Tea is a classic edible of the cannabis community, and something that many people with a love of bud have tried, and perhaps suffered through, if made incorrectly. When made properly, stem tea can create a wonderful drink, but there’s no debate that it can turn your living space rank as it steeps, just like making cannabutter gives away exactly what you are doing, without having to tell anyone.
The Finer Dynamics of Cannabis Tea
Home-made canna tea can also be bitter if it was not treated or brewed properly. But did you know that the teas offered in cannabis shops are of a different variety? These teas are all cannabinoids straight from the plant, with minimal cannabis flavour, and there are no more re-purposed stems in these bags.
Traditionally, canna tea is made by steeping the stems that once cradled your precious bud, and sometimes the sugar leaves, in some sort of fatty liquid after decarboxylating it to activate the cannabinoids. In a similar process to making cannabutter, people would bring this fat to a scalding temperature without burning it in order to help the cannabinoids bond to the fatty molecules and extract them from the bud. This is a tricky process with things like coconut milk and dairy, lest the liquids themselves begin to burn.
After brewing, which can take hours, depending on the volume being made and the method being used, people would mix these canna milks in with strong teas to create a cannatea. While these edibles can be enjoyed at any time of day and any time of year, it is easy to imagine that cooler weather and evenings are among the more popular times.
Some individuals may choose to make canna honey instead, which requires a similar process of cooking down the edibles, provided they may be willing to sacrifice some of the cannabinoids to the cooking process. This allows people to sweeten teas or baked goods with an edible.
Both of these methods are used in cannabis teas in the legal market.
The Difference Between Dispensary & Homemade Cannabis Teas
So how are our dispensary cannabis teas different? The Everie, TGOD, and Haven Street teas are specially made so that the infused cannabinoids are subtle and won’t leave the living space smelling of cannabis. Using inventive methods, these brands avoid the fattier methods of traditional canna tea, opting instead to create something that is friendly to all walks of life and lifestyles and can be consumed by anyone without fear of dietary allergies and restrictions.
Everie’s CBD tea uses the same nano-emulsion technology that they use in their canned beverages in order to infuse the cannabinoids into your drink as it steeps. It uses the natural heat currents of the water to pull the cannabinoids away from the packaging and evenly disperse them throughout your drink.
A huge benefit of this is that their teas will have an onset time of 15-30 minutes, much like their canned CBD beverages. This means less waiting and less fuss about dosage, as consumers no longer have to wait an hour or more to see if their edible is taking effect or not!
Couple these convenient 10mg CBD doses with the soothing effects of their delicious herbal tea blends and we are blessed with a fantastic nightcap, or a great way to start nosing our way into a book. This option is great for people who do not enjoy taking cannabis oils, do not smoke, and want to avoid the sugar from chocolate or gummies if possible. The best part? They come in four beautiful flavours: an aromatic Vanilla Rooibos, soothing Lavender Chamomile, lively Peach Ginger, and fresh Mint.
Teas produced by Haven Street and TGOD take a different approach. The TGOD Green Sencha teas make use of their powerful Ripple technology. Haven Street, however, infuses its sugar and mixes it with the herbal blend. This sugar melts as the tea steeps, thereby infusing the water and creating an edible in less than five minutes. Their crafted blends are built so that the sweetness is not overbearing and is instead a subtle compliment to their high-quality ingredients. These teas take a little longer to kick in, usually, but 30-90 minutes tends to be the threshold for these products.
(Learn more about cannabis concentrates with our guide here)
Now that summer is here, so is sun tea. Everie, TGOD, and Haven Street teas are excellent options for sun tea, but we do recommend giving them a little soak with hot water first, just to make sure that all of those cannabinoids actually make it into the tea. The teabags of these brands are still typical herbal blends, and therefore can be enjoyed multiple times or steeped for a longer period in a large volume of water in order to really enjoy the product. The only caveat to this is that you will only get to enjoy the edible experience from these teas once, as the cannabinoids will have been fully steeped in the first use.
Not sure how you feel about the tea blends offered by either of these brands, but think the idea of an edible tea is up to your alley? What about a smoothie? TGOD Ripple and Edison (RE)Mix packs can make any drink edible by simply mixing in the distillate pack. These can also be used in baked edibles or sauces to add a little kick to your experience and have a similar onset time as the Haven Street teas. If you find that 10mg of THC is too little for your liking, but don’t need more than a single bag of tea, these also serve as excellent supplements. Likewise, the Phat 420 Infused Sugar can add a little sweetness and a kick to whatever you elect to mix it in.
Bud Bar is your trusted Calgary dispensary. We pride ourselves on creating an open and welcoming environment where you are comfortable and safe access to recreational cannabis. We set ourselves apart with personalized customer service with our budtenders providing one-on-one sessions so that you can learn about our cannabis products and accessories. We offer a selection of high quality yet affordable products, including flower buds, pre-rolls, oils, capsules, as well as accessories like vaporizers, bongs, and pipes. As your trusted Calgary marijuana dispensary, we can make it easy and safe for you to get recreational cannabis. Visit our marijuana stores in Calgary Northwest today, or place an order online!
