How to make cannabis tea

Cannabis tea is a soothing, smoke-free option, but a mug of hot water and flower won’t do much on its own. How to make it work.

The key: fat and heat

THC isn’t very water-soluble, and raw flower needs activating. So effective cannabis tea needs two things:

1. Decarboxylated flower: gently heated first to activate the THC (see cooking with cannabis).
2. A source of fat: a splash of milk, cream, or a bit of butter/coconut oil for the cannabinoids to bind to.

Skip either and you’ll mostly taste grassy water with little effect.

A simple method

1. Decarb your ground flower.
2. Simmer it gently with a fat (milk, cream, or a teaspoon of butter) for 15 to 30 minutes on low.
3. Strain, then add it to your favourite tea, sweetener, and spices.

Dosing caution

Cannabis tea is an edible, slow onset (up to 2 hours), longer-lasting. Start with a small cup, wait, and don’t pour a second “because the first didn’t work.” Use our edibles calculator as a guide.

Done right, it’s a warm, mellow, smoke-free ritual, gentle and easy on the lungs.

Sources

• Health Canada, Cannabis edibles