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Cannabis tea
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Cannabis tea (also known as weed tea, pot tea, a cannabis decoction) is a cannabis-infused drink prepared by steeping various parts of the cannabis plant in hot or cold water. Cannabis tea is commonly recognized as an alternative form of preparation and consumption of the cannabis plant, more popularly known as marijuana, pot, or weed. This plant has long been recognized as an herbal medicine[1] employed by health professionals worldwide to ease symptoms of disease,[2] as well as a psychoactive drug used recreationally[3] and in spiritual traditions. Though less commonly practiced than popular methods like smoking or consuming edibles, drinking cannabis tea can produce comparable physical and mental therapeutic effects. Such effects are largely attributed to the THC and CBD content of the tea, levels of which are drastically dependent on individual preparation techniques involving volume, amount of cannabis, and boiling time.[4] Also in common with these administration forms of cannabis is the heating component performed before usage. Due to the rather uncommon nature of this particular practice of cannabis consumption in modern times (in contrast to historical use) as well as the legality of cannabis throughout the world, the research available on the composition of cannabis tea is limited and based broadly around what is known of cannabis as it exists botanically.
Composition
[edit]According to a 2007 study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, the composition of cannabis tea is affected by criteria including, but not limited to, the duration of time over which the cannabis is steeped, the volume of tea prepared, and the period of time for which the tea is stored before consumption.[4] The study mentions the ways in which levels of THC and THCA impact variability of composition by changing the bioactivity of the beverage. Therefore, cannabis teas that include less bioactive cannabinoids, "based on HPLC peak area"[4] will demonstrate varying compositions.
Preparation
[edit]According to a recent study on cannabinoid concentration and stability in preparations of cannabis oil and tea, a boiling period of fifteen minutes was found to be sufficient in order to reach the highest concentrations of cannabinoids in tea solutions.[5] However, preparation of cannabis oil in the study was found to ensure a higher stability of cannabinoids than that which was found in preparation of cannabis tea.[5]
To produce psychoactive effects, cannabis used in tea must first be decarboxylated. As with regular tea, spices are often added. Typically, the tea is allowed to simmer for 5–10 minutes.[6]
Folk medicine
[edit]Cannabis tea was used for centuries in folk medicine as it was thought to be a treatment for rheumatism, cystitis, and various urinary diseases.[7]
In an article in Nature, it is projected that cannabis has been used medicinally for nearly 12,000 years. The oldest confirmed reference to medicinal cannabis is ~2700 BC, in Ancient China. There is ~190AD evidence that a Chinese physician, Hua T'o, used an emulsion of tea and wine to anesthetize a patient for surgery. [citation needed]
According to a short communication published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, based on the research of Zias et al. regarding cannabis use in ancient childbirth, cannabis is said to have been used to assist women during childbirth. The communication is regarding an anthropological find of a birthing mother, dated to 4th century AD., "We assume that the ashes found in the tomb were cannabis, burned in a vessel and administered to the young girl as an inhalant to facilitate the birth process."[8] Cannabis tea has been traditionally used by Jamaican women as a remedy for morning sickness associated with pregnancy. [citation needed] There is no evidence that cannabis is an abortive medicine."
Legal status
[edit]Cannabis tea is controlled as a derivative of cannabis in most countries as is required of countries whose governments are party to the United Nations' Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.[9] However, similar to the regulation surrounding alcohol content of kombucha, there are some forms of cannabis tea with cannabis levels considered to be highly undetectable. These variations of the drink do not contain the psychoactive cannabinoid known as THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and, instead, contain the non-psychoactive cannabinoids cannabidiol (CBD) or cannabinol (CBN)—both of which tend to go undetected in cannabis use/intoxication drug tests.[4] As such, the legal status of cannabis tea is largely dependent on its composition and preparation.
United States
[edit]Cannabis tea is scheduled at the federal level in the United States by nature of being a derivative of Cannabis sativa, and it is therefore illegal to possess, buy, and sell.[10] Due to variances in statewide laws, and the reluctance of the federal government to overrule the states, however, the federal legislation has little impact on nationwide use, and is "generally applied only against persons who possess, cultivate, or distribute large quantities of cannabis".[11] As such, regulation of recreational and/or medicinal growth and use on an individual level is not the responsibility of the federal government.
