CBD tea

Pour hot water over plants, let it steep and enjoy. Tea is a drink that has accompanied mankind in many forms since time immemorial. Tea first came to Europe in 1610 with the Indian trade – green tea came to the Netherlands, to be more precise.

Today there is a new trend. And that is CBD tea! Or also called hemp flower tea with cannabidiol. What can this effective cannabis infusion do?

What is CBD tea?

CBD tea, also known as hemp tea, is one of the oldest forms of CBD. CBD, i.e. the cannabidiol from hemp, is the main active ingredient in these teas. The tea consists of CBD flowers. The proportion of cannabidiol is between 1 and 10 %. It is available in different flavours.

CBD hemp tea is not psychoactive, does not cause intoxication and is not addictive. While the drink used to be consumed specifically because of its THC content, today only hemp teas with a THC content of less than 0.2 % are allowed. There do not seem to be any significant side effects.

What is CBD tea made from?

CBD tea is produced from commercial hemp. The most common type of production is cannabis sativa. Many users ask themselves the question, what is CBD tea made from?

The dried flowers, twigs and leaves of the cannabis plant are usually used for CBD tea. To obtain CBD tea, the leaves of the cannabis plant have to be heated to a temperature of 130 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes. In this way, the manufacturers ensure that the naturally present CBDa is transformed into more potent CBD. 

In addition to CBD, CBD tea also contains other valuable ingredients. Vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants are integral parts of CBD tea.

Ingredients contained

In commercial CBD teas, there are usually three different ingredients of the cannabis plant. These are CBD and CBG. In extremely small quantities, hemp teas may also contain THC. However, this amount must not exceed the legal limit of 0.2 %.

Ingredient	Effect	Proportion
CBD	non-intoxicating anti-inflammatory relaxing antispasmodic analgesic anti-anxiety	between 0.5% to a maximum of 6.5%
CBG	antibacterial anti-inflammatory bone growth	between 0.1% to a maximum of 5%
THC	intoxicating analgesic anti-nausea antispasmodic appetite stimulant	less than 0.2%.

Is hemp tea the same as CBD tea?

Basically, hemp tea is not the same as CBD tea. For us as an educational portal, it is important to state this here.

• Hemp tea is a cannabis tea completely without the ingredients CBD or THC.
• CBD tea, on the other hand, is hemp tea with CBD.

Is CBD tea legal in the UK?

As long as the concentration of THC in hemp tea is below the 0.2% mark, CBD products may be sold in the EU and the UK. Nevertheless, some countries have their own rules.

In Germany, for example, CBD products were completely uncontrolled until 2016 and could be sold freely on the market. This changed with the 15th Ordinance Amending the Ordinance on the Prescription of Medicinal Products. In it, CBD products became subject to prescription and since then may only be sold on prescription. However, the legal situation is not considered to be ultimately fixed. CBD producers argue against the prescription requirement with the argument that, for example, vitamins or even food supplements are also available without a prescription.

The producers do not sell CBD products as medicines with a medical effect.

• Thus, according to the current situation, those products that are obtained from commercial hemp grown in the EU with certified seeds containing less than 0.2 % THC are legal in Germany.

All CBD teas produced here also fall under these conditions. The situation is different in Switzerland, for example. Here, the limit for THC is 1 %. It is therefore clear that CBD tea from Switzerland can only be drunk there and cannot be imported into the EU. Swiss CBD tea is illegal in Germany.

Does CBD tea make you high?

CBD or hemp tea is a natural product obtained from the cannabis plant. Many people ask themselves the question, does CBD tea make you high, because in the EU hemp tea is allowed to contain more than a small amount of THC.

To get to the point – no, CBD tea does not make you high.

The EU keeps a watchful eye on compliance with the 0.2 % limit for THC in all CBD products. The reason is simple – unlike CBD, THC has a psychoactive and intoxicating effect. It can therefore be said that CBD or hemp tea that can be produced and legally sold in the EU does not get you high.

Can CBD tea be given to children?

