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Marijuana stem tea is one of the simplest but most enjoyable recipes you can do with your leftover cannabis material. Instead of throwing away your marijuana stems, you can grind and steep them in boiled water to infuse your drink with the plant’s therapeutic compounds.

What Is Marijuana Stem Tea?

Marijuana tea has been used for religious, spiritual, medicinal, and recreational purposes for centuries. Stem tea, in particular, only uses the stems of the marijuana plant, which have trace amounts of cannabinoids such as THC and CBD and terpenes.

Based on anecdotal reports, marijuana stem tea is able to provide relief for a variety of conditions including anxiety, depression, chronic pain, nausea, arthritis, headaches, and much more. Drinking marijuana stem tea can provide relatively fast-acting effects compared to eating a traditional edible.

Since cannabis stems have a low THC and CBD content, users need considerably more plant material compared to using whole flower buds for tea. Over time, users can gradually collect cannabis stems from their buds, store them in an airtight container, and make a delicious and intoxicating infused tea.

Benefits of Marijuana Stem Tea

Making marijuana stem tea is one of the simplest ways to enjoy your leftover weed. Some of its benefits include:

  • Reduce waste: Instead of throwing away the stems, you can infuse the last bit of cannabinoids into your tea.
  • Save money: By using your leftover stems, you are not throwing away the cannabinoids you paid for. It gives you an extra therapeutic experience.
  • Smoke-free: For those with respiratory issues, marijuana stem tea is an easy-to-make and effective recipe that has fast-acting effects and will not cause lung irritation.
  • Easy to make: All you need is some water, milk, and a strainer to make your tea at home.
  • Healthy: Marijuana stem tea has numerous health benefits including relief for anxiety, stress, nausea, pain, inflammation, and more.

Ingredients for Marijuana Stem Tea

  • Leftover marijuana stems (¼ to ½ cups)
  • 3 cups water
  • Tea bag of your favorite tea (optional)
  • Strainer (coffee filter works)
  • ½ cup coconut or non-dairy milk, 2 to 3 teaspoons alcohol/liquor, or half a tablespoon butter or coconut oil

How to Make Marijuana Stem Tea In 5 Easy Steps

Making cannabis stem tea is super easy if you have the right ingredients and materials. It's a great way to get the most out of your leftover cannabis.

How to Infuse Marijuana Stem Tea

Before we begin, it is important to note that cannabinoids are not water-soluble. They are fat-soluble. Because of this, users will need alcohol/liquor, milk, butter, or coconut oil, all of which can bind to the cannabinoids and infuse them into the tea.

Step 1: Grind Marijuana Stems

Once you have collected about ¼ to ½ cups of marijuana stems, break them up or grind them with a cannabis or coffee grinder. Keep in mind, some users do not grind their marijuana stems and, instead, infuse them whole into the boiled water.

Step 2: Boil Water

Fill up your kettle or pot with 3 cups of water or more depending on your serving size and portions. Add the milk, butter, or coconut oil ingredients before the water is heated. If using alcohol, you will add it after the water has boiled. Now, you can boil your water.

Step 3: Steep the Marijuana Stems

When your water has boiled, it is time to infuse your weed. Feel free to add the stems directly to your water mixture or use a steeping device. Steep your marijuana stems in the boiled water for 8 to 12 minutes. You can add a different bag of your favorite tea for added flavor.

Make sure to stir regularly and allow the stems to steep for enough time. This ensures that the cannabinoids bind to the fat compounds.

Step 4: Strain the Mixture

After your stems have had enough time to steep, you can remove them and any other tea bag from the boiled water by straining them into a separate container using your strainer or coffee filter. Be careful not to squeeze out any remaining liquid from the material since you might get extra chlorophyll, which can make the tea taste bitter.

Step 5: Sweeten the Tea (Optional)

When your tea is ready, you can sweeten it with a range of sweeteners including honey, lemon, agave syrup, and coconut cream. Depending on the quality of material and chlorophyll content in your stem tea, the taste can vary but, generally, tastes grassy.

If necessary, you can even blend in your tea with another favorite tea, including ones with caffeine to provide a stimulating effect alongside your weed. Ultimately, there are many ways to enjoy your infused tea.

Does Marijuana Stem Tea Get You High?

glass of tea with THC written on it, marijuana stem tea

Yes. Marijuana stem tea can get you mildly intoxicated depending on the quantity of THC in the plant material. Keep in mind, stems and leaves have a significantly lower concentration of trichomes, the resin glands that contain the plant’s active and intoxicating compounds.

What Else Can You Do With Marijuana Stems?

Don't throw away your stems or leaves just yet. They have a few trichomes but if you collect enough, you can make a wide range of infused products including:

  • Beverages: Coffee, tea, and cocktails
  • Topicals: Transdermal patches, roll-ons, poultices, balms, creams and lotions, suppositories,
  • Extracts: Bubble hash

How do you make marijuana tea the Jamaican way?

marijuana tea in a cup

The leaves of the cannabis plant (and occasionally the buds) are used to make marijuana tea, also known as “ganja tea” in Jamaica.

Here is a basic recipe for making marijuana tea the Jamaican way, though there are many variations:

Ingredients:
Cannabis leaves (a handful or as desired; buds may also be used, but a stronger brew may result)
(About 2 cups) of water
Add honey, sugar, or more sweeteners as desired.
A small amount of fat, such as butter or coconut oil, is optional but may aid in the extraction of THC.

Instructions:
If you're using cannabis buds, prepare them by cutting them into smaller pieces. You can utilize leaves just as they are. The quantity you use is arbitrary and can be changed in accordance with tolerance and personal desire.

Water is being brought to a boil in a pot. Add whatever fat sources you're utilizing at this time, such as butter or coconut oil. Since THC is soluble in fats, the presence of fats can aid in the extraction of THC from cannabis more effectively.

Adding Cannabis: Add the cannabis leaves or buds after the water is boiling. Set the heat to low and simmer the mixture for 30 to 60 minutes. The cannabinoids in the cannabis are extracted into the water during the prolonged boiling procedure.

After boiling, strain; turn off the stove. Pour the tea into a cup or other container after straining the drink to remove the plant matter.

Sweeten (optional): You can add honey, sugar, or other favorite sweeteners to your tea to make it sweeter. For flavor, some individuals also like to add other herbs or spices.

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marijuana extraction course - Johanna Rose
Makes $24.50 @ THC +

Enjoy: Slowly sip the tea, then wait for the benefits to develop before sipping more. Remember that compared to smoking or vaping, the effects of edibles and drinkables may take longer to manifest.

Learn How to Make More Cannabis Infusions at CTU

Ready to learn how to make a variety of cannabis infusions and grow your own weed? Enroll in Cannabis Training University’s online cannabis college to learn how to use cannabis, how to grow cannabis, how to start a career in the industry, and how to make edibles. Start learning today!

Karen Getchell, expert cannabis writer
Karen Getchell

Karen gained expertise in developing training programs and technical documentation as a Senior Editor at Cisco Systems. She began her journey in cannabis as a patient, searching for a way to heal herself. When she perfected a method for making cannabis oil, other patients began to seek her out. An early adopter of CBD medicine, she started her CBD-infused-products business in 2014. Over the last two decades, Karen has taught hundreds of patients and caregivers how to select strains, infuse oils, and extract cannabinoids.

When she isn’t teaching cannabis cooking classes, Karen works as a cannabis business consultant, writes for online cannabis publications like Cannabis Training University, Leafly, and Weedmaps, and runs a CBD-infused-product business.

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