How to Make Infused Tea or Coffee
Ever fancy adding a little psychoactive buzz to your morning coffee? Or perhaps a few drops of CBD to your bedtime tea? Either way, here we share how to extract cannabinoids from weed and turn them into an oil that you can use to infuse tea and coffee.
As cannabis becomes more accepted, ever more ways of consuming the substance are coming to the fore. In this article, we look at how to make cannabis-infused tea and coffee—two great ways to enjoy a dose of cannabinoids without harming your lungs.
Specifically, we’ll look at how to make these brews using the POT by NOIDS, which makes the process much easier and more streamlined!
What is infused tea or coffee?
Most of us have heard of cannabis edibles—be it brownies, cookies, or canna-butter. However, you may not have heard of cannabis-infused tea or coffee. Instead of adding cannabinoids to a hearty snack, why not float them in a delicious, caffeinated drink; or, alternatively, one without caffeine?
If you want to highlight that strong, weedy flavour from your stash—so your taste buds know exactly what’s happening—you can opt for a mild tea or coffee. On the other hand, if you’d rather mask the weedy flavour, go for a strong-tasting brew, and consider adding sweeteners and other ingredients to alter the taste.
Which is better: THC or CBD?
The answer to this question depends on what you want to get out of your cannabis experience. If you want to get high, then THC is a necessary inclusion. If you just want to chill, without any intoxicating effects, then perhaps CBD is a better choice.
Alternatively, why choose between the two at all? THC and CBD can complement one another beautifully, so consider starting with a strain featuring a more balanced THC to CBD ratio, and get the best of both worlds!
What are the benefits of infused tea and coffee?
But why should you choose drinking a cannabis-enriched brew over another intake method? There are several benefits to infusing tea and coffee with cannabinoids.
Improved focus and creativity (THC)
Caffeine is known to improve focus in many individuals (though not all), and many cannabis users find that the effects of THC help to stimulate creativity. And while THC on its own tends to eventually divert focus, especially at higher doses, by mixing it with caffeine in a single concoction, you can potentially increase both focus and creativity. This is great for pushing through with creative projects, or just having a play around to see what happens.
Reduction in caffeine jitters (CBD)
CBD is thought to help people to relax. Caffeine, on the other hand, is known to do the opposite. For some, the stimulating effects of caffeine are desirable, while others experience anxiety and the jitters, and would rather benefit from the focus, without the side effects.
CBD could go some way to help with this. Of course, if caffeine really makes you uncomfortable, perhaps it’s just not for you. But if you just want to take the edge off a bit, infusing your caffeinated tea or coffee with CBD might be exactly what you need to harness that focused energy without the overwhelming buzz.
Note: for those who experience jitters or anxiety with caffeine, THC can make it much worse, so proceed with caution.
A healthier way to ingest cannabinoids
Many people choose smoking or vaping as their cannabis intake method of choice. It probably won’t come as a surprise to hear that smoking is bad for our health, even if it doesn’t involve tobacco. In terms of vaping, the full harms associated with the practice are not known; however, it is still not deemed to be totally safe.
Therefore, infusing tea and coffee with cannabinoids offers a healthier option for using cannabis. Whether you do it all the time, or just to give your lungs a rest once in a while, it could come in handy.
How to make weed-infused tea or coffee
So, now that you’re tempted, here’s how to infuse tea and coffee with cannabis, using the POT by NOIDS. These methods are simple and highly effective. Let’s dive in.
Infused tea (with POT by NOIDS)
Making infused tea using the POT is super easy. You first need to infuse your cannabinoids into an oil before you can add it to your brew. It’s not as simple as brewing up a cup and dropping in your dried herb!
Here are the steps:
1. Coarsely grind and decarboxylate your weed.
2. Once your weed is decarbed, and those cannabinoids have been released, you’ll need to extract them using ethanol.
3. Once you’ve extracted the cannabinoids, it’s now time to infuse them into an oil base for optimal absorption.
4. Now, it’s ready to go. Simply drop the desired amount into your tea of choice, let it cool, and enjoy!
From here, you can add milk, honey or another sweetener, and other ingredients to enhance or mask the flavour. Where possible, use fresh products, such as ginger, to make for a wholesome brew.
Infused coffee (with POT by NOIDS)
For the most part, this process is pretty much identical to the one for making tea. All you need to do is decarboxylate, extract using ethanol, and infuse your weed into oil before adding it to your coffee!
Tips for making the most of your infused tea or coffee
When it comes to choosing which tea or coffee to use, and what else to add, there’s a whole world of options available. Here are some tips:
• Choose a type of tea or coffee to suit the flavour and high you want. For tea lovers, black tea offers a robust taste and a stimulating buzz, while fresh mint tea makes for an invigorating caffeine-free brew, and chamomile is a perfect, slightly sweet option to sip on before bed. The same goes for coffee fanatics; tailor the strength and flavour notes to your palate, and opt for caffeinated or decaffeinated to suit your preferred effect and the time of day.
• Make a whole pot so you can go back for more!
• Make some iced tea/coffee when the weather is hot.
• Use coffee beans, rather than instant coffee.
• Consider using some CBD honey to balance out the THC!
• Allow your brew to cool a bit before adding your cannabinoid-rich oil. Dropping it directly into boiling water can cause the THC or CBD to degrade.
How much infusion per cup of tea or coffee?
Regarding how much cannabis to use in your brew, it all depends on your preferences, tolerance, and what you have available. In general, when using THC, we always recommend proceeding low and slow with your dose; anywhere from 2.5–5mg per serving is a good starting point. You can also use the dosage calculator at the bottom of this page to figure out how strong the infusion you make will be.
There’s nothing wrong with starting with a couple drops of infusion, and building up from there if need be. It’s better to have a slightly underwhelming experience than an overwhelming one! And again, always make sure to be sensible when it comes to mixing THC and caffeine together, as they can exacerbate one another’s effects—both positive and negative.
Infused tea and coffee — easy with NOIDS
Cannabis-infused tea and coffee is a novel and practical way to imbibe the herb. You can make it taste great, and you can enjoy the effects of your favourite cannabinoids without exposing your lungs to toxins. However, doing so can be a little involved if you don’t have the right equipment. To make the decarbing, extraction, and infusion simple and organized, buy the POT by NOIDS!
