Cannabis businesses are mushrooming all over the place. In jurisdictions where the herb is legal, marijuana dispensaries dot every major city street.
As more people become aware of the health benefits of weed, there’s a corresponding need to prepare marijuana supplements at home instead of buying industrially-manufactured cannabis goods.
Cannabis tea is among the many weed-based products you can easily prepare at home using readily-available ingredients. Read on for a DIY guide into making marijuana tea at home.
Why Prepare Cannabis Tea At Home?
The obvious benefit of making cannabis tea at home is that it’s more affordable than buying industrially manufactured weed products. Preparing marijuana tea at home also gives you higher control regarding the cannabis potency and choice of additives.
But perhaps the biggest reason for making cannabis tea lies in the drink’s medicinal value.
Cannabis supplements, whether prepared at home or purchased from a local marijuana store, can provide several health benefits. Marijuana’s therapeutic potential mainly comes from the psychoactive chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and the non-psychotropic compound cannabidiol (CBD).
CBD and THC boast analgesic properties, which make them potentially effective against pain. The compounds might mitigate pain by influencing the body’s pain transmission processes.
Cannabis tea may also contain anxiolytic properties. When consumed, the bioactive cannabinoids in the drink relieve anxiety by increasing the levels of pleasure-triggering neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine.
The best part is that numerous established cannabis suppliers offer high-quality strains. You can order Mimosa strain now and experience the strain’s powerful therapeutic effects.
Insomnia is another primary health concern that you can treat or manage using marijuana tea. Cannabis is noted for its sedating properties. Drinking marijuana tea right before bedtime can boost your sleep quality by shortening your sleep latency.
Last but not least, you can consume cannabis tea to alleviate acute and chronic inflammation. As with all cannabis products, marijuana tea is rich in anti-inflammatory compounds. These compounds inhibit inflammation by preventing the activation of cytokines and chemokines, two major proteins involved in transmitting inflammatory signals.
Things to Remember Before Preparing Cannabis Tea At Home
Choose a Suitable Strain
Cannabis produces numerous strains. These strains are often also known as species or cultivars. They differ fundamentally in the growth cycle, yield volume, and cannabinoid profile.
Cannabinoids are the specific substances in cannabis that give the plant its therapeutic abilities. CBD and THC are abundant cannabinoids.
The main reason to choose a suitable cannabis strain based on the species’ cannabinoid profile is that each cannabinoid has its signature effects. For instance, THC is famous for its psychotropic properties, making it a favorite of recreational marijuana users.
Another benefit of choosing the suitable cannabis species is that you get to determine the kinds of terpenes in the product. Terpenes are the substances in marijuana that give cannabinoids their distinctive smell and taste. Notable cannabis terpenes include myrcene, linalool, limonene, pinene, and caryophyllene.
Choose a Suitable Cannabis Formulation
Marijuana is available in many formulations. Examples include tinctures, oils, edibles, inhalable, smokables, and topicals.
All the various cannabis-infused formulations let you enjoy the plant’s healing properties. However, not all these products can be used to prepare marijuana tea.
Dried cannabis flowers (typically meant for smoking) and cannabis oils are the best weed-based ingredients when making cannabis tea at home.
The following section focuses explicitly on preparing marijuana tea using dried cannabis flowers.
Preparing Cannabis Tea From Dried Marijuana Flowers
What You’ll Need
- High-quality cannabis flower
- An oven
- Pot
- Digital scale
- Thermometer
- Clean water
- Measuring cup
- Teabags or loose tea leaves
- Strainer
- Sieve
- Kettle
- Sweeteners, such as honey or coconut milk
Decarboxylate the cannabis flower
Decarboxylation is a process whereby cannabis extracts are heated to activate the active compounds.
THC occurs naturally in the cannabis plant as tetrahydrocannabinol acid (THCA), whereas CBD exists as cannabidiol acid (CBDA). Both THCA and CBDA are inactive. Decarboxylation converts them into their respective active compounds – THC and CBD.
To decarboxylate cannabis;
- Preheat the oven to around 230 degrees Fahrenheit (110 degrees Celsius) for CBD or 230 – 250 degrees Fahrenheit for THC.
- Measure a suitable amount of cannabis hemp flower using the digital scale.
- Break down the cannabis flower and add the pieces to a pot.
- Now place the pot in the oven and allow it to heat.
- Measure the oven’s temperature occasionally to ensure it remains within the ideal decarboxylation ranges.
Make your tea
The tea making process is straightforward;
- Measure the desired amount of water and add it to the kettle.
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Add tea bags or loose tea leaves to the boiling water.
- Stir until all the tea is thoroughly infused into the water.
- Add the pieces of decarboxylated cannabis flower to the boiling tea.
- Reduce the heat slightly and allow the mixture to simmer for about five minutes.
- Add your preferred sweetener.
- Now remove the mixture from the heat source and strain it.
- Allow your cannabis tea to cool to your desired temperature and enjoy.
NOTE: It’s recommended to prepare enough marijuana tea that you can use up within three days. Otherwise, store the drink properly to avoid environmental agents like light and temperature degradation.
Final Word
Cannabis tea contains the healing benefits of marijuana. The best part is that the drink is effortless to prepare at home and remember, to make the most of marijuana tea, remember to consume it in moderation.