Summertime is definitely lemonade season!

The hot summer months have many people reaching for a cool, refreshing glass of lemonade or iced tea to cool them down. But why not kick it up a notch by reaching for a mind-blowing glass of cannabis infused lemonade instead?

Why Cannabis Drinks?

Cannabis drinks are a refreshing way to pass the time during the hot summer months. Give your lungs a break and try out an infused beverage instead. Cannabis drinks can give you all of the high, with none of the smoke.

When many people think of baking edibles at home, they think of a long, messy, smelly process that requires both time and effort. But by comparison, cannabis drinks are actually quite easy to make and can be enjoyed much more quickly than edibles.

And, if you’re really feeling adventurous, they can even be mixed or made with cannabis-infused alcohol for a real mind-blowing experience.

Check out these two recipes for cannabis drinks that you can enjoy this summer!

Cannabis-Infused Lemonade

The easiest way to brew cannabis-infused lemonade is by mixing some THC tincture into your favorite lemonade recipe. Just load up the dropper and squirt your desired amount directly into some homemade lemonade.

Try out this recipe for some quick, easy, and refreshing summertime lemonade!

You will need: 6-8 lemons (about 0.5L of lemon juice), 1.35L cold water,  200–250g of sugar, and 2-3 tsp. of cannabis tincture.

1. Start by juicing the lemons. An electric juicer will help you to squeeze out every last drop of liquid gold!
2. Mix lemon juice with sugar and water in a glass pitcher stirring well in order to ensure that all sugar is dissolved.
3. Add your tincture while being mindful of dosage. Mix well.

Want to kick it up even further? Try using cannabis-infused vodka instead of tincture for a real wild ride.

Ice cold, cannabis-infused lemonade is one of the great pleasures of the summer. Even better news? It is super easy to make. The easiest method is to simply add canna-tincture to taste to a cold glass of homemade lemonade.

But if you want to master the art of making cannabis syrup, you can also add this potent extract to any drink you want.

THE CANNA-SYRUP

INGREDIENTS 

• 3 cups (0.675 litres) of filtered water
• 3 cups (0.675 litres) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable glycerine (available at any health store)
• 2 grams cannabis (finely ground)
• 1 saucepan
• 1 jar/closed container (i.e. Mason jar)
• Strainer or cheesecloth
  

STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS 

1. Put the water and sugar in the saucepan. Bring to a boil, making sure the sugar is fully dissolved. Now, add the cannabis. This is a very important step. You are decarboxylating the cannabis. This means you are making the THC “active.”
2. Maintain a steady, low boil. This is to make sure you do not damage the THC. Continue this process for about 20 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat again to a low simmer. Add the glycerine. Let simmer for another 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
5. In the meantime, prepare your jar and strainer. The easiest way to do this is to stretch the cheesecloth over the jar opening. Place a rubber band around the cheesecloth to keep it in place. Now carefully and slowly pour the cannabis syrup through the cheesecloth. You should stop when the build-up of cannabis leaves gets too thick. Scrape the leaves back into the saucepan. Continue the process until you have squeezed all liquid from the leaves.
6. Let this cool.
7. Now add it to your favourite drinks.

REFRESHING SUMMER LEMONADE

INGREDIENTS 

• 6 cups (1.35 litres) cold water
• 2 cups (450 millilitres) lemon juice (or 8-10 lemons)
• 1 cup (225 grams) sugar
• 3 Teaspoons infused vegetable glycerine or tincture
• Pinch of salt (optional)
  

HOW TO MAKE 

1. The easy way to do this of course is just to use lemon juice that is already squeezed. If you extract the juice manually, it will taste better of course. Regardless of where the lemon juice comes from, add it to the water. Mix thoroughly.
2. Some people actually prefer to use a syrup, rather than sugar. However, this is the stage where you add the sweet stuff. If you are diabetic, use a natural sweetener like Stevia instead. Also note, you should add sugar sparingly. Remember the canna-syrup is super sweet too.
3. Then add the glycerine and if you prefer, a pinch of salt.
4. Mix or blend again thoroughly.
   

Here is where you have options.

You can either add cannabis tincture to the whole mix or by glass. Regardless, once you add the canna-syrup, mix thoroughly.

Making Cannabis-Infused Iced Teas

Cannabis tincture can also be used to make infused iced tea. While easy to prepare, the bitter taste of tincture does not pair as well with tea as it does with lemonade. Using infused honey instead will result in a much better tasting batch of iced tea, with just a little more work.

To make cannabis honey-infused iced tea you will need: 6 cups water, 6 teabags of your choice (or 3+ tablespoons of loose leaf tea), ½ – ⅓ cup of all-natural honey,

In order to brew this tea, start by preparing the infused honey

1. Place half a cup of water and ½ – ⅓ cup of all-natural honey in a small saucepan and set to medium heat
2. Add in the amount of tincture you’d like to infuse your honey with. Keep in mind, that the honey will be used for  several teas or other recipes, so you want to add 3 or 4 doses (depending on how sweet you like your tea!)
3. Once the mixture reaches 150℉, stir until all the honey is dissolved into the water
4. Pour into a glass container and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours in order to solidify

When the infused honey is ready for use, simply brew up a batch of your favorite tea and use spoonfuls of honey to infuse and sweeten it. If you’re feeling adventurous you should try adding sliced fruit to your iced tea for extra flavor. Sliced strawberries, peaches, and lemons go great with cannabis-infused iced tea.