In the EU and UK, CBD teas and other CBD products may only be marketed if their THC content is below 0.2 %. This ensures that CBD tea does not have a psychoactive effect, does not induce intoxication and is not addictive. CBD is also administered to children for some conditions.

A particularly well-known case of CBD being used on a child is that of Charlotte Figi. The little girl suffered from Dravet syndrome. This means she was plagued by up to 300 seizures per week. By taking cannabis products, the number was reduced to three seizures per week. One study [7] looks at her particular case.

Drinking CBD tea can help children who suffer from sleep disorders for psychological reasons to switch off their inner restlessness and thus fall asleep more easily. This also positively supports children’s ability to sleep through the night.

Can cannabis flower tea also be smoked?

The question whether you can smoke CBD tea is clearly answered with a yes. However, you can basically smoke any herb. Therefore, the question should be – does it make sense to smoke cannabis tea? And here the answer is no.

The reason is simple, because in all CBD teas legally and certified grown, harvested and sold in the EU and UK, there is no significant, or rather noticeable, amount of intoxicating ingredients. Moreover, the stems and seeds contained burn very poorly. And should you still want to try it, you can learn from experience reports that the taste is not particularly good.

CBD tea effect

Currently, a lot of research is being done on CBD and its effects and areas of application. Studies are increasingly proving the positive effects that cannabidiol has. As a rule, research does not explicitly examine the effects of CBD tea. Instead, the effects and applications of CBD are researched in studies.

• As a result, it is becoming increasingly clear that the effects of CBD occur primarily in the relief of pain.
• Studies have also shown a connection with CBD in inhibiting inflammation.
• Physical well-being also has an effect on the psyche.
• One use of CBD, for example, is that it has a mood-lifting effect.
• This is why depressed people often use CBD, also in the form of a tea containing cannabis.
• The influence of CBD on the stomach does not only relieve pain there.
• Drinking CBD tea can also regulate the feeling of hunger.

One of the main reasons for consuming CBD hemp tea is that CBD can do a good job in relieving pain. Experts have found that the active ingredients in the tea are absorbed in the digestive tract as well as in the liver. Unlike CBD oils (30 minutes) or CBD e-liquids (20 minutes), the effects of CBD tea occur 40 to 90 minutes after ingestion.

Many users report that although it takes a little longer for the effects to kick in, they last between four and eight hours.

Let’s now look at the individual symptoms and diseases for which CBD tea can be effective.

For chronic pain

For acute pain relief, there are faster alternatives from the CBD product family. On the other hand, CBD tea scores points for its daily long-term effect. This type of effect against pain means that CBD tea can help with rheumatoid arthritis, for example. Around 2,600 participants in a survey [1] by the Arthritis Foundation stated that CBD generally helps with arthritis. They said they found the pain of the diseases better and easier to bear when taking CBD.

To improve the CBD effect against pain, manufacturers advise consuming CBD tea on an empty stomach.

For anxiety and depression

Studies have found that CBD has anxiolytic, which means anxiety-relieving and antipsychotic, effects. Researchers believe the reason for this is CBD’s effect on the endocannabinoid system (ECS). This part of the human nervous system is responsible for the body’s fear and flight response, for example. The intake of CBD thus alleviates anxiety, as a recent study [2] proves.

In many cases, both depression and anxiety are based on the fear of (chronic) pain. The effect of CBD products such as CBD tea in reducing pain can also contribute to helping against related depression and anxiety.

Another effect of CBD is that it has an anti-inflammatory effect [3]. This also combats swelling in the brain, which is considered one of the main causes of depression and anxiety.

In addition to the effects mentioned above, there is an inherent calmness to the activity of consciously drinking tea. Drinking a hot cup of tea calms the mind and relaxes. In addition, CBD is said to calm the mind.

Read more:

• CBD for anxiety disorder
• CBD for depression

For lung problems such as asthma

One of the most common lung problems is asthma. This is an atopic disease. In other words, asthma is an allergic reaction based on a problem with the immune system. One of the most common consequences of the disease is chronic inflammation in the lungs and airways. Shortness of breath can be a symptom of this, as well as wheezing, coughing or a feeling of tightness in the chest.

