Drinks infused with THC present an innovative and flavorful way to consume cannabis. Such beverages have been around for many years. But their production process has significantly evolved. Keep reading to discover how to make THC-infused drinks from the comfort of your own home.

Cannabis legalization has encouraged the development of scientific applications to extract cannabis, making it easy to create drinks by infusing the cannabinoids you prefer. Below, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to using cannabis as a versatile ingredient in your go-to beverages.

How to Make THC-Infused Drinks

The realm of infused cannabis and its diverse applications is vast. Making THC-infused drinks is a facet of this world, and while not overly complex, you need to be extra careful of the THC ratio to liquid. These drinks contain numerous active compounds from the cannabis plant, including THC and CBD.

Cannabis drinks are made by infusing THC in the form of tinctures or oils into liquid bases, like cocktails, fruit juices, teas, coffee, and milk. You can also sweeten your drinks and make them more flavorful by using cannabis-infused syrup or honey.

The cannabis plants can be processed in various ways to make drinkable products. To make a THC drink, the process usually goes like this:

Find the right tools – for precise measurements, grinding, etc.
Prepare the cannabis material – decarboxylation
Use the right technique for precise infusion – making the THC-infused drink

Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: Creative Family

1. Equipment for precision beverage creation

If you want to learn how to make THC-infused drinks, you need the right equipment. This type of production process requires the use of unique equipment, like beverage processors, mixers, grinders, strainers, and extraction machines, to perform the extraction, infusion, and storage.

With the help of such equipment, you will be able to blend cannabis products efficiently. They can assist in accurately measuring and dosing THC, ensuring that you have control over the THC potency and consistency in your beverages.

2. Preparing the cannabis material

Before you start making THC-infused drinks, you must prepare the cannabis material. Ensure you have the correct liquid-to-cannabis flower ratio, starting with 5 grams of cannabis flower. However, keep in mind that raw cannabis flower has little to no effect.

Take your time to grind the flower finely using a grinder. After that, you can make a tincture or cannabutter through decarboxylation to activate the cannabis compounds before including it in your drink.

3. Precision infusion techniques

After preparing the cannabis material, it’s time to move on to the next step. There are a few precision techniques you can use to infuse your drinks with THC to get unique flavors and desirable effects.

Below, we explain how each of the precision infusion techniques works to help you decide which is best for your THC-infused drinks:

Heat-activated infusion

Cannabis needs to be heated to activate cannabinoids like THC. The heat-activated infusion involves boiling a pot of liquid or using a double boiler. Combine the liquid of choice with the ground marijuana.

Since high heat can burn the cannabinoids, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and stir frequently for 2-3 hours. Then, strain the liquid through a cheesecloth and store it properly.

Proper storage of THC-infused drinks can be done by keeping them in a dark and cool place, preventing additional heat exposure, and sealing them in an airtight container.

Cold brew: A refreshing alternative

Another infusion technique commonly used to make THC-infused drinks is cold brew. This method is preferred by coffee lovers who are searching for easy ways to get their cannabis dose.

To make it, mix the desired amount of cold brew concentrate with cold water and add a few drops of THC oil to the concoction.

Cold brew coffee with THC delivers in flavor. It’s not very acidic, and it tastes sweet and nutty. It’s best to keep your cold brew in the refrigerator to ensure it lasts longer.

Nanoemulsion for rapid absorption

Many legal cannabis product producers often use nanoemulsion to make THC-infused drinks because it makes products more bioavailable and potent.

Nanoemulsion involves the process of cannabis extracts being mixed into water. Technology with ultrasonic waves is used to break up the molecules into tiny pieces that the human body can absorb better and faster when consuming THC-infused drinks.

Mixology: Crafting Cannabis Cocktails and Mocktails

THC-infused drinks are very versatile. You can experiment with various ingredient combinations to get unique flavors. You can enhance the taste of your favorite drinks by using only a tiny amount of THC infusions.

Learning how to make THC-infused drinks at home allows customization of flavors, providing more control over the potency of your ingredients. If you don’t have top-shelf mixology drinks, consider the following points for making cannabis cocktails and mocktails.

Incorporating THC-infused ingredients into mixology

THC oils and various cannabis strains can be mixed into cocktails for rapid infusion. Below, you can find recipes for both cocktails and mocktails:

Pineapple Tea Cocktail

½ oz rum
½ oz black tea
½ oz pineapple juice
60 ml simple syrup or honey
Cannabis strain or 15 grams of THC-infused oil

Mix together the rum, black tea, and pineapple juice. If your drink lacks sweetness, add honey or syrup to the mix, and the THC-infused oil drops at the end.

