How to make weed tea

Cannabis tea, also known by other names, such as weed tea, ganja tea, and marijuana tea, is a simple and soothing way to consume weed. However, it is not as simple as just throwing in the buds of weed into hot water and then bringing it to a boil. It requires precision and the right recipe for the required effect. This tea, when prepared correctly, is known to have a longer-lasting effect when compared to smoking weed – and it takes around 30 to 40 minutes to kick in. Given patience and time, weed tea can provide you with a simple and relaxed experience. 

Cannabis tea—or weed tea—functions just like any other edible. The only real difference is that unlike brownies or cookies, it comes in liquid form. Even the process is simpler than most would imagine.

The reason people prefer weed tea to other edibles because it doesn’t contain all the sugar and fatty ingredients that are present for cannabis-infused baked goods. It also offers a fun opportunity to put your chef hat on and experiment with other types of edibles. Whatever your reason, weed tea is an effective way of delivering cannabinoids (like THC and CBD) into your system and will provide a potent and long-lasting high.

As with all edibles, it’s important to be careful with your dosages. Edibles are typically extremely potent, and if you take too much, your chill night is bound to take a turn for the worse. Anyone who’s consumed too many edibles can confirm the paranoid, dizzying, and generally dreadful experience of taking too many edibles.

The effects of cannabis tea

After you drink your weed tea, it will take roughly thirty minutes to an hour-and-a-half to feel the full effects of the THC. For this reason, if some time has passed and you still don’t feel as high as you’d like to be, wait it out. Be careful not to ingest any more cannabis until at least two hours after consuming your cannabis tea. It’s also recommended that you consume your cannabis tea in a safe environment, preferably not in public. If the effects hit you harder than expected, you’re not going to want to be in, say, the middle of a concert. The effects of your cannabis tea will typically last up to about eight hours.

Weed tea is most easily made using a pre-made infused product, such as cannabis butter or cannabis oil. To learn how to make cannabis butter, read this. To make cannabis coconut oil, try this recipe. If you don’t have these pre-made products, we’ll give you a recipe below to make everything in one go.

How to make cannabis tea?

You can make weed tea in two different ways — either with the buds of the cannabis plant or with the leaves and stems of the marijuana plant. The former is stronger and slightly more intensive, while the latter is a milder tea that is particularly beneficial in getting good sleep. While marijuana or weed remains illegal in many states, its extensive list of health benefits including its inhibitory effects on the body makes it popular worldwide. It is advised that you check your country’s laws regarding marijuana usage before making this tea.

It is also important to note that oftentimes people confuse cannabis tisane with its tea. What is categorized as tea is only something that contains Camellia sinensis/assamica, essentially green tea, in it. An infusion prepared without it and only with the cannabis leaves or flowers will instead be classified as a tisane. Now, let’s take a look at how to prepare it – tea and tisane, both.

Ingredients

Weed Bud Tisane (Medium Strength)

• 1/2 gram marijuana buds/flowers 
• 1/2 tsp butter
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp honey/sugar (if desired)

Weed Leaf/Stem Tisane (Mild)

• 2 gram marijuana stems/leaves
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp honey/sugar (if desired)
• 1 cup half & half

Marijuana-infused Tea (Chai)

• 2 bags Assamica black tea
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup milk any fatty milk or half and half
• 2 tbsp cannabis oil or tincture
• 2 saffron rock candy sticks for flavor

Instructions

Weed Bud Tisane (Medium Strength)

• Grind the marijuana buds into fine pieces. Then add the ground buds to 1/2 a tsp of butter and mix it well in a bowl.
• Continue to stir the butter and marijuana together, until you see all of the marijuana coated with a thin layer of butter.
• In a medium pot, bring some water to a simmer and gently spoon in the marijuana butter mixture. Scrape the sides of the butter/bud bowl to get all the ground pieces of marijuana.
• Keep the water to a simmer and stir the mixture gently for about 30 minutes while the tea brews.
• Strain the mixture after allowing it to cool for a few minutes. Add honey or sugar for taste, and enjoy the infusion!

How to calculate the potency of marijuana tea

The amount of THC in your weed tea will largely depend on the THC content of the cannabis you’re using. The general rule to follow is this: add a 0 on the end of the THC percentage of your cannabis, and that number is the rough mg of THC you’ll find in one cup of your tea. If the strain you’re using contains 12% THC, for example, one gram of this cannabis flower would result in a cup of tea that has about 120mg of THC. However, this rule isn’t hard and fast. There are many factors that come into play, such as how long you steep your tea. So take this as more of a guideline than a law.

Photography by Jon Coward for Herb

Instructions 2

Step 1: Put one teaspoon of cannabis butter or cannabis oil (preferably infused coconut oil) into your mug.

Step 2: Add your teabag, or loose leaf tea in your tea infuser, into the mug.

Step 3: Boil water in your pot or kettle.

Step 4: Pour the boiling water into your mug, and stir the contents around using your spoon until all of the cannabis butter or oil has dissolved completely.

Step 5: Add any other ingredients you like, such as honey or a cinnamon stick, into the mug and stir it around. This is typically a good idea, as it will further help to cover up the taste of cannabis and butter (unless you enjoy that flavor).

Step 6: Allow the mixture to steep for three minutes, then take out the teabag.

Step 7: Taste your tea. If you like the flavor, it’s ready to drink! If you don’t like the flavor, try adding more honey, cinnamon, or other ingredients that can help change the flavor of your tea to be more enjoyable.