The cannabidiol in CBD tea acts like a bronchodilator. It dilates the bronchial tubes, thus reducing the resistance in the human airways and increasing the flow rate of oxygen. This is where CBD tea can do a good job. Not only does CBD have an anti-inflammatory effect on asthma, which can also relieve the pain, but the warmth of the tea also soothes the affected regions.

Cannabis flower tea strengthens the heart

When consuming CBD tea, a small or larger amount of CBD is absorbed by the human organism. This can be used to fight inflammations in the body. This of course also applies to those affecting the heart and cardiovascular system. It is important to know that inflammations in the entire body can have a negative effect on the heart. In many cases, heart problems have even been attributed to dental infections.

The cannabidiol that enters the body via CBD tea has an anti-inflammatory effect. Numerous studies [4] that investigated the connection of CBD with inflammation came to the conclusion that CBD can have a positive effect on heart problems.

The studies found that CBD has a soothing effect specifically on myocarditis, i.e. inflammation of the heart muscle. In those people who took CBD, the studies found that the CD3 and CD4 lymphocyte levels decreased permanently. One result of taking CBD, also in the form of CBD tea, is that heart tissue regenerates faster.

For digestive problems

Drinking warm CBD tea not only leads to a pleasant feeling in the stomach and intestinal tract due to the warmth, but it can also alleviate other digestive problems.

A study [5] from 2011 examined how inflammatory intestinal diseases, which are considered to be a cause of digestive problems, can be alleviated by taking CBD. The researchers concluded that CBD can reduce the damage caused by stomach inflammation. CBD, the researchers added, has an effect on glial cells. CBD can control their activation.

For Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s and dementia are the hostages of an increasingly ageing society. CBD tea for Alzheimer’s may well give cause for hope due to the neuroprotective effect of the cannabis substance. Via the ECS and its receptors, for example, the production of beta-amyloid proteins [6] can be slowed down. This mitigates a key factor in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

Are there side effects with CBD tea?

In general, CBD products are considered to have few side effects. Nevertheless, consumers repeatedly report certain effects that can be triggered by drinking CBD tea. In short, the following side effects can occur after drinking hemp tea:

• No or only little appetite
• A certain drowsiness
• Low blood pressure
• Drowsiness
• A dry feeling in the mouth

Where can I buy CBD tea?

CBD tea is now a common product. It is possible to buy CBD tea in drugstores and online. Pharmacies also often offer CBD tea. Online shops advertise hemp and CBD tea with easily comprehensible seals of quality.

In addition to many online retailers, in Germany it is especially the drugstore chains Rossmann and DM where CBD tea can be purchased. In these stores, the same guidelines apply as for German retailers.

As is the case with most retail business sectors, there are more online retailers than traditional shops when it comes to selling CBD tea. A search query on Google alone (04.06.2020) for the term combination “buy CBD tea” yielded almost 22.5 million hits within 0.5 seconds.

Alternatives to CBD teas – other CBD products

CBD teas are available from many suppliers and producers. However, it is not the only form of administration. For example, CBD tea is also joined by …

• CBD oils,
• CBD liquids,
• CBD ointments,
• CBD creams,
• CBD tinctures,
• CBD edibles

… and many other possible forms of ingestion.

FAQ about hemp teas

[1] http://blog.arthritis.org/news/patients-tell-us-cbd-use/?_ga=2.46425764.266938547.1571986061-1364950660.1571820475 – 07.04.2020

[2] https://www.cbd-anxiety-study.com/ – 07.04.2020

[3] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0028159 – 07.04.2020

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26772776 – 07.04.2020

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3232190/ – 07.04.2020

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24288245 – 07.04.2020

[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24854149 – 07.04.2020

When taking products containing cannabinoids, interactions with various medications may occur under certain circumstances. If you are taking medication yourself, the use of CBD and other cannabinoids should be discussed with your doctor beforehand.