Whether you’re a new cannabis user or a seasoned cannabis connoisseur, there is a cannabis drink recipe for everyone here in this round-up of easy; delicious cannabis drinks anyone can make at home featuring a variety of cannabis smoothies, hot drinks, cocktails, and more.
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED
Like some people enjoy an alcoholic drink after work, at social events, or during times of stress, many members of my Well With Cannabis Facebook Community also enjoy cannabis drinks the same way.
Cannabis-infused drinks are gaining popularity as an easy and delicious way to consume CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids.
Of course, cannabis is new for many people as legalization slowly expands throughout the country, and cooking with cannabis can seem foreign and overwhelming when just starting.
To help you get started, I’ve created this beginner’s guide to cannabis edibles to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable experience.
HOW TO MAKE CANNABIS DRINKS AT HOME
Making a cannabis drink at home allows you a lot of flexibility in determining what type of cannabis product you want to use, what cannabinoids you want to consume, and in what ratios.
Each CBD, THC, or other cannabinoid dosage and ratio will be unique for each person, your own tolerance level, and your desired outcome.
Remember, CBD is like the non-alcoholic beer of cannabis, while THC is more like a liquor shot.
Here we will cover a variety of different ways you can add cannabis to your favorite drinks, with methods including:
- The simple addition of hemp seeds to a smoothie
- Adding your favorite CBD oil to smoothies and drinks
- Making cocktail with a cannabis alcohol tincture
- Stirring in cannabis sugar to either a hot or a cold drink recipe
- Melting in cannabis coconut oil or cannabutter into a hot drink recipe
- Steeping leftover cannabis pulp in a tea ball
- Cooking a recipe with decarboxylated cannabis flowers
- Using raw cannabis leaves to make juice or smoothies
We will review all options below and explore why you would want to use them in which type of drink recipes.
#1. ADD HEMP SEEDS OR HEMP SEED OIL
Hemp seeds and hemp seed oil do not naturally contain cannabinoids, meaning they do not contain CBD or THC.
However, they have many important nutrition benefits, similar to other popular edible seeds like chia seeds, sunflower seeds, or flax seeds.
Both hemp seeds and hemp seed oil are great for cooking and contain heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation in the body.
It’s important to remember that while hemp seeds and hemp oil have an impressive nutrient profile and are a great fatty-acid nutrient source, they do not naturally contain CBD.
This means the product may not help if you are hoping to use cannabis for certain health conditions like anxiety or pain.
You can learn more about the difference between hemp seed oil and CBD oil here.
Adding hemp seeds or hemp seed oil to a drink would be done for the sole purpose of adding nutrients and dietary fiber to the drink, not cannabinoids.
Either way, hemp seeds are delicious and you can check them out in this Green Dream Hemp Seed Smoothie recipe.
#2. ADD CBD OIL
Using a full-spectrum CBD oil is the easiest and most popular widely-legal option available on the market today to make an infused drink.
It is effortless to add CBD oil to smoothies as a supplement because it just stirs right in.
Just check out this guide to making a healthy smoothie for some inspiration!
Of course, CBD oil and other watery liquids don’t naturally mix, so it may take some shaking or emulsifying to keep your oil drink infusion together, especially if you’re making a mocktail.
If you live in a recreational state and have access to a THC-infused oil, you can also use that in your drink as desired.
Just always be sure to consume the proper CBD: THC ratio for your tolerance level, and dose appropriately.
If you don’t have any CBD oil but are looking for a high-quality product to buy, start with my 500mg Full-Spectrum CBD Oil.
#3. USE A CANNABIS TINCTURE
While the words tincture and oil are often used interchangeably when referring to different types of cannabis oil, a tincture traditionally is defined as “a medicine made by dissolving a drug in alcohol.”
Cannabis alcohol tinctures are truly the best option for cannabis-infused drinks when making cannabis-infused cocktails because it literally is cannabis-infused alcohol.
Note that the type of grain alcohol used to make a cannabis tincture is much higher proof than other traditional alcohols, so you will need to use less of it than you would other traditional spirits.
For a delicious cannabis cocktail recipe, try this Cannabis-Infused Red Wine Sangria.
#4. STIR IN CANNABIS SUGAR
One popular recipe to make with a cannabis tincture is cannabis sugar.
The process is simple, you make a cannabis tincture and then pour the cannabis-infused alcohol over a bowl of white sugar.
This high-proof alcohol will naturally evaporate off, leaving the cannabinoid molecules left behind on the sugar granules.
Once cannabis sugar is made, it is dry and performs the same way as regular sugar.
You can add your cannasugar to your morning cup of coffee, make your favorite batch of chocolate chip cookies, or sprinkle it over your favorite fruit.
#5. MELT CANNABIS COCONUT OIL OR CANNABUTTER INTO DRINKS
I melt my cannabis coconut oil or a spoonful of cannabutter right into the warm liquid for a few of the warm drinks featured here.
Depending on the recipe you’re making, this may be the easiest way to make a cannabis-infused drink recipe.
I really enjoy this simple method when making my cannabis golden milk at night.
However, it’s important to remember that water and oil typically don’t mix, so you will notice a separation of fat on top of your beverage. You can use lecithin as an emulsifier as needed to bond the oil and water together.
I’m done smoking bcuz it gives me acid reflux and I lose my appetite badly. I hope this helps as a substitution. Thanks.