Drink to your health with Cannabis Tea

It’s the beginning of winter which for many means the beginning of cold and flu season. Come in out of the cold and warm those chilled hands around a hot cup of tea containing our favorite, green herb, cannabis. I’m not saying this leafy medicine can cure the common cold, but it can certainly help with the symptoms as well as others that come with those winter blues. Keep reading o find out how cannabis can keep you warm and healthy during these cold months!

Fighting Cold and Flu Symptoms

There is, unfortunately, no cure for the common cold so during these uncomfortable, stuffy times any sort of relief can feel life-saving. When you’re sick your immune system comes to the rescue and attacks the virus to keep you safe and return you to your previous level of health. This immune response is what’s normally responsible for those annoying symptoms like a raspy sore throat or a runny nose. While these symptoms are not pleasant, it can get worse when your immune system goes too far- leading to organ failure or death. Cannabis comes in to save the day due to its unique ability to suppress the immune system which could keep it from overworking itself to reduce the pesky symptoms that make being sick so miserable. Superfood teas like turmeric, lemon, ginger, and honey would be the perfect addition to your cold-fighting cannabis tea to help support your struggling immune system.

If you’re reading his with a little grain of distrust, don’t worry- this isn’t some new-age idea based on little evidence. Cannabis tea has been utilized as a way to treat illnesses for thousands of years. India is known for their version of marijuana-infused tea that they call “Bhang.” This tea is not only healthy but delicious so while it has mainly been used for medical purposes it has been known to make its way into celebration mugs. This creamy brew not only alleviates cold symptoms but can clear up phlegm, fever, aids with digestion and appetite while keeping your mind alert.

Brewing Basics

There are more right ways to make these delectable health concoctions but there are still a few ways to go astray. The first and most important rule to treating your leafy buds right is to decarboxylate your product before ingesting. This process is necessary to remove some unwanted acids left in the plant and is easily extracted with low heat. If you aren’t already familiar with the process I have included it below! Now that your skunky greens are a little more brown than green the next important step is to ensure that you have some sort of oil added to your brew. If you have some cannabutter already made up from other edible baking then you’re already halfway there! If not, don’t worry! Coconut oil, MCT oil, or your favorite substitute will work perfectly. The cannabinoids won’t just deserve in hot water so they need this extra fatty addition

“Cannabinoids are polar molecules that are not water-soluble, so making a tea without fats or alcohol in it will produce a much less potent product. In addition, decarboxylation is necessary to remove the alpha chain acids from the precursors of THC and CBD, THCa, and CBDa.This is done through heat processing dry herb prior to use or through extraction and heat purging.”

-Max Poling, Infinite Wellness Center (#1 Dispensary in Colorado)

The Decarboxylation Process

This is an easy but extremely essential part of brewing that perfect cup of warming tea. Skip this process and you will end up with a very disappointing, bitter brew that does very little medicinally or recreationally. Take 1 cup of your green flowers and coarsely grind them before baking for about 45 minutes at 275 F. The end product should be more dried out and ready to go!

What To Expect

For someone who is used to smoking or vaping their cannabis moving to an edible, in this case, tea, can be a bit of a mystery. As always start low and slow and see what works best for you and your body. While the experience can differ from person to person the main things you can expect to see are a mellow, euphoric high that’s slow to kick in with long-lasting results. After enjoying your comforting mug of warm tea wait at least 90 minutes to see how it affects you before deciding to drink more. It takes longer to reach your bloodstream because it has to make its way through your digestive system first but then the results last for several hours! This makes drinking your medicine a better option as a pain remedy and as a sleep aid so you can sleep throughout the night to help you get better faster.

Cannabis Tea Recipe

This is the fun part we have all been waiting for! This simple and tasty recipe will have you out of bed and feeling your best in no time. It definitely doesn’t hurt that this recipe is so delicious you’ll want to sip on them even on days you are feeling your best. This is one of the easiest and to the point recipes so stay tuned for another article with even more delicious warming recipes for you to try this winter.

Ingredients:

• 1 gram of decarboxylated cannabis of your choice.
• 1 tablespoon of butter or coconut oil. (If you have pre-made canna-butter or oil feel free to use that instead.)
• Teabag of your choice (English breakfast is classic but something more health-inspired like green tea or lemon ginger may work best for you.)
• 4 cups of water.
• Extra flavors you want to introduce like cinnamon, honey, vanilla, lemon, or milk.
• Cheesecloth or a very fine strainer.

Instructions:

1 - Boil your water on a stovetop.

2 - Once the water is at a nice rolling boil, add your butter or oil until it’s completely dissolved.

3 - Now it’s time to add your decarbed cannabis while turning your water down to low heat, keeping it at a simmer.

4 - Simmer together for around 15 minutes. It works better if you heat it as low and slow as possible but that’s not necessary. Higher temperatures will burn off those beneficial terpenes that we want though so be mindful.

5 - Take the pot off the heat and strain out the cannabis to avoid any little leafy bits getting stuck in your teeth.

6 - Now it’s time to add the teabag and extras to your finished product and voila! Stir well, enjoy, and feel better soon!

Do you swear by cannabis tea to get you through the rough parts of your winter illnesses? Let us know about your experience in the comments!