Marijuana Tea Benefits, Effects, Recipe & Dosages
We’ve all heard about the health benefits of tea, but how much do you know about marijuana tea?
Many patients who use medical marijuana on a regular, or semi-regular basis are familiar with the more traditional ways of ingesting cannabis – with edibles or smoking. But did you know that marijuana-infused tea is considered a gentler, healthier alternative to smoking? A common home remedy treatment for morning sickness and pregnancy-related stress in moms-to-be is often a cup of cannabis-infused tea in many Jamaican and Indian households. And the easy to prepare tea provides a convenient alternative to traditional consumption methods.
Marijuana-infused teas are becoming an increasingly popular choice for those wishing to avoid the associated risks of smoking, which can be beneficial if you are battling respiratory diseases or afflictions of the mouth or throat.
Therapeutic Benefits of Marijuana Tea
Another reason for Marijuana-infused teas increasing popularity is their more therapeutic benefits when compared to traditional smoking methods. And unlike smoking, where the effects are often felt within minutes, cannabis-infused teas have a longer build time due to the body’s absorption of active ingredients through its digestive tract. Many who regularly drink marijuana tea report the effects are generally ‘milder,’ providing a choice for those who wish to avoid becoming intoxicated.
Dosages
As with all methods of ingesting cannabis, finding the correct dose for you will take a little trial-and-error, so it’s wiser to start small. If you haven’t tried marijuana at all previously, in any form, try beginning with a very small dose to familiarize yourself with its associated sensations and side-effects. Try ½ cup (125 ml) per day. Otherwise, if you’re a regular or semi-regular user, a standard starting dose is one cup (250 ml) per 24-hours. If you find that the medicinal effect isn’t quite enough for your personal situation, you can increase to two cups (500 ml) per 24-hours, taken at 12-hour intervals (once in the morning, once before bed).
THC per Cup
The amount of THC per cup of tea will vary depending on the strain you use to create your home-brew. For example, if your are using a single gram of cannabis (1,000 mg dry weight) that has an approximate THC content of 10%, your tea would contain roughly 100 mg of THC.
As with all teas, strength will be impacted by how long you allow it to steep: longer = stronger.
Effects
Marijuana-infused teas typically take somewhere between 30 – 90 minutes for the full impact of the tea to be felt. Some people with a higher metabolism or lower body mass may feel the effects more rapidly while those with a slower metabolism or denser body mass may not feel the impact until nearing the two-hour mark. So the first time you try the tea, plan to be in a familiar, safe environment for a few hours until you know how your body will react. Tea drinkers typically experience effects that last between 4 and 8-hours. And it’s because of the long-lasting results that many find it particularly beneficial in the treatment of chronic conditions such as MS, nausea, or rheumatoid paid. Tea made from brewing the leaves of the plant, not the bud, doesn’t generate the traditional ‘heavy’ or ‘stoned’ sensations that can be associated with other methods, and many tea drinkers say they feel ‘renewed’ by the overall mild euphoria that often accompanies ingestion of the tea.
How to make Marijuana Tea (Recipe)
The easiest way to brew a cup is to simmer the marijuana buds, leaves or stems for 30 minutes with an added fat (like butter, or coconut oil), depending on the medicinal strength you want. Marijuana-infused teas made from buds have the strongest effect, teas made from leaves are less strong and stems produce the mildest of all three drinks.
1. Marijuana Bud Tea
Ingredients:
For each cup of tea you will need:
1/2 gram marijuana buds (for leaves or stems check out the second recipe below!)
1/2 teaspoon softened butter (unsalted)
1.5 cups water (400 ml)
Optional: Tea bag (any flavor, mint works very well)
Optional: Milk, sugar or honey to taste.
Utensils: tea strainer, stainless steel pot, spoon
Instructions:
Grind the buds. Remove any stems and put aside to make a separate cup of mild stem-infused tea.
Place the ground buds into a bowl and add the butter, mixing carefully; the back of a spoon works very well for this. Try to get every piece coated with a little butter.
Bring the water to a gentle simmer over a medium heat on the stove and gently spoon in the marijuana butter mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl. Keep the water simmering and ‘brew’ your tea for 30 minutes, stirring often. Remove your pot from the stove and allow to rest for a moment, or until the bubbles to stop breaking the surface. Slowly pour your tea through a strainer and voila, tea.
If you find the taste too strong, you can always add a tea bag of your choosing to the pot, during the last 3-5 minutes of brew time.
2. Marijuana Leaf/ Stem Tea
To make a mild-tasting tea with even lesser ‘intoxicating’ effects, simmer 1-2 grams of stems, leaves, or a combination of both in 1.5 cups of water for 30 minutes. Strain and drink! That’s it! It’s a perfect drink before bedtime.
3. Ready-Made Teas
If you’re not feeling up to the challenge of making your own cup of marijuana tea, you can always enjoy these pre-packaged ready-made teas, anytime, hot or cold!
- Sarah’s Medicated Teas based in Colorado Springs, CO, are available for purchase online. They are currently branching out into Northern California and will soon be available at Dank Valley Farm, Indigo, Humble Root, and From the Earth.
- The Venice Cookie Co. offers four different flavors of their ‘Subtle Tea’ for sale. PM – a non-caffeinated chamomile, spearmint and valerian combo, Chai, Green Tea, and even a black (Ceylon) cannabis version. Each bag contains THC content of 40mg.
- Have a discerning palate? House of Jane offers ‘Jane’s Brew – Gourmet Cannabis-Infused Teas,’ available in both C-Cups (for Keurig style machines) or traditional bags with three doses available 20mg, 80mg or 200mg THC.
- Pot-o-Coffee also has a 10mg K-Cup option of their ‘Hemp-Derived CBD-Infused Tea’
You can also find cannabis-infused tea by searching for the keyword “tea” on Nugg, which will search the inventories of nearby cannabis dispensaries and let you order delivery online if any are available!
Cannabis Consumer Testimonials
Kelly, from Cowichan Bay, British Columbia, said she finds the marijuana tea “the absolute best for medical use.” She said she would, “drink one cup of tea and have it relieve my symptoms for at least 6 hrs. Not a really strong tea either.” She cautioned that in her experience, “the tea’s effects took between 1 – 1.5 hours and it sneaks up on you.” Adding, “you may not notice anything “happen” rather you may notice a few hours later, hey I’m not in pain.”
Ember Rose of Denver said, “I prefer teas to smoking because I don’t feel sluggish, just relaxed and alert.”
Janet M. of Ann Arbor, MI, said, “Drinking marijuana tea can give you all the medicinal effects you’re after, and you don’t get the smoke in your lungs – or the smell on your breath. It’s great if you happen to have a sore throat or something like that. When I’m down, a steaming hot cup of this tea drops my pain level down to where I can actually function like a human being! I think it would be perfect, too, for people who are non-smokers but still need pain relief!!”
Hutts Green Planet 