Colorado law
[edit]In Colorado, for medical purposes, cannabis tea is a "Medical Marijuana Infused Product" which is "a product infused with medical marijuana that is intended for use or consumption other than by smoking, including edible products, ointments, and tinctures. These products, when manufactured or sold by a licensed medical marijuana center or a medical marijuana-infused product manufacturer, shall not be considered a food or drug for the purposes of the "Colorado Food and Drug Act", part 4 of article 5 of title 25, C.R.S."[12] Colorado currently stands as one of 33 states that have laws legalizing marijuana[13] as of 2018.
Adverse effects
[edit]Although not as widely published as the beneficial, therapeutic effects of cannabis tea, adverse effects of consumption have been found to exist, in addition to known adverse effects of cannabis use in general.[14] Based upon the findings of select studies,[8][15] it appears as though such effects occur mainly as a result of unconventional methods or dosage used when interacting with the decoction.
References
[edit]- ^ Russo, Ethan (2013). Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic Potential. Routledge. pp. 37–51.
- ^ Peltzer, Karl (Summer 2008). "Use of traditional complementary and alternative medicine for HIV patients in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa". BMC Public Health. 8: 255. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-8-255. PMC 2503977. PMID 18652666.
- ^ Patton, George (2002). "Cannabis use and mental health in young people: cohort study". The BMJ. 325 (7374): 1195–1198. doi:10.1136/bmj.325.7374.1195. PMC 135489. PMID 12446533.
- ^ a b c d Hazekamp, Arno (Spring 2017). "Cannabis tea revisited: A systematic evaluation of the cannabinoid composition of cannabis tea". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 113 (1): 85–90. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2007.05.019. PMID 17604926. S2CID 13800834.
- ^ a b Pacifici, R (August 2017). "Evaluation of cannabinoids concentration and stability in standardized preparations of cannabis tea and cannabis oil by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry". Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. 55 (10): 1555–1563. doi:10.1515/cclm-2016-1060. PMID 28207408. S2CID 21424914.
- ^ "Types of Drinks". CBDzine. WordPress. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ Kabelik, J. (1960). "Cannabis as a medicament". Die Pharmazie.
- ^ a b Merzouki, A (Summer 2000). "Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and abortion". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 73 (3): 501–503. doi:10.1016/S0378-8741(00)00323-8. PMID 11091005. S2CID 6358400.
- ^ United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (1988). "The International Drug Control Conventions" (PDF). www.unodc.org.
- ^ "§1308.11 Schedule I." Archived from the original on 2009-08-27. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
- ^ "Federal Marijuana Law".
- ^ "Colorado Medical Marijuana Code". Colorado.gov. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved Jan 4, 2015.
- ^ "State Marijuana Laws in 2018 Map". www.governing.com. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 2018-12-10.
- ^ Hall, Wayne (January 2015). "What has research over the past two decades revealed about the adverse health effects of recreational cannabis use?" (PDF). Addiction. 110 (1): 19–35. doi:10.1111/add.12703. ISSN 1360-0443. PMID 25287883.
- ^ Mims, Robert (July 1977). "Adverse Effects of Intravenous Cannabis Tea". Journal of the National Medical Association. 69 (7): 491–495. PMC 2536936. PMID 875075.
