5 Healing Benefits of Hemp Tea Plus Recipe
Sometimes I wonder what my cannabis hangouts with friends in my youth would have been like if we drank marijuana as tea instead of smoking it. I’m sure we still would have listened to The Grateful Dead and searched for hidden messages in their album covers, but our parents would never have suspected us of using cannabis, since drinking tea doesn’t leave a noticeable smell in the room.
These days, more and more people are discovering the healing properties of marijuana. It seems like there’s no ailment that cannabis can’t help with. For example, the plant is a very effective natural painkiller, able to stimulate appetite and suppress nausea, which has made cannabis therapy popular among cancer patients. In addition, various studies confirm marijuana’s effectiveness in treating epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and digestive disorders like Crohn’s disease.
Hemp also has clear anti-inflammatory properties, and some doctors and users even attribute it with the ability to suppress the growth of cancerous tumors. It’s no surprise that Dr. Ethan Russo, one of the leading experts in cannabis medicine in the U.S., calls cannabis “the most versatile therapeutic plant in nature.” “No other plant I know of has such a wide range of healing compounds in its tissues,” he says.
That said, doctors believe that smoking marijuana may not be the most effective or safest way to consume it for your respiratory system. For this reason, the market for cannabis-infused foods and drinks is rapidly growing in the U.S. Many consumers believe that ingesting marijuana is a safer and longer-lasting alternative to smoking or vaping its extracts. So, in this article, we’ll look at five benefits of consuming marijuana as tea.
1. Powerful Pain Relief
For centuries, people have used cannabis as a painkiller. The plant is extremely effective at relieving pain: even small doses of cannabis are enough to ease both chronic and acute pain. Scientists say this effect is due to certain cannabinoids’ ability to interact with the body’s pain receptors, temporarily suppressing their activity.
The pain-relieving mechanism of cannabis works differently from traditional opioid painkillers. For one, cannabinoids do not cause physical dependence in the body, unlike opiates such as codeine, morphine, or oxycontin. As a result, cannabis users do not experience withdrawal symptoms when abstaining from the plant. Compared to these drugs, marijuana is completely safe and non-toxic. In fact, there are no known cases of fatal marijuana overdose. Every year, more doctors agree that cannabis is a safe alternative to pharmaceutical painkillers and are starting to recommend cannabis therapy for a wide range of illnesses.
When consumed as tea, cannabis’s active compounds are absorbed more quickly through the digestive system, making its effects more intense.
2. Immune System Support
Experts say cannabis is effective as a medicine for two main reasons. First, the plant effectively reduces inflammation in the body’s soft tissues, which helps relieve symptoms of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Second, compounds in cannabis can interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system receptors, regulating their function and helping maintain the body’s homeostasis. Some diseases may be linked to malfunctions in the endocannabinoid system. For example, increased sensitivity of certain receptors can trigger an immune response, causing white blood cells to attack healthy cells. This usually results in swelling of certain body tissues. Consuming medical cannabis allows patients to regulate their immune system, promoting well-being and recovery.
3. Neuroprotective Effect
Old propaganda often cited marijuana’s supposed ability to cause irreversible brain cell damage as an example of its harmful effects. However, modern research shows the opposite is true. Scientists studying cannabis in Alzheimer’s therapy have found that cannabinoids protect brain nerve cells from harmful substances rather than destroy them. Specifically, THC can suppress the production of protein compounds called beta-amyloids, which form clusters on nerve endings and reduce their conductivity, leading to symptoms of dementia.
So far, these effects of THC have been tested on animals in laboratory settings. The results show that older animals given THC performed better on memory and reaction tests than those given a placebo. Some studies confirm that similar improvements in cognitive abilities are seen in human test subjects as well.
4. Improved Digestive Health
Endocannabinoid system receptors are found throughout the human body, including the skin. However, the main recreational and therapeutic effects of cannabis occur when its compounds reach receptors in the brain.
When consumed as a drink, cannabinoids are directed to the digestive system, where they first interact with receptors in the gut. This means cannabis can help relieve colic and acid reflux, eliminate constipation, and soothe irritations that cause diarrhea. In fact, folk healers in many countries have used cannabis to treat digestive issues since ancient times. It’s likely that its effect on digestion was discovered by our ancestors long before they realized its pain-relieving properties. So, if you’re dealing with stomach pain or a bout of diarrhea, a cup of hemp tea can quickly get you back on your feet.
5. Calming and Antidepressant Effect
Anxiety and depression can be caused by many factors: inflammation of neurons, constant activation of panic mechanisms in the body, or a lack of important neurotransmitters like serotonin in the brain. All these phenomena, together or separately, can lead to low mood and stress. Fortunately, cannabinoids can address each of these “malfunctions,” helping patients relax and release tension.
It’s worth noting that hemp tea is an ideal remedy for stress and depression. This can be explained by the drink’s effect, which can be described as a longer-lasting and more physical version of the effect of a cannabis cigarette. In other words, the tea has a very deep effect, relaxing both the mind and body.
Hemp Tea Recipe
As the English saying goes, “A good cup of tea in the morning sets the tone for the whole day.” And what could be better than a hot cup of tea before a busy day? Only a cup of tea with added cannabis extract. Below is a list of ingredients and tools, as well as step-by-step instructions so you can easily make yourself a cup or two of this stimulating drink.
Ingredients:
- 0.5 grams of cannabis buds
- Half a tablespoon of butter or coconut oil
- 1.5 cups of water
Tools:
- Mixing bowl
- Tablespoon
- Knife or grinder for the buds
- Empty tea bag with string (a metal tea infuser will also work)
- Saucepan
Instructions:
- Thoroughly clean your cannabis of stems and seeds. Chop the buds into small pieces with a knife or grind them in a grinder. Note: you want small pieces, not powder.
- Mix the cannabis and a piece of butter or oil in a bowl. Stir thoroughly so the THC is absorbed into the fat. This step is necessary because THC won’t be absorbed by the body unless it’s in a fat-soluble environment.
- Add the mixture to the tea bag or infuser and seal it tightly (tie the bag securely with string).
- Pour water into the saucepan and heat it over medium heat until it’s almost boiling. It’s important that the water is hot but not boiling, so as not to damage the compounds in the cannabis. Place the bag with the cannabis into the water for 30 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, remove the bag from the saucepan, and pour the finished hemp tea. The drink goes great with milk and honey.
In my experience, the tea starts to take effect about 30 minutes after consumption. The effects of this method usually last about 8 hours. At this point, I would advise against driving or working with dangerous materials or equipment.
Original article by: Scott O’Reilly.