles, cannabis beverages have become more popular as of late. We’re seeing more sodas, tonics, lemonades by the day. One type of infused beverage that has been seeing a surge in search interest lately are weed teas. Let’s talk about how to make them.
What is weed tea and how do you make it?
Weed tea is simply tea infused with cannabinoids. Most weed teas are infused with THC or CBD, the two most well-known cannabis compounds, but you could also use their non-psychoactive precursors (THCA, CBDA). Weed teas are excellent for people who want to enjoy cannabis’s wide range of benefits, but don’t want to smoke, dab, vape, or eat edibles for the effects.
You can make weed tea from any cannabis matter that contains your desired compounds. Most people start with buds, but you can also use cannabis stems, shake, trim, and even kief or hash. This is why so many vets in the smoking game toss their stems into separate jars instead of the trash can: because you never know when you might want to get freaky with some homemade edibles. Once you choose your starting matter, the most important step in making homemade weed tea will be decarboxylating your weed.
Making weed tea isn’t as simple as just dropping some nugs and a tea bag into a pot of boiling water then voila, you’ve got that feel-good juice. First, you’ve got to activate the compounds you are hoping to consume. This is called decarboxylation. Decarboxylation is the process of turning THCA into THC (or CBDA into CBD), which activates the compounds that actually make us feel cannabis’s wellness benefits.
To decarboxylate your weed for making THC weed tea, break up the buds into small pieces, toss them onto a baking sheet, and slide it into the oven for 25-30ish minutes at 230 degrees Fahrenheit (or somewhere near it). To decarb your weed for making CBD weed tea, do the same, but for 40-60ish minutes.
Keep an eye on your buds throughout the process as these temperatures and times are just general guidelines, numbers will vary per oven. Once your cannabis has turned slightly brown, pull it out of the oven, and you’re now ready to whip up some high quality herbal beverages.
The best weed tea recipes
There are many different types of weed teas and ways to make them. You can whip up an infused tisane, there’s also cannabutter-infused teas, and even some made as a coconut milk concoction. Whichever method is best depends on personal preference, but it is worth noting that cannabinoids must bind to fat molecules to work their magic in your body, therefore making your weed tea with a source of fat could help increase absorption, onset time, and potency. Here's a study on the subject.
Here is the most simple way to make weed tea.
Ingredients for making weed tea:
- A pot
- A mug
- Cannabis flower, stems, leaves, etc.
- Water
- Coconut oil or unsalted butter
- A tea bag
- Additives for flavor (cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, vanilla, cloves, etc.)
- A strainer, coffee filter, or cheesecloth
NOTE: How much weed you use to make your weed tea is entirely up to you. A more frequent user’s body will have a higher THC tolerance than someone who just consumes cannabis on occasion. Generally, it’s best to start with a small amount, say half of a gram, and increase dosage as needed.
Step 1: Decarboxylate your flower, or stems, or sugar leaves in the oven. Grind up the plant matter once it’s done.
Step 2: Boil four cups of water in a pot, then add a tablespoon of butter or coconut oil to the pot. Stir the mixture until your fat source dissolves completely.
Step 3: Lower your boil to a simmer then add your ground, decarbed cannabis to the pot. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 4: Put a strainer over a cup/mug. Pour your infused mixture into the strainer to separate plant matter from the liquid.
Step 5: Add a tea bag to the cup/mug, then any extra ingredients like cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, honey, sweeteners, etc. to enhance the taste. Let it all steep for a few minutes, and BAM, you’re officially a weed tea chef.
Step 6: Drink your tea, feel good, love weed.
In addition to actually infusing tea recipes, there are plenty of THC/CBD oils, tinctures, and even cannabis sugars that you can add after brewing non-infused tea. It simplifies and quickens the entire process.
How long does it take weed tea to kick in?
Weed tea is just like any edible in that it is digested in the stomach and metabolized through the blood steam. So just like a weed brownie or a weed cookie, how long your weed tea takes to kick in will depend on how empty your stomach is. On average, most consumers expect to feel the effects of weed tea after 30 minutes to 2 hours.
The best approach to drinking weed tea is to sip it slowly so you can manage potency, and the intensity of the effects you feel. Drinking tea fast and then the high not hitting immediately could tempt you to make and drink more tea, which could also lead to you consuming way too high of a dose.
How long does weed tea least?
Again, like regular edibles, how long the effects of weed tea last depends on many factors like potency, tolerance, and your individual endocannabinoid system. Typically, the effects of edibles last much longer than the effects of consuming flavor, dabs, and vapes. After drinking your weed tea, you can expect effects to peak after 3 to 4 hours. However, the effects may still be felt for much longer than that.
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