How to Make THC-Infused Drinks?
You can whip up quick THC drinks at home using ready-made tinctures or syrups.
THC-infused beverages were a bit late to enter the market. Manufacturing THC drinks is not as easy as preparing other weed-based products, so companies needed years to perfect production. However, with ready-made solutions such as tinctures or syrups, THC drinks are something that you can easily prepare at home in no time yourself. It can be faster than rolling a joint!
Herbs are usually processed either into tinctures or decoctions. A decoction is what you get when you boil plant matter in water to absorb the soluble materials into the water. This process allows extracting as many properties and flavors from the soluble material as possible. Preparing a tincture is similar, but herbs are soaked in alcohol instead of water.
Companies that create marijuana drinkables have mastered their processes with the help of innovative technologies. They develop oil-based ingestible products of all kinds and CO₂-extracted CBD. When it comes to drinkable products, cannabis plants can be processed in similar ways to barley when making beer. After creating a flavor, the concoction is chemically treated and reinforced with cannabinoids.
Since the 2018 Farm Bill was signed, various canna-infused drinks have appeared on the market. THC drinkables are available as herbal teas, coffee, cocktails, energy drinks, sports drinks and powders, and even kombucha. Some brands also blend THC and CBD into full-spectrum flavorful products, and people seem to enjoy them. And while you can always grab a THC drink on the go, you can also prepare it yourself.
Easy Ways to Prepare THC Drinks at Home
The simplest way to prepare drinkable weed items is to supplement a liquid with THC tincture. Tinctures are weed-infused, alcohol-based liquids that have been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Tinctures are a safe and effective way to consume cannabis. They are also an excellent option for someone who’s, for instance, suffering from asthma and cannot quite tolerate smoking.
So, to prepare a THC drink with tincture, all you have to do is pick a tincture you like at the nearest dispensary. You will want to look for what strain was used for the tincture. If you prefer Sativa over Indica strains, you probably want to purchase a Sativa-dominant tincture. If you are unsure what kind of tincture is best for you, you can always ask for recommendations from the budtender.
You can also create a tincture on your own. For this, you need to know how to decarboxylate weed. Once you properly “cook” your weed to unleash its THCA, add the decarboxylated buds to a jar filled with alcohol and keep it in a dark place for a few weeks. The tincture is ready when the jar turns a deep green color. After you strain out all plant material, what’s left is a potent homemade tincture that you can use to enrich your afternoon tea or prepare other beverages and cocktails with.
Another option to use for cannabis drinkables is THC syrups. Infused syrups can contain vegetable glycerin, sugar, coconut oil, agave. They can taste like watermelon, ginger, grape, blueberry, orange, lemon, etc. Syrups are excellent to mix with coffee, hot chocolate, alcoholic cocktails, and what not.
Dosing THC Drinkables
Newbies are advised to start with 5 mg of THC. Increase that to 10 mg for someone who occasionally smokes, vapes, or uses other cannabis products. More experienced users can go with up to 30 mg, however, these are just rough guidelines, and it’s totally up to you to decide on the right amount for yourself.
It would be smart to dispense whatever dosage you set aside for drinkables into several different drinks. Avoid consuming it all at once. If you use a homemade tincture, it will probably be more difficult to tell how much THC you’re pouring into your drink. However, if you microdose initially, you’ll quickly get an idea of how potent the concoction is and figure out how much you add on the next round.
North America currently dominates the THC beverage market, but Europe and Asia are catching up as legalization expands.
Tasting Cannabis Drinks: What to Expect
Cannabis has a unique flavor, so you may already be familiar with it if you've smoked or used other cannabis products. Regardless of the form, it always adds an herbal undertone to any drink. The exact flavor depends on the specific cannabis strain.
One of the most remarkable things about cannabis is its versatility in taste. It blends uniquely with alcohol, tea, lemon, chocolate, cream, or any other ingredient you choose to add to your drink.
Useful Tips for THC Drinks
Like other cannabis edibles, drinks too can generate unexpected effects on the body. Therefore, the best way to go with THC-infused drinks is low and slow, increasing the doses gradually.
- Start with nonalcoholic drinks such as coffee or tea. This will help you assess how your body reacts to THC when ingested in liquid form. You can sip a little bit of the tincture or syrup and observe how you feel.
- Have your first drinks in a safe environment. As you level up with cannabis cocktails, make sure you are comfortable—for example, consuming them at your house—in case it hits suddenly and all too strongly. Needless to say, don’t drive when you are under the influence.
- Give some time for the THC to work its way into the body. Drinks will follow the same route as edibles, so wait before taking more. You will feel the full effect of the first drink in 30–60 minutes, so don’t rush to down a second drink immediately after finishing the first one.
Refreshing Recipes
The beauty of THC drinks is that you can always experiment and try out various ways of using tincture or syrup with other liquids. If you want to cut down on alcohol or caffeine, you can still use tincture to prepare healthy drinks such as lemonade or mocktails. Below are two quick recipes that will lift your spirits.
THC Lemonade
- Juice 2 lemons by hand or using a juicer.
- In a separate cup, mix 1 cup of warm water with sugar until the sugar dissolves.
- Combine the lemon juice and sugar water with 3 cups of cold water.
- Add your desired amount of THC tincture and stir gently.
- Serve with ice cubes and garnish with sliced lemons.
Canna Mojito Mocktail
- Muddle 3 mint leaves with lime juice at the bottom of your glass.
- Add 2 tablespoons of canna lemon syrup.
- Pour in sparkling water and add a few more mint leaves.
- Stir the mixture thoroughly and add ice cubes.
- Optional: Garnish with a lime slice or a sprig of mint for extra flair.
Enjoy your drinks!
More from Soft Secrets:
S
Stephen Andrews