Mojito Mocktail

5 mint leaves
1 ounce of fresh lime juice
4 ounces of sparkling water
Ice cubes
1 tablespoon of sugar or lemon syrup (optional)
Drops of THC tincture (2 mg)

Muddle the mint leaves and lime juice at the bottom of your glass. Then, fill it up with ice cubes and add sparkling water with your choice of sweetener to make it more enjoyable to drink. To enhance the flavor, add the THC tincture drops in the mocktail.

Additional ideas for elevating cannabis beverage experiences

THC beverage infusion is not only limited to cocktails and mocktails. You can incorporate your favorite THC ingredients into drinks you enjoy on a daily basis to elevate their flavor and improve your beverage experience.

Incorporating THC into fruity drinks is a great way of infusing beverages. To make a THC-infused lemonade, combine lemons or limes, sugar, water, ice cubes, and THC tincture to provide more freshness to your drink.

Other options include THC-infused coffees like lattes and cappuccinos that can provide a memorable tasting experience. Besides, you can also infuse herbal, matcha, and chai teas with a few drops of THC liquid to get more aromatic flavors.

Dosage recommendations for safe consumption of cannabis cocktails

There is no standardized dose of THC in infused drinks. The THC content may vary depending on the type of beverage that is consumed. For cocktails and similar THC-infused drinks, an ideal THC dosage recommendation is around 2-4 milligrams.

The safe consumption of cannabis cocktails also depends on several factors. You should avoid a quick and excessive consumption of THC-infused cocktails. This is because they contain THC, the psychoactive compound that may cause euphoria, enhanced sensory perception, and some, often mild, side effects.

Dosage Precision for Responsible Consumption

Our experience in making cannabis machines has shown us that the dosage of THC-infused beverages can be easily controlled. Edibles are tricky to dose because you won’t feel the effects until 30 minutes to an hour after consumption. However, the effects of cannabis drinks are more predictable.

Calculating accurate dosages per serving

You might be wondering how much THC is in infused drinks and whether it’ll make you feel high. To guarantee safe and responsible consumption, it’s best to ensure that you don’t include more than 5 milligrams of THC ingredients, like oil, tincture, or butter, into a 10-ounce drink at first.

Avoid consuming a large amount of THC all at once, and start by microdosing to see the potency of the mixture and whether you need to add more per serving.

Managing variability in THC concentration

The pace at which a human body absorbs concentrates may vary. Thus, your metabolism may need more time after ingestion to feel the effects of THC in your drink. The variability in THC concentration depends on age, THC tolerance, and frequency of drinking infused beverages.

Responsible usage guidelines for THC-infused beverages

Although it’s possible to make your own THC-infused drinks from the comfort of your own home, research is lacking to prove their safety. Even brands selling THC-infused beverages must follow certain rules and regulations.

These guidelines are imposed on the brands to guarantee the safety of the application and consumption of their THC-infused drinks. Safety measures are also put in place to prevent putting customers’ health at risk.

Benefits of THC-Infused Drinks

Vapes and joints are old-school methods of consuming cannabis. But, sipping cannabis-infused drinks offers certain compelling benefits over the traditional methods. Infusing THC into your beverages may allow precise dosing, preventing lung irritation and masking the taste of cannabis.

Easy consumption

One smoke-free way to consume cannabis is by drinking THC-infused beverages. This way, you won’t need to roll papers and worry about whether the flower is burning properly when you smoke the joint.

Unlike smoking and vaping, consuming cannabis-infused drinks doesn’t pose the risk of developing respiratory issues.

Controlled dosage

Drinking beverages with THC allows precise control over the dosage. If you make them yourself, you will know exactly how much THC you are consuming, which helps to prevent potential overconsumption.

Improved taste

Cannabis ingredients used for THC-infused drinks, like tinctures, oils, and liquid drops, don’t have a specific taste. If you mix them in your beverage of choice, you may completely mask the cannabis flavor and turn THC-infused drinks into a specialty.

Fast absorption

In comparison to other cannabis products like gummies, the effects of THC beverages come up faster. This is due to the ingredients in cannabis drinks being made with nanoemulsions, starting the absorption process in the stomach lining instead of the liver.

Edibles and gummies must be fully digested before the body starts to absorb them for you to feel their effects.

You may feel the effects of cannabis-infused beverages after 10-20 minutes post-consumption and reach their peak within a few hours. Due to their fast absorption, the effects of cannabis drinks don’t last as long as other THC-infused products like edibles with concentrated marijuana oils.

Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: Natali Ximich

Conclusion

Making THC-infused drinks can be a fun and creative process. All you’ll need is a beverage and some high-quality cannabis flower or concentrate, depending on your preference. You can decarboxylate the cannabis to activate the THC, then infuse it into a liquid base like oil or butter or directly on your drink.

Learning how to make THC-infused drinks will save you from spending money on cannabis products sold at dispensaries. With the right equipment, ingredients, and dosage, you will be able to make unique flavors in your homemade beverages.

Enjoy your homemade THC-infused drink responsibly!

How to Make THC-Infused Drinks