The Guide for Enjoying Cannabis and Coffee Together

Cannabis and Coffee! It’s a laid-back weekend, and you’re looking for something extra to pair with your morning coffee. Well, if you live in one of the states where recreational cannabis is legal, you may consider enjoying Cannabis and Coffee side by side. 

Whether you’re brewing one of the latest THC-infused coffee brands or sparking up a joint with your morning espresso, something unique occurs when your coffee buzz is punctuated with a weed high. While each can be enjoyed individually, getting the right pairing can elevate the experience to new heights. 

But before you get that edible out from the cabinet, read on to learn how to combine marijuana and coffee and the potential effects that the two have.

Individual Effects of Cannabis and Coffee

Cannabis

When THC from cannabis enters the bloodstream, it’s absorbed quickly into the brain. Once in the brain, it specifically binds to the CB1 receptors to effect short-term changes in the brain’s normal functionality.

The responses depend on the type of strain consumed. For sativa strains, users will experience effects almost similar to a coffee stimulant. These include increased euphoria and alertness. On the other hand, Indica strains result in sedation and a heavier body high.

Coffee

Coffee contains a stimulant known as caffeine. Caffeine affects the central nervous system by inhibiting adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that slows down your brain’s neural activity, making you feel exhausted and sleepy. When caffeine reaches the brain, it inhibits adenosine from reducing neural activity. This is why you feel more energetic and alert after drinking a cup of coffee.

Caffeine equally boosts the production of other neurotransmitters like dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin. These neurotransmitters boost your energy reserves, resulting in feelings of alertness, and focus.

Combining Cannabis and Coffee:

When you combine Cannabis and Coffee, the caffeine serves as a stimulant while the marijuana balances it with a relaxing effect. Below are some of the potential effects that you might get from consuming the two together.

Euphoria

A 2017 research revealed that consuming both Cannabis and Coffee led to an increase in dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a hormone responsible for feelings of joy and happiness. So when you mix the herb with the drink, the sense of euphoria is amplified.

A Focused State

Pairing Cannabis and Coffee is a great way to start your mornings. It sets you up for a focused and productive day. There’s a special balance of mellow attentiveness this combination produces. And when you add in some exercise, you get a rush of happy brain hormones.

Increased Dopamine Production in the Brain

If you fancy the initial uplifting rush you get from consuming a sativa-dominant cannabis strain, you might as well enjoy taking your coffee alongside some edibles. This is because both caffeine and THC trigger the production of dopamine in the brain cells.

And because they act on separate neurochemical triggers, they are bound to blow up each other’s high effects. In fact, a 2017 study conducted by J.O Owolabi concluded that cannabis and caffeine combine to deliver a double dose of happy chemicals (dopamine).

Prolonged Highs

Studies have shown that caffeine’s additional dopamine boost can extend the euphoric high caused by THC. A team of researchers gave monkeys a small dose (1 mg) of caffeine. Afterward, they gave them access to huge quantities of weed. 

Fascinatingly, the caffeinated monkeys showed little interest in consuming more weed after their initial hits. This led to the conclusion that the caffeine extended the dopamine rush, making them stay high a little bit longer. A small amount of caffeine can make a few puffs go a long way.

Eliminates Caffeine Jitters

Evidence from animal research studies indicates that CBD can help reduce the jittery feelings associated with drinking iced coffee. Drinking several cups of coffee may spike your level of alertness and movement. However, when you add in a dose of CBD, it mellows the effects, making you calm down and move more slowly. 

Pairing Cannabis and Coffee can also cause negative effects. It may lead to feelings of paranoia, nervousness, or a faster heartbeat if you take high doses. Ideally, you need to discover the right balance. Begin with a smaller dose and see how your body responds. Giving your body some time to get used to small doses before increasing the dosage will certainly work in your favour.

How Can You Mix Cannabis and Coffee?

Many people prefer to start their day with either coffee or cannabis. This is why both have become the ideal morning routine for many cannabis enthusiasts.

Fortunately, there are multiple ways to blend a cup of cannacoffee. Part of the delight in enjoying a blend of Cannabis and Coffee comes from the preparation process. There’s no one particular right method to do this. It all boils down to your preference. Whether you want to kick start your day with it or calm down after a hard day’s work, here are a few suggestions that you can use to mix Cannabis and Coffee.

Wake and Bake

Nothing compares to a good wake and bake session. Wake up in the morning, brew your cup of coffee, and light up your joint. This is a long-established way to blend Cannabis and Coffee. Of course, you’ll need to decide which strain to complement the coffee.

After deciding on your favourite strain, puff a few hits, and take one cup of coffee at a time. Don’t rush. This allows you to reach that ideal sweet spot and have a good experience onwards.

Grind Coffee Beans With Dried Cannabis

Grind your chosen amount of decarbed marijuana together with your coffee beans. You’ll need a coffee grinder for this method. The resulting flavour will be stronger because it’s a mix of coffee and weed. 

It makes for a perfect start to get you going when you wake up. You can take your creativity a notch higher by trying out different flavour combinations for an even tastier brew. You can pick sweet or fruity strains or settle on strains reeking of chocolate or coffee aromas. 

