There’s nothing quite like a relaxing cup of tea to help you unwind. Why not improve an already great habit by adding some flower to the mix? Cannatea is a cozy alternative to inhaling smoke or vapor and can spice things up for veteran tea drinkers.
Whether you usually just use the tried and true tea bags or prefer rituals like matcha ceremonies and loose leaves in a teapot, brewing up some cannabis tea is a great DIY way to relax.
We’ll go over some best practices for how to infuse cannabis into your tea as naturally as bergamot into a cup of Earl Grey. While we can’t read your tea leaves for you, we do know that there are some floral, budsy and delicious drinks in your immediate future.
The easy way
If you’re a busy bee who loves tea, adding a pre-made, food-grade tincture to your regular cup of tea works just as well. But we know that not everyone is into the DIY approach and, luckily, cannabis comes in a number of different forms that are designed to support your lifestyle.
While tinctures are an excellent way to easily infuse cannabis into your Chamomile tea, Kikoko is already one step ahead of you by infusing it themselves.
To decarb or not to decarb
But if you are, in fact, into the DIY approach and want more control over how much cannabis you put into what, you’ll have to know more about a thing called decarboxylation.
Decarboxylation is the process of turning THCa into regular THC.
THCa doesn’t have the psychoactive effects of THC and is how the chemical exists organically within the bud.
Decarbing happens naturally from either immediate flashes of high heat – i.e., when you smoke or vaporize it – or through low and slow exposure to heat – i.e., when you incorporate it into foods or beverages through a cooking process.
Decarb machines may seem intimidating at first but require the same know-how as a Crock Pot. These gadgets help you get the full effect of your cannabis without adding fats to the mix through a heat-induced process. If you’re looking for something more mellow, healing, and productivity-friendly, you can leave your flower as is.
Brewing cannabis tea
But for those looking to steep it themselves, all roads to great cannabis tea start with a good grind.
You can use a grinder or a mortar and pestle to get your flower (let’s not go above ½ gram here) down to a tea-like consistency, not complete powder. How finely you grind your flower impacts how you plan to steep/strain the tea as well as the tea’s taste.
You can also make tea solely out of stems for a lighter experience.
The simplest way forward is to replace a regular tea bag’s contents with your ground flower, or you could use a metal steeper. Leave the bag for 5–10 minutes in some hot water, and then you’re ready to curl up with your tea and a good book.
Adding milk will increase the potency since THC dissolves easily in fats.
Brewin’ up something stronger
If you want a stronger high without any gadgets, make your tea bulletproof. Mix your ground tea with butter or coconut oil and start steeping. In this case, you would keep the cannatea bag in a simmering pot of water for up to half an hour. Keep your eye on the prize — and water level — during this step.
Once your cannabis tea has cooled down, you can start sipping and binging your latest show. The effects should wash over you by episode two!
Spice it up & show it off
You can get much more creative in either method and add your favorite spices and ingredients to the mix. You can even add a conventional tea bag in the final steeping moments to get a more classic tea taste.
If your meal prep is the envy of all your friends, there’s yet another way to sip your way to tranquility. You can blend your flower with your favorite milk/milk alternative, butter and/or coconut oil (let’s say a teaspoon of each fat, for your arteries’ sake), and whatever flavor agents you desire.
After letting this mixture rest for an hour or so, you can heat it up on the stove for 10 minutes, adding any other ingredients that suit your fancy. Strain through a fine sieve and raise your mug!
As you start to explore more creative ways to incorporate the benefits of cannabis into your everyday routines, take a look at how we recommend using it in your summertime BBQs or as a great pain reliever for arthritis or injuries.
