Infused Chai
This warming, potent, cannabis chai tea recipe is a great way to enjoy your tea with an extra kick.
This cannabis infused chai recipe blends cannabis tincture into a warm, soothing beverage perfect for relaxation and unwinding. Hot cannabis drinks provide a comforting way to consume edibles, especially during colder months. The warmth helps the infused fat dissolve and distribute evenly for consistent dosing in every sip. Warming cannabis chai combines aromatic spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger with infused milk for a soothing hot edible.
- Tea Bag
- Milk
- 0.5 ground weed
- Ginger
- Cardamom
- Sugar or any sweetiner
- Decarb your weed - Learn how
- Start boiling some milk in a pot.
- Lay out some cheesecloth
- Mash up your ginger and spices
- Put the cannabis with all your mashed spices in a cheesecloth and close it as a tea bag.
- Steep the tea bag in the milk for two hours.
- Pour the milk in a jug.
- Now, it's time to prepare your mug, mix the milk with a black tea bag and add some sugar.
Dosing Tips for Your Infused Chai
- Start with 5-10 mg per cup and remember that liquid edibles can onset faster than solid foods, sometimes within 20-45 minutes.
- Use a milk frother or blender to fully emulsify the cannabis tincture into your hot drink so it does not float on top as an oily layer.
- If sharing a pot, stir thoroughly before each pour because the fat tends to rise to the surface as the drink sits.
- Sipping slowly over 30 minutes gives you better control over your experience than drinking the entire cup quickly.
- Prepare a single serving using one measured dose of infused milk per cup to maintain precise control over your intake.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Adding cannabis tincture to boiling liquid can cause it to scald and develop a bitter taste. Let the liquid cool to about 160-180 F (70-82 C) before stirring in the fat.
- Skipping emulsification leaves an oily film on top that tastes unpleasant and means the first sips have most of the THC while the last sips have almost none.
- Making drinks too strong because they taste mild when warm. The effects sneak up on you. Always calculate and measure the dose precisely.
- Not accounting for evaporation when simmering. If your drink reduces, the concentration per ounce increases.
How to Store Infused Chai
- Cannabis hot drinks are best consumed fresh. If you must store, refrigerate in a sealed jar for up to 3 days and reheat gently.
- Prepare a concentrated cannabis milk or cream base and store it refrigerated for up to a week, then add it to fresh drinks as needed.
- Never leave cannabis drinks unattended or unlabeled where others could mistake them for regular beverages.
- Brew fresh for the best flavor; leftover chai concentrate without milk can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Variations & Ideas
- Add a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom to complement the herbal cannabis flavor and add warming spice notes.
- Use cannabis-infused honey instead of fat for a cleaner drink with less oily texture, especially good in tea.
- Blend in MCT oil-based cannabis extract for a smoother mouthfeel that emulsifies more easily than butter.
- Add a shot of espresso for a dirty chai latte that combines caffeine alertness with the calming effects of THC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Normal drinking temperatures of 140-180 F (60-82 C) will not degrade THC. THC begins degrading around 315 F (157 C). As long as you are not boiling your drink for an extended period with the cannabis fat in it, potency is preserved.
The fat has not been properly emulsified. Use a milk frother, immersion blender, or regular blender to combine the cannabis fat with your milk or drink base. A pinch of lecithin powder helps the fat integrate smoothly.
Yes, alcohol-based tinctures blend easily into hot drinks and the alcohol evaporates quickly from the heat. This is actually one of the simplest ways to make a cannabis hot beverage since there is no fat emulsification needed.
Hot cannabis drinks can take effect in as little as 20-45 minutes, faster than most solid edibles. The warm liquid and dissolved fat are absorbed more quickly in the digestive system. Start with a low dose until you know how they affect you.
You can store cannabis-infused milk or cream base for up to a week refrigerated and add it to freshly made drinks. Full prepared drinks do not store as well because teas and coffees degrade in quality. The concentrate approach gives you fresh taste with consistent dosing.
Positive Effects
Negative Effects
You may or may not feel all the effects listed*