Us Brits drink more than 60 billion cups of tea a year. So what better way to liven up your day by throwing a bit of cannabis into the mix.
With a rise in mainstream acceptance, more and more people are looking at how cannabis can improve their lives. However, miseducation has left the average Joe believing that the only way to consume cannabis is through smoking.
This lack of knowledge has become a barrier preventing many from experimenting with cannabis. Fortunately for these people, smoking isn’t the only way and cannabis can be easily incorporated into just about any meal or drink.
In fact, one of the more popular ways of consuming cannabis is in tea or coffee.
Long history of cannabis tea
Weed tea is one the world’s oldest medicines and has been used therapeutically for thousands of years across huge geographical areas. Ancient civilisations such as Egypt and China often consumed cannabis tea and even today cannabis tea beverages such as Bhang play a huge role in Indian culture.
With us Brits drinking more than 60 billion cups of tea a year, what better way to liven up your day by throwing a bit of cannabis into the mix. Cannabis tea is one of the healthiest beverages you can drink, loaded with vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants – not to mention the health benefits associated with cannabinoids like THC and CBD.
The numerous benefits of consuming cannabis tea include reducing chronic pain, relieving anxiety and depression, improving lung health, supporting heart health and easing symptoms of nausea.
Interested? Below are 3 easy recipes to get you started.
Recipe 1 – Jamaican-style herbal cannabis tea (non-psychoactive – for those not wanting to get high)
Recipe 2 – THC/CBD-enriched cannabis tea
Recipe 3 – Cannabis Coffee
Recipe 1 – Jamaican-style herbal cannabis tea (non-psychoactive)
Raw Chinese or Jamaican-style herbal cannabis tea is the best way to experience the amazing health benefits of cannabis without experiencing the high associated with THC.
It can also be used as a way to consume CBDa, the acidic precursor to CBD that offers its own protective benefits.
What you’ll need:
- 1-2g per serving of cannabis (including hemp/CBD flower): this can be stems, leaves or bud
- Metal tea ball or folded coffee filter
- A mug
- Boiling pot
Instructions
- Boil 300ml of water on a low heat – the low heat will prevent the cannabis from decarbing.
- Grind about 1g of cannabis stems, leaves or buds and spoon into a metal tea ball or coffee filter.
- Place the tea ball or folded coffee filter into a mug
- Pour the hot water into your mug with ground cannabis and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Do
- Serve your cannabis tea along with sugar or honey.
Recipe 2 – THC/CBD enriched cannabis tea
This is a simple recipe that will decarb your weed allowing you to get the full benefits of CBD and THC. 0.5 – 1g is typically all you need per serving; you should start to feel the effects 1 – 2 hours after consuming.
What you’ll need
- 1g per serving of high-quality cannabis flower (buds)
- 1/2g per serving of butter or coconut oil
- Metal tea ball or empty tea bag
- Boiling pot
- Mug
Instructions
- Finely grind up your weed – make sure the majority of this comes from high quality bud but you may also use any leftover stems or leaves you have
- Mix your ground cannabis into 1g of butter so it is completely coated.
- Add the mixture to a metal tea ball or emptied tea bag
- Place the metal tea ball in a pan with 400ml of water.
- Simmer the mixture on a medium heat at a low boil for 40 minutes to decarboxylate your cannabis. Make sure to top up the water if it appears to be getting low.
- Turn the heat off and allow to cool, pour the weed tea into your mug and add any extra tea flavourings such as sugar or honey.
This recipe is easier if you already have pre-made cannabutter. Simply add one teaspoon of cannabutter to a boiling cup of tea and allow to dissolve fully before consuming. You can find our recipe for Cannabutter here.
Recipe 3 – Cannabis coffee
For those needing a caffeine kick look no further. Below is our easy guide to making your very own cannabis coffee. For many, combining coffee and cannabis is the perfect combination, providing you with a double combo of alertness and creative euphoria.
Perfect for those who suffer from tiredness and lethargy after consuming cannabis.
What you’ll need
- 1-2g high quality bud
- 800ml water
- 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
- Pan
- Strainer
- Large bowl
- Sugar or honey to taste
Directions
- Grind up your weed finely
- Pour 800ml of water into your pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add your butter or coconut oil.
- Once your butter has melted, reduce the heat to a gentle boil.
- Now throw in your cannabis and heat on a low heat for 40 minutes making sure to stir every 5 minutes to ensure the mixture doesn’t stick the pan.
- After 40 minutes, pour the mixture through a strainer.
- You’re now ready to brew your coffee – pour the mixture you just created into a cafetiere along with your favourite coffee and start brewing. Alternatively, you can just add your favourite dried coffee to your water mixture.
- Blend your drink (optional) – As your coffee cools then the butter or oil will separate from the water, this shouldn’t be an issue unless you drink your coffee slowly. However, blending your mixture will prevent this from happening and will also enhance taste.
What strain should I use in my drink?
The bud you brew into your tea or coffee will have a significant impact not only on the type of high you receive, but also its flavour.
We’d typically suggest using high percentage Indica strains in tea to make the most of their relaxing qualities and with coffee experiment with uplifting, creativity-enhancing sativa strains. However – this is entirely up to you and depends on what you’re looking for.
Certain strains of CBD flower may also please your palate. Find some mouthwatering strains here.
In regard to taste, the strain you select will have a significant impact on the end flavour. For example, lemon strains will add a hint of citrus to your beverage while a cookies phenotype may be sweeter.
Where to buy CBD tea and coffee in the UK
You’ve got a few different options when it comes to CBD tea and coffee products in the UK.
You can buy hemp tea, which is made from the flower, leaves and stalk of hemp plants.
High-grade CBD flower is available for as low as £5 a gram and makes a potent cuppa.
However, the taste of hemp is a bit earthy and bitter for some. In which case, CBD-infused tea is the answer. The CBD Hemporium has a fantastic range of CBD-infused loose-leaf tea, biodegradable tea bags and CBD-infused coffee.
Final words
Above we have three great recipes. However, only option 1 is suitable if you’re not looking to feel the effects of THC/CBD.
Also, when dealing with high-THC cannabis, try and and keep some CBD around as it may help alleviate some of the symptoms of a THC overload, such as paranoia or anxiety, if it were to happen.
If you find the above recipes long winded and complicated, there are several shortcuts you can take. For example, if you have already prepared your own cannabutter, all you need to do is simply add the butter to your drink and allow it to dissolve.
The same can be said for cannabis honey – simply add it to your drink and reap all the benefits of that THC and CBD. The advantage of preparing your own cannabutter or honey is that they can be added to enhance just about any food or drink.
One thing to note – for those making recipes 2 & 3, remember that cannabis is a psychoactive substance and the strength of edibles is notoriously tricky to measure. Always test the strength of your cannabis with a small dose first and wait several hours before taking a second dosage.
Hi, I’d like to consume raw cbd hemp flower. This is making sure it is pure and no contaminants.
Could I just heat it up in some coconut oil and then mix into hot water?
I’m thinking of using 0.5g-1g? Smoking it is making my chest tight. I’ve quit smoking cigs as well!!!
You could try making some cbd infused coconut oil there are lots of recipes out there!
I’m not so sure that I’d like butter or coconut in my tea or coffee 🤔 is there a reason for this, does it disguise the taste?
It helps the cannabinoids to be absorbed as they are fat soluble. Milk works too.