A guide to cannabis-infused Beverages.

October 17, 2019, the second phase of Cannabis legalization began. Legalization 2.0 has unveiled us an array of various cannabis products, away from our classic joints and dried cannabis flower and into the world of edibles, vapes, concentrates, and beverages. Did you know edibles happen to be one of the biggest things most Canadians are most interested in potentially purchasing and consuming?

Who is interested in cannabis beverages?

According to a study released by Deloitte Canada, Many older cannabis consumers, novice consumers, and complete beginners are more apt to try a cannabis-infused edible or beverage before trying a combustible method of cannabis consumption.

What this means is Aunt Sally will probably try a low dose drink over your joint.

The results from Deloitte are super interesting to read. The demographic of people who are interested in edibles and beverages are not your typical “Cannabis consumers”. They’re people between the age of 35-54 who are more casual cannabis users, as opposed to the daily user.

I recently attended a cannabis conference and can confirm the above information. The vast majority of consumers at this conference were in the age demographic of 30+, it was very interesting to see.

• Above is the HousePlant Sativa grapefruit beverage. This has no sweet taste and has approximately 2.5mg of THC per can. https://www.houseplant.com/

Benefits

The benefits of cannabis-infused drinks are vast! Many people will opt to try a cannabis beverage over a joint because it’s something they’re familiar with. Imagine if you’ve never smoked before, many people don’t want to start smoking ANYTHING so beverages are a great way to ease into the benefits of cannabis.

Many of the legal cannabis drinks are being marketed similar to alcoholic beverages, but take away the alcohol and add THC and CBD.

Research has shown that cannabis can help aid and relieve stress, pain and other ailments. Alcohol doesn’t offer these benefits and more Canadians are considering the idea of switching from a gin and tonic to a CBD and tonic. The dosages will vary from 2mg of THC all the way to 10mg of THC. There are CBD only options as well, and balanced options. These are the legal options available at government retailers.

These are CBD only beverages with approximately 10mg of CBD per can.

They are produced by https://everie.ca/en/

And can be purchased through your local recreational cannabis provider or store.

According to the survey done on Canadians by Deloitte, 57% of cannabis users and 53% of likely consumers use or will use cannabis teas! This makes it the most popular cannabis beverage in both the legal and grey market. Why is tea so popular though?

1. It’s a familiar beverage medium, more seniors would be willing to try a low dose of THC tea over smoking a joint or consuming a gummy edible.

2. It is discreet. You would never know if someone was drinking an infused beverage due to its discreetness and the various other herbs in the tea will mask the smell of cannabis.

3. It can be made as a hot or cold beverage, making it perfect for all occasions. How nice is it to curl up on the couch with a hot cup of tea after a long day? Or how refreshing is it to drink a fancy iced tea on a hot summer day? Now imagine if that was cannabis-infused?! That would make the whole tea experience a truly relaxing moment.

What's truly unique about cannabis beverages is this The Green Organic Dutchman THC powder.

This is an odourless, flavourless, and calorie-free option that gives you the chance to infuse any beverage of your choice. This 10MG of THC powder is going to change the cannabis market, in my opinion.

https://www.tgod.ca/collections/cannabis/products/tgod-infusers-thc

How to make your own cannabis-infused beverages.

This method is not as easy as throwing weed into a cup of hot water and expecting results. There are a few crucial steps that are needed to have beneficial results.

I have two methods you can try at home.

1. Using infused coconut oil or cannabutter.

Gather up

• A teabag of your choice

• Boiling water

• Milk, honey, cinnamon (optional ingredients)

• Infused coconut oil or butter.

Place a heaping teaspoon of infused oil in your favourite mug, add your boiling water and teabag.

Stir until all the oil is dissolved, I like adding milk to my tea so the oil has some fat to bind to.

Allow your tea to steep for 3 minutes.

Remove your tea bag and garnish with a dash of cinnamon, enjoy! If you find the cannabis taste overwhelming add in some honey or sugar.

2. Weed tea with ground Cannabis.

Gather up

• 1 gram of ground cannabis

• A tablespoon of coconut oil or butter

• A tea bag or loose leaf tea ball

• A pot of boiling water on the stove-top

• A spoon

• Cheesecloth and a rubber band or a fine mesh strainer.

1. Bring four cups of water to a boil in a pot on the stove. Once the water is boiling, add the tablespoon of butter or oil allowing it to dissolve.

2. Add the gram of ground cannabis to the boiling water and reduce the heat to a simmer for 15 minutes.

3. After 15 minutes, remove from heat and strain the mixture into your mug through cheesecloth or the fine mesh strainer.

4. Add your teabag or tea ball and allow your tea to steep for 3 minutes.

5. Remove tea bag and add your ingredients of choice such as milk, sugar, cinnamon, or honey.

6. Sit back and enjoy your homemade cannabis-infused tea!

Conclusion

Cannabis beverages are extremely versatile and very consumer-friendly. Cannabis beverages are a new but old way of consuming cannabis and it's exciting to see people become more open and willing to try cannabis through this medium. Have you ever made weed tea? What other cannabis beverages do you enjoy? Tell me in the comments below.