Cannabis tea
View on GrokipediaHistory and Traditional Use
Origins and Early Records
The earliest documented references to cannabis tea appear in ancient Chinese medical texts, dating to approximately 2737 BCE, when Emperor Shen Nung prescribed infusions of cannabis for treating ailments such as gout, rheumatism, and malaria.[9] These records, preserved in compilations like the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Divine Farmer's Classic of Materia Medica), describe cannabis (ma) as a decoction or tea prepared from the plant's leaves or flowers, intended for medicinal rather than recreational purposes, distinct from later methods like ingestion of resins or combustion.[10] Archaeological evidence from Neolithic sites in China supports early cannabis cultivation around 8000 BCE, but textual specificity to tea preparations emerges only in these pharmacopeic writings, indicating a targeted therapeutic application rather than widespread dietary use.[11] By the medieval period, references to cannabis infusions surface in Middle Eastern traditions, where physicians incorporated the plant into teas or medicinal mixtures for pain relief and sedation, as noted in Islamic medical compendia influenced by earlier Assyrian and Persian practices.[12] However, these accounts often conflate infusions with other forms like ointments or vapors, with limited distinction for beverage preparations compared to dominant smoking customs in regions like the Levant. In African contexts, traditional healing practices among groups such as the Bantu incorporated cannabis in ritualistic brews for spiritual or calming effects, though pre-colonial documentation is sparse and primarily oral, lacking the precision of Chinese texts.[13] Overall, historical evidence positions cannabis tea as a niche method overshadowed by more prevalent consumption forms like eating resins or inhaling vapors, with no substantial archaeological finds—such as residue in ancient vessels—confirming its ubiquity; textual mentions remain tied to elite medical or ritual spheres rather than everyday practice.[11] This scarcity underscores that while infusions were known, they did not drive the plant's cultural dissemination, which prioritized fiber, seeds, and psychoactive smoking across Eurasia and Africa.Traditional Applications in Folk Medicine
In Ayurvedic traditions of ancient India, cannabis infusions, often prepared as bhang by steeping ground leaves and flowers in water, milk, or yogurt, were employed for purported relief from pain, rheumatism, digestive ailments, and insomnia, with references appearing in texts as early as 1000 BCE.[14][15] These preparations were administered orally to warriors for fortification and to patients for sedative effects, though potency varied widely due to inconsistent plant sourcing and processing methods, yielding unpredictable outcomes reliant on anecdotal transmission rather than empirical validation.[16] In traditional Chinese medicine, cannabis seed or leaf teas were prescribed as early as 2737 BCE under Emperor Shen Nung for conditions including gout, rheumatism, malaria, and mental disturbances, functioning as a harmonizing agent for bodily energy (qi) and digestive harmony.[17][18] Such uses stemmed from folk pharmacopeias emphasizing calming properties for anxiety and sleep issues, yet pre-modern applications suffered from absent standardization of active compounds, fostering potential misattribution of benefits to placebo responses or coincidental recoveries.[11] Among certain indigenous groups, including some Native American and African traditions, cannabis occasionally featured in shamanic healing rituals for pain mitigation and spiritual insight, though infusions were rarer than smoked or ingested forms, with practices exhibiting high regional variability and scant documentation of consistent efficacy.[19][20] These culturally embedded claims, transmitted orally across generations, lacked controlled testing, rendering causal links to therapeutic effects speculative amid confounding factors like ritual context and non-specific symptom relief.[21]Botanical and Chemical Composition
Source Materials from Cannabis Plant
Cannabis tea derives its bioactive compounds from the aerial parts of Cannabis sativa L., primarily the leaves, inflorescences (flowers), and to a lesser extent stems, though roots and seeds are not typically used for infusions.[22] Flowers contain the highest cannabinoid concentrations, with total Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels often reaching 10-12% dry weight, while leaves average 1-2% and stems 0.1-0.3%.[22] These parts are harvested from either C. sativa or C. indica subspecies, but potency varies markedly between low-THC industrial hemp varieties (legally defined as <0.3% THC) and high-THC drug-type chemovars, with hemp yielding infusions of negligible psychoactive potential.[23] Cannabinoid profiles differ across chemovars, with high-THC types dominated by Δ9-THC and its precursor Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), potentially imparting mild psychoactive yields upon infusion, whereas high-cannabidiol (CBD) variants prioritize CBD and CBDA, resulting in non-intoxicating extracts.[24] Empirical analyses show extraction yields into hot water infusions remain low due to the lipophilic, non-water-soluble nature of THC, with solubility at 100°C insufficient for substantial transfer—typically 0.3-2% of available THC migrates into the brew without lipid emulsifiers.[1][6] Plant variability profoundly influences cannabinoid content, driven by genetic factors, cultivation conditions, and harvest timing; for instance, cannabinoid levels in flowers peak at 6-7 weeks of maturity, increasing significantly from earlier stages.[25] Environmental variables such as light intensity, CO2 concentration, temperature, plant density, and nutrient regimes can alter profiles by up to several fold, with higher densities boosting per-plant THC but reducing overall yield per area.[26][27] Genetic selection for specific chemotypes further amplifies these differences, underscoring the need for chemovar-specific sourcing to predict infusion potency.[28]