Sometimes, it’s nice to find new ways to enjoy cannabis and that’s exactly what cannabis tea is. It’s a warm cup on a chilly night, a relaxing sip at the end of the day, or just a great mug when reading a book at home—the only difference is that it’s also infused with cannabis. 

In this guide, we’ll share more about this unique beverage, including:

• What is Cannabis-Infused Tea?
• How Do You Make Marijuana Tea?
• How Do You Make Marijuana Tea More Potent?
• Answering Cannabis Tea FAQs

What is Cannabis-Infused Tea?

Cannabis-infused tea is tea made with marijuana flower or a marijuana product. Unlike tea you purchase from the supermarket, marijuana tea has all the psychoactive effects of any other cannabis product, and you can make it yourself at home (though it can also be purchased from a dispensary). Some cannabis enthusiasts enjoy making cannabis tea with things like cannabis stems and sugar leaves, so these parts of the plant don’t go to waste. 

Cannabis-infused tea can be made with any type of flavoring you might regularly enjoy, from Earl Grey to chamomile to rose and honey. It can also be made more potent with the addition of other marijuana products. (More on that below!)

You may be surprised to learn that making marijuana tea isn’t really all that difficult, especially if you’re following our own cannabis tea recipe:

Decarboxylation is the process used to activate the cannabinoids (THC, CBD, etc.) found in cannabis. Without going through this process before cooking or baking with cannabis, your creation won’t provide the effects you’re seeking. Be sure to read our guide on how and why you’ll need to decarboxylate your flower when making edibles.

Once your cannabis has been decarboxylated, it’s ready to use in your cannabis tea or a variety of other cannabis recipes, from brownies to edible gummies.

Start by boiling 4 cups of water in a pot. Once the water is boiling, add a tablespoon of coconut oil or unsalted butter and make sure it completely dissolves. Adding coconut oil or butter is imperative because cannabis is lipid-soluble, meaning it needs to be combined with fat in order to be infused.

Next, add the gram of ground cannabis into the pot and lower it down to a simmer. If you want your cannabis tea to come out high-quality and delicious, you’ll want to use premium flower in your recipe. Premium flower is rich in scent, flavor, and appearance, which makes for great cannabis tea.

Once you’ve added the cannabis to the pot, you’ll want to let it simmer for at least 15 minutes. It’s important to let your cannabis simmer at a very low heat for a long period of time in order to preserve the properties of the plant. Letting your cannabis marinate in the water also helps to maintain some of the more subtle flavors of the strain. If you heat your cannabis at too high of a temperature, you run the risk of burning the terpenes, which give the cannabis its flavor and aroma.

Once it’s ready, strain your cannabis using either a cheesecloth or a fine strainer. Pour the cannabis water through the strainer and into a bowl or empty teapot.

Once you’ve strained the leafy bits out of the water, you’ll want to add the tea bag into the mixture. This is also when you can put in any additives you desire, like sweetener or milk. Let this steep for about three minutes, remove the tea bag, stir, and enjoy.

Whether you’ve made tea but it doesn’t seem to have much of an effect, or you want to add a little bit of an oomph to your already-effective tea, there are ways to make your marijuana tea more potent. You can add:

• Kief: Kief, or dried and processed trichomes, can be added to your water during the simmering process. The thing to remember, however, is that kief is potent, so use caution when adding it to avoid adding too much.
  
  
• RSO (Rick Simpson Oil): When it comes to Rick Simpson Oil, a little goes a long way. This cannabis oil is one of the most potent on the market, and it doesn’t always taste the best. You can add a tiny bit to your cup, or you can add it while the tea is simmering.
  
  
• Tinctures: Unlike kief and RSO, tinctures should be added directly to your cup for a little extra potency to your cannabis tea. If you like a creamier consistency, opt for an oil tincture. Otherwise, any tincture should do nicely.
  
  

Making cannabis tea is easy—once you have the answers you need. Here’s a few of the most frequently asked questions we get:

Do I need to decarboxylate the flower before making tea?
Yes. If you want the psychoactive effects of cannabis, it has to be decarboxylated before making tea. Fortunately, we have the perfect guide to decarboxylating cannabis to help you with this process. 

Can I use concentrates to make cannabis tea?
Yes, though it’s important to remember that concentrates can be significantly more potent than marijuana flower.

Can I use cannabutter in my tea?
Yes! Cannabutter is a great way to make your tea a little creamier and a little more potent. Just remember that most cannabutter—especially when it’s homemade—has its own flavors and aromas. It will likely overpower your tea if you add too much.

If you love to settle down with a hot cup of tea, and you consider yourself a cannabis enthusiast, cannabis tea is probably a great option for you. It’s also a smart way to ensure no part of your marijuana plant goes to waste. If you plan on making tea from your cannabis, be sure to talk to a budtender during your next visit to the local dispensary. They can help you pick the right products to make sure you get the perfect cup.