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Whether it’s ancient tearooms in China or the front porch of a home in the American South, tea is a welcomed beverage in cultures around the world. Lately it seems that iced teas are enjoying an uptick in popularity. Walk into any Starbucks, and you’ll find a wide array of fun, flavored tea options. Check the Instagram feed of any wellness blogger, and you’ll often find an iced matcha latte.
Teas are delicious, soothing and can even provide some health benefits. Like cannabis, teas are chock full of terpenes. Terpenes are oils produced naturally by many plants, fruits and herbs. They’re also responsible for the tastes and aroma of different cannabis strains and are what’s often added to everything from cleaning products to essential oils to give them their scents.
Though most people tend to focus on the cannabinoids in marijuana, it’s thought that terpenes carry their own therapeutic properties and can even boost the effects of cannabinoids. So, by pairing the right tea with the right cannabis strain, you can find synergistic effects between several different terpenes.
Take your next tea time to a whole new level with these four iced tea and cannabis pairings.
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1. Pair an Iced Coconut Matcha & Chemdawg for a Productive Morning
Virtually every health and wellness blogger has traded in their morning almond milk lattes for a frothy, green cup of matcha instead. And the switch makes sense. Matcha is a form of green tea that’s naturally caffeinated. But since it’s made with ground whole leaves, it has an even higher caffeine content than normal green tea does. For some, matcha provides the morning boost they need, but without the jittery feeling coffee can bring.
For a productive day, pair your iced coconut matcha tea with the cannabis strain Chemdawg. Chemdawg is an energizing strain that isn’t known for producing the anxious effects some sativas do; it’s a relationship very similar to the one between matcha and coffee.
Instead, consumers report Chemdawg imparts a balanced and productive high. Try this combination:
- in the morning before cleaning the house
- de-cluttering the email inbox
- when you have to tackle a household project
RELATED: CANNABIS TERPENES PACK A THERAPEUTIC PUNCH
2. Hibiscus Tea & Golden Pineapple Can Help Regulate Blood Pressure
Hibiscus tea is a super tasty option when you want something refreshing and light—a decaffeinated beverage. The floral flavor is bold and bright, the perfect pick for a mid-day boost. And this tea has some powerful properties beyond just flavor.
A Tufts University study funded by the scientific arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture looked at the blood pressure of 65 volunteers between the age of 30 and 70. The findings conclude that participants who drank hibiscus tea had a 7.2 point drop in their systolic blood pressure, compared to the 1.3 point drop seen by participants who drank a placebo.
Keep that blood pressure steady with a nice hybrid strain like Golden Pineapple. A cross between Golden Goat and Pineapple Kush, this is a fruity strain that will help you de-stress, but also keep you engaged and mildly energetic.
Golden Pineapple is a great all-day strain, suitable for pretty much any time of day. Combining its pineapple flavor with hibiscus tea will transport you to a white sand beach, sure to help bring your blood pressure down even further.
3. Make Ginger Peach White Tea & Super Lemon Haze Your New Pre-Workout Beverage
Want to drink something energizing and refreshing before a summer workout? White tea is a great energy-boosting alternative if you want to switch it up from green tea, as the two have similar caffeine content. And while green tea is generally hailed as a weight loss secret, white tea actually has similar effects.
In one study conducted in test tubes, white tea extract stimulated fat breakdown and prevented new fat cells from forming. A different review of studies published by the International Journal of Obesity concluded that white tea may help boost metabolism by an extra 4–5%, equal to burning an extra 70–100 calories per day.
Get a real bang for your workout buck by pairing ginger peach white tea with a high-flying cannabis sativa strain like Super Lemon Haze. This strain is known for its high tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content and frosted buds that are very similar to hairy white tealeaves. A few puffs of this strain, and you’ll feel your energy levels rise, preparing you mentally for the good workout ahead.
Super Lemon Haze also contains linalool, a terpene known for its relaxing effects. With this combination, you’ll feel energized to tackle your workout, but won’t feel jittery.
4. Chamomile Vanilla Tea & Headband Make a Soothing Bedtime Combo
Try this duo as you wind down for bed on a hot summer night. When thinking about tea that’s good for sleep, the most common variety that comes to mind is a steamy cup of hot chamomile. But chamomile is just as good, and just as relaxing, when enjoyed on ice.
Chamomile works as a sleepy-time tea thanks to a terpene called bisabolol, known for its relaxing properties. Beyond its ability to help melt away stress, bisabolol also shows promise as an anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and analgesic.
To enhance the effects of the bisabolol in chamomile, pair it with the cannabis strain Headband, which is known to contain bisabolol, too. Headband, a hybrid cannabis strain, is an ideal strain to end the day with. It’s known for its relaxing and pain-relieving effects that will pair nicely with the chamomile tea. Plus, the hint of lemon in Headband’s flavor profile is a delicious, fresh counterpoint to chamomile’s earthy flavor notes.
Photo credit: Laurens van Riel
If you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our Cannabis 101 post. HelloMD can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.
