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Cannabis, when ingested, takes effect more slowly鈥攕o it's a reasonably safe way to give your coffee extra kick.
Cannabis, when ingested, takes effect more slowly鈥攕o it's a reasonably safe way to give your coffee extra kick. (Photo: Annie Spratt)

A Primer on Mixing Caffeine and Marijuana

What to know before you wake and make coffee

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(Photo: Annie Spratt)

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The legalization of marijuana has brought a bumper crop of weed-laced foodstuffs, from cookies and candies to sodas鈥攁nd now, coffee. For those who don鈥檛 have the wherewithal to , a handful of companies in California and Washington are offering . In January, California-based became the first company to sell their enhanced K-cups, filters, and beans in multiple states.

The owner of Ganja Grindz, who goes by the name Haze, says cannabis coffee 鈥済ives you the fired-up focus you get from that first cup of coffee in the morning,鈥 but with the added calm that helps you organize and attack your day.

We have some questions before we sip, though. Is it really a good idea to combine the stimulant effects of coffee with the psychoactive zing of marijuana? More importantly for anyone who has to function in society, where do the risks fall on the spectrum of Edibles-Gone-Wrong鈥攐n a scale of to ?

There鈥檚 not a lot of scientific research on what happens when you cross marijuana with any drug, says , a Harvard-trained physician who now specializes in cannabis-based medicine. From an anecdotal standpoint, he says, the caffeine-and-marijuana combination is probably fine. He鈥檚 never heard of a scenario where someone had a ghastly reaction after consuming both substances鈥攚hich makes sense, based on how they work in the body.

Caffeine is processed in the liver then released into the bloodstream, and so is cannabis when ingested, not smoked. But the two go to work in different parts of the brain, and neither seems to change the effect that the other would normally have. That gives coffee an advantage over alcohol, which has been shown to 鈥攖he chemical responsible for most of marijuana鈥檚 psychoactive effects鈥攖hat ends up in the bloodstream. 鈥淐affeine interacts with body cells in a less specific manner,鈥 Tishler says. Bottom line: drink cannabis coffee correctly, and you shouldn鈥檛 have to worry about getting any more than you bargained for.

What you will get is reportedly quite a lovely effect. (I have no idea what it鈥檚 like, mom. Really. Thanks for reading my work, though.) 鈥淐offee seems to counteract that sleepy effect that marijuana can have,鈥 says Tishler. 鈥淚t heightens the heady effect and increases the pleasant hallucinatory experience.鈥 Here鈥檚 what you should know if you鈥檙e interested in trying it for yourself:

To Brew-It-Yourself or Not to Brew-It-Yourself?

Actually making weed coffee is kind of a trick. Cannabinoids dissolve best in fat, which is why baked edibles almost always rely on a THC-laced butter or oil for their kick. Ganja Grindz gets around this by infusing its packaging with coconut oil that鈥檚 laced with THC and CBD (another compound found in marijuana that鈥檚 less psychoactive but has some pain relief properties). It鈥檚 a patented method, and it means each cup delivers the exact same amount of good stuff鈥攕omething that might be hard to replicate through home brewing. 鈥淔our Advils is always four Advils. That鈥檚 something we鈥檙e trying to really bring to this industry,鈥 says Haze.

How to Buy It

Not every cannabis coffee product on the market is quite as consistent, since no true federal regulations exist. Read the label carefully to ensure you know exactly what you鈥檙e getting into. Ideally, look for a product that lists the exact amount of THC per serving so you know what you鈥檙e getting鈥攎any companies offer versions with less THC, if you鈥檙e new to edibles or cannabis-anything. Tishler recommends first-timers find a product with only 5- to 10-milligrams of THC. Advanced or frequent users can opt for 100- to 130-milligram doses.

Haze also recommends looking for one that is made from a solvent-free oil, which means it won鈥檛 contain any of the harsh chemicals (like butane) that are sometimes used during the extraction process.

How (Not) to Drink It

Marijuana is slower to take effect when ingested than when smoked. The effects can take an hour to set in and last for up to four hours. So just because you don鈥檛 feel high very quickly doesn鈥檛 mean it's not working鈥攁nd chugging another mug or two won鈥檛 make things better. Overconsumption can make you feel light headed and anxious. 鈥淚鈥檇 hate to see someone jittery from drinking too many cups of coffee and then being hit by this freight train of cannabis,鈥 says Dr. Tishler.

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Lead Photo: Annie Spratt

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