Green tea is trendy among tea drinkers and those on a healthy kick due to its therapeutic properties.
For cannabis consumers, green "ganja" tea can be made from leftover stems and leaves of their marijuana plants!
Why let any part of the plant go to waste. After harvesting the buds, there is still plenty of plant material left with loads of cannabinoids; this can be smoked as a "shake" or brewed up into a potent cuppa.
Consuming cannabis edibles like cannabis brownies and weed cookies has long been a staple in the cannabis community, and by ingesting cannabis instead of inhaling it into your lungs, you'll get a longer and sometimes stronger high.
Marijuana soft drinks such as cannabis infuse coffee are becoming commonplace, and even cannabis-infused alcoholic drinks are rising. As you would expect, alcohol increases THC effects when taken together, making your weed feel stronger than usual.
These cannabis beverages can be found in many dispensaries, or you can make your own medicinal drinks at home.
So, if you'd like to make weed tea yourself, we're going to show you how to steam your stems to brew some rich, potent tea!
Tea has a long history spanning back thousands of years and through many different cultures.
Tea as a drink probably originated in China's southwest region of Yunnan during the Shang Dynasty -- 1556 to 1046 BC -- as a medicinal drink. It was not until the 16th century AD, when Portugal established a trading port in Macau, that the Portuguese merchants and priests became aware of tea. However, the Dutch East India Company first took green tea leaves from China to Amsterdam. Tea quickly caught on as a popular drink in 17th century England.
In turn, England introduced tea production and consumption to India to compete with Chinas monopoly on this new commodity.
The buzz or benefits you get from cannabis stem tea will largely depend on the specific type of weed strain and which parts of the plant you use.
The stems contain small amounts of the same cannabinoids found in Indica, Sativa, or hybrid buds -- trimmed leaves and stems contain about 2 to 3 percent THC -- and should therefore have a similar (if slightly milder) effect to the marijuana buds.
You may not necessarily get a proper high from your weed tea alone, but you can increase the potency of your cannabis tea by adding some kief or decarboxylated ground buds if you want more kick.
Medical marijuana patients taking cannabis-infused tea have reported benefits for several conditions such as anxiety, depression, chronic pain, body pain, migraines and headaches, nausea, autoimmune diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis (MS) rheumatoid arthritis, and even asthma.
How effective it is for you depends on the strain and how much weed you put in.
This is what you need to make your cannabis tea.
One-third, or one-quarter cup, of stems from your favorite weed varieties.
3 cups of water.
Any tea you like to add some extra flavor.
Coffee filter
(Optional) 2 to 3 teaspoons of your favorite alcohol as a binder (described below).
(Optional) Kief or ground decarboxylated buds to add some potency.
A binding agent.
If you don't want to use alcohol as your binding agent, then you can use a half cup of milk or a half teaspoon of butter, coconut milk, or coconut oil.
Why do you need a binding agent? Cannabis isn't really water-soluble, which means you can't simply add weed stems and let them simmer; all the good stuff inside the plants is not unlocked in this way. You need to use fat or alcohol to separate the THC from the cannabis plant.
1. Grind or break up your stems,
2. Pour 3 cups of water into a teapot or a pan. After adding water, add the binder be that alcohol, milk, or butter.
Not only will these turn your water-insoluble stems into something willing to change, but these "binders" can also improve the overall potency of the stem tea during the natural decarboxylation process that occurs during soaking.
*Note: If you choose to use alcohol as a binder, it is best to add it after the water in the pot or kettle has reached the boiling point to prevent the alcohol from evaporating.
3. Bring to boil over high heat. (except alcohol, not added until then).
Once it starts to boil, add your stems, let them boil, and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes.
If you wish, you can put the stems in a large teabag or a few tea balls to simplify the filtering process.
If you wish, you can now also add some Keefe or ground buds to your stems to increase the tea's potency.
Stir the loose or bagged stems to ensure that the cannabinoids separate from the plant matter and have enough time to bond with the fat (or alcohol) molecules of the binder in the water.
4. The next step is to strain the tea.
This is where the coffee filter comes in. If you boil the water, binder, and stem mixture in a kettle, then secure the coffee filter around the spout with a rubber band.
If you use a pan, you can tie a coffee filter around a cup to filter the tea as it is poured. You could also use a cheesecloth to pour the tea into a pot or bowl before pouring it into the cup.
5. Now, sit back and enjoy your cup of cannabis tea. Maybe get a few snacks to enjoy with it.
So there you have it, An easy guide to making your cannabis tea with your leftover weed stems. The effects of drinking cannabis in the form of tea will be milder than smoking cannabis or taking standard drugs because there are far fewer cannabinoids in stems and leaves than in flowers or buds. You can customize the effect of your cannabis stem tea by using stems from primarily sativa strains if you want your tea to be uplifting and energizing, like in the morning.
Or use an indica strain if you're looking for a more soothing, relaxing cup of tea in the evening.
The process of turning leftover cannabis stalk into a tea is fairly straightforward. It doesn't require many supplies, so you can easily recycle the cannabis trimmings and make the most of them.