How to make tea with cannabis

Whether you’re making stem tea or a cannabis tisane (herbal tea), as outlined below, you’re going to want to be sure you decarboxylate your flower first. The simple process of cannabis decarboxylation must occur before consuming the cannabis plant to reap the benefits of activated CBD or THC. If you were to prepare your tea by simply pouring warm water over a dried or raw cannabis bud, it is unlikely that you will feel any strong intoxicating effects of THC.

This is because raw cannabis does not naturally contain high amounts of CBD or THC, instead it contains what is known as cannabinoid acids. Cannabinoid acids, known as CBDA and THCA, have potential health benefits – but they are not intoxicating in nature (meaning you won’t get high).  If you are looking for the health benefits of CBDA and THCA, you can skip the decarboxylation process. If you want to enjoy the intoxicating effects of CBD or THC in your tea, be sure to decarboxylate first. The decarb process is simple and involves baking the buds, leaves, or stems in the oven at 240° F for 40 minutes for THCA to THC conversion and 240° F for 90 minutes for CBDA to CBD conversion.

If you’re brand new to the process of decarboxylation, have no fear, I have a complete decarboxylation guide that will walk you through the process step-by-step.

Add a fat source

Making cannabis tea sounds as simple as pouring hot water over the cannabis leaves or buds to let them steep, but that is not the most effective way to get a full-spectrum of compounds from the plant into your body. Cannabinoids like THC and CBD are lipophilic, meaning they attract fat molecules. They are not water-soluble, which means they will not dissolve in water alone

According to scientific studies, when paired with a fat source, the absorption of cannabinoids is enhanced: THC and CBD by 2.5-fold and 3-fold, respectively, compared to fat-free formulations . This means that adding a fat source to your cannabis tea may make it up to 2.5-3 times more potent than choosing to skip a fat source. For those looking for the intoxicating benefits of THC, adding some fat source is a good idea. There are many different ways to add a fat source to your tea without negatively affecting the taste and flavor, many of which we included in Different Ways to Make Cannabis Tea below.

Additional ways to introduce fat to tea include:

• Adding a splash of full-fat milk
• Adding a splash of cream
• Adding a splash of coconut milk

This includes what method you choose for infusion, whether you start with CBD flower or THC flower, whether you went through the decarboxylation process, and how much and the potency of the material you started with. 

9 different ways to make cannabis tea

Below, we will review the nine different cannabis tea infusion options we’ve tried and love:

1. Cannabis Herbal Tea (Tisane)
2. Cannabis Stem Tea
3. Cannabis Butter
4. Cannabis Coconut Oil
5. CBD Oil
6. Cannabis Alcohol Tincture
7. Cannabis Sugar
8. Cannabis Concentrates: Distillate and Full-Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO)
9. Leftover Cannabis Pulp

Get updates on the latest posts and more from Emily Kyle straight to your inbox.SUBSCRIBE!By subscribing, I consent to receiving emails. For this type of tea, you can choose to decarboxylate your cannabis first to enjoy the activated benefits of CBD or THC, or skip this step to enjoy the benefits of CBDA and THCA.

For this option, it is up to you what types of herbs you want to add to your cannabis herbal tea, along with the cannabis itself. There are many different flowering herbs you can mix and match to deliver a unique tea tasting experience, from lavender to calendula. Additionally, you can add traditional black tea leaves to your tea mix for a true tea experience. You can find my personal Cannabis Herbal Tea Recipe below.

It involves choosing your favorite herbal tea additives, gridding them up in a spice grinder, and adding them to a cloth tea bag or metal tea ball for steeping. If you’re new to using different herbs and spices below, check out this bulk botanical flower kit which will get you started with 6 different types of edible flowers that can be used to make tea.

Cannabis stem tea

While it may be tempting to throw away those stems, the truth is, there may actually be some good stuff left on them.

While you can’t smoke or inhale the stems, one of the most popular ways to get the most out of this byproduct is to make a cannabis stem tea.

You can choose to leave the stems whole or grind them up.

Then be sure to go through the decarboxylation process.

Feel free to add the stems to your very own cloth tea bag or a metal teaball infuser.

After that, you can steep your cannabis stems in your tea with any other additive you desire.

Also, be sure to opt for a fat addition if you want to get the most out of your cannabinoids.

Tea made with cannabutter

Cannabis butter, also known as cannabutter, one of the most tried-and-true cannabis staple recipes, is a popular tea addition. If you’ve never put cannabutter in your tea before, you may be thinking that it doesn’t sound too good, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Adding cannabutter to your teacup adds richness to the flavor and texture and can be enjoyed alongside any other tea addition you like to use, like sugar or cream. This simple infusion method allows you to make any tea you already enjoy, whether it be black tea, green tea, or another herbal tea. Freezing cannabutter in an ice cube tray can be perfect for dosing out a perfect size addition to your morning cup of tea. If you’ve never made cannabutter before, be sure to get my full step-by-step guide here.

Note: It’s important to keep in mind that mixing tea and cannabis butter is like mixing oil and water; they don’t naturally stay together well. You will likely notice butter/oil floating on the top of your tea after the cup is left to sit for a few minutes. This is harmless and left to your personal taste and texture preferences and can easily be fixed with the addition of lecithin.

Many people prefer cannabis coconut oil because it is naturally plant-based and vegan and doesn’t require the milk solids to be removed after the infusion process. In addition to traditional unrefined coconut oil, infusing MCT oil is also a popular choice. This infused MCT oil added to tea is delicious but has also been known to cause a bit of digestive distress in some individuals, so enjoy with caution! If you’ve never made your own cannabis coconut oil or infused MCT oil, you can get my complete guides here on the blog.

Note: It’s important to keep in mind that mixing tea and cannabis oil is like mixing oil and water; they don’t naturally stay together well. You will likely notice the oil floating on the top of your tea after the cup is left to sit for a few minutes. This is harmless and left to your personal taste and texture preferences and can be easily resolved with the addition of lecithin.

CBD oil tea

As cooking with CBD oil gains popularity, many people realize that CBD oil is an excellent addition to their morning cup of tea and their overall wellness routineAdding CBD oil to your morning cup of tea is also likely the most accessible option for most folks, as CBD is legal in nearly every state.

If you’re brand new to using CBD oil, be sure to check out my beginner’s guide.

If you need CBD oil, I am proud to offer my readers high-quality CBD products in my shop.

Cannabis alcohol tincture

A traditional cannabis tincture is an alcohol-based cannabis infusion and will likely blend into the tea the best of any method described here. With this method, the warm temperature of the tea will evaporate off some, if not all, of the remaining alcohol in the tincture. If you want to make your own cannabis alcohol tincture at home to add to your morning cup of tea, be sure to grab my full guide here.