Cannabutter

You can make a stronger coffee blend using cannabis butter. Simply add a spoonful of cannabutter to your mug of coffee and stir it well. This allows the fat to dissolve into the hot drink. Cannabutter adds a rich flavour and texture to your morning coffee. If you want to microdose your cannabutter, you can freeze it in an ice cube tray and use one cube at a time.

You can also make some tea using cannabutter, particularly if you desire a milder caffeine hit. Simply empty your tea bag in a pot of water together with a cannabutter. Allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes and pour it into a cup.

Coconut Oil

Cannabis-infused coconut oil is only second to cannabutter as the most popular way to combine coffee and cannabis. Users prefer it because it’s organic and plant-based. Adding it to your hot coffee leaves you feeling proud of your vegan practices. 

Add CBD Oil

Apart from THC, CBD is also a good candidate for your morning drink. You can brew your coffee together with a CBD-rich cannabutter. Alternatively, you can add a few drops of CBD oil to your hot coffee.

But you wouldn’t get high if you use CBD exclusively. CBD delivers several properties, including anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-seizure, and anxiolytic. This pairing is ideal for those enjoying their coffee before school or work.

Remember that mixing coffee and CBD oil or cannabutter is akin to combining oil and vinegar. Both won’t naturally dissolve. So you’ll see the oil floating on top of your beverage after a few minutes.

Of course, this is not dangerous and is left to your individual personal taste and preferences. To help dissolve the oil, consider adding a small dose of liquid sunflower lecithin to the mixture.

Cannabis Milk

Where are the milk and cream lovers? Here’s a treat for you. You can now add cannabis-infused milk or cream to your morning cup of coffee to jump-start your day.

Cannabis Tinctures

A conventional weed tincture is an alcohol-weed combination. It mixes with coffee more naturally compared with CBD oil.

Keep in mind that this infusion will be stronger because you’re basically adding alcohol and cannabis to your coffee drink. It is comparable to combining whiskey and coffee. Depending on your preferred effect, that may be either a good or bad thing. 

Cannasugar

Simply add a few spoons of cannabis sugar to your hot coffee. This is arguably the easiest way to create Cannabis and Coffee.

Just as the name implies, cannasugar is a cube of sugar that has been combined with weed. It requires some work to make it. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t make it at home.

Simply pour about 3 grams of cannabis into a jar. Add grain alcohol to the cannabis and let the mixture soak for half an hour, shaking it now and then. Next, sieve the mixture into a clean bowl. Bake it at 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Stir repeatedly until the alcohol evaporates, and take it out of the oven. Once the mixture cools, it solidifies into cannabis sugar. 

Cannabis-Infused Coffee Brands

Not everyone enjoys preparing a blend of coffee and cannabis on a coffee grinder. Others want a quick fix, probably because of their busy schedules. In this case, Cannabis and Coffee products make perfect sense.

Cannabis-infused coffee is coffee that has been added with CBD. The effects you get from drinking it will depend on the CBD content level in the drink. There are products with as low as 4 milligrams of CBD, and others go as high as 30 milligrams.

Leftover Weed Pulp

This is one of those methods that you can easily brush off until you try it. Leftover weed pulp is simply the remains of plant material from making cannabis coconut oil, cannabis olive oil, or cannabutter.

Many people usually discard the leftover pulp. You can actually save and use it in your morning coffee. To do so, add the leftover pulp to a tea ball. Then, pour it into your cup of coffee.

Cannabis Strains to Try Out With Coffee 

There’s no ideal weed strain to add to your coffee. It depends on your preference. Yet, there are two aspects to keep in mind when choosing which strain to use. These are your desired flavour and effects. 

Flavour

For an amazingly rich experience, pick a strain that complements the flavour of your coffee. For example, Choco Haze will complement the deepest flavours and scents in light roast coffee.

Alternatively, the fruity, sweet Bubba Kush strain can balance out the bitter medium roast coffee. And if you want to ramp up the sweetness, look no further than Monster Zkittlez.

Desired Effects

When paired with coffee, indica-dominant strains offer a quite balanced psychotropic experience. A combo of a sativa-dominant strain and coffee, on the other hand, is perfect for those who desire an adrenaline rush. It will have you feeling in good spirits and keyed up for the day. However, it can make some users feel a bit tense and nervous, so take it slow and monitor how you feel.

The Bottom Line

When approached in the right way, a combo of THC/CBD and coffee can bring exciting feelings. However, anything related to cannabis needs more research in terms of how caffeine and weed interact. So exercise caution.

Ideally, create a personalized dosing plan based on your body tolerance and lifestyle. If you want to try out Cannabis and Coffee, take it for a test on a morning when you have a task to do but no deadlines or meetings. Begin with a smaller dose, probably a few puffs with a cup of hot coffee. Then, use the next couple of hours to see how your body responds. 

Ultimately, a host of factors will determine how the combo affects you, including the type of roast and cannabis strain, among others. You may be taken aback by how much this magic pairing may change your life or at least your morning mood.