What Is Hemp Tea? A Friendly Guide to CBD, Benefits, and How to Choose

Hemp tea is a soothing herbal tea made from the leaves, flowers, and sometimes stems of industrial hemp, Cannabis sativa L. In the United States, hemp is legally defined as cannabis that contains 0.3% THC or less on a dry weight basis, which means it does not produce the “high” associated with marijuana. Many hemp teas are naturally caffeine free, and some blends are paired with traditional teas or functional herbs for flavor and wellness support.

Hemp is sometimes confused with products made from hemp seeds. Hemp seeds and hemp seed oil are great for nutrition, but they do not naturally contain meaningful amounts of cannabinoids like CBD. Cannabinoids are found primarily in the plant’s flowers and resinous leaves, not in the seeds.

It can. Hemp tea made with the plant’s leaves and flowers may contain small amounts of naturally occurring cannabinoids, often in their acidic form, such as CBDA. Some products are “CBD-infused teas,” which means CBD isolate or a hemp extract has been added to a tea blend. Others are simply “hemp teas,” which are made from the plant material itself.

• Hemp seed tea or teas made only with hemp seeds will not provide CBD.
• CBD oils added to tea will not mix well with water on their own, because cannabinoids are fat soluble. Specialized emulsions can help, but quality varies by brand.

Research on CBD is growing, and findings vary by condition, dose, and product type. Always talk to your healthcare provider, especially if you take medications or have a medical condition.

• Strongest evidence: Certain severe childhood epilepsies. A prescription CBD medicine is FDA approved for this use.
• Anxiety and sleep: Early studies suggest CBD may help some people with anxiety and sleep, but larger, controlled trials are still needed.
• Pain and inflammation: Results are mixed. Some studies suggest benefit for certain types of pain, others do not.
• Skin health: Lab studies show CBD has anti-inflammatory effects on skin cells that may be relevant to acne.
• Heart and blood pressure: A small human study found a single CBD dose reduced resting blood pressure, more research is needed.
• Other areas being studied include PTSD, substance use disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions. Evidence is preliminary.

CBD can cause side effects in some people, and it can interact with common medications. If you are considering CBD, ask your doctor for advice on appropriate dosing and safety.

Because our bodies are mostly water, how much CBD gets absorbed in your body can vary greatly. It is impossible for 100% of the stated CBD amount to get absorbed. The claimed CBD content of CBD and how much you can actually absorb can vary greatly. Ultimately, with Hemp tea - it's the holistic aspect, the quality of the leaves and associated ingredients that are the most important. 

• Hemp tea: Uses hemp plant material. Cannabinoid content is typically modest, and much of it may be in acidic forms like CBDA unless the material has been heated to convert, or decarboxylate, it to CBD.
• CBD-infused tea: A tea blend with added CBD isolate or hemp extract. Oil and water do not mix, so quality products rely on emulsions designed for better dispersion and absorption. Look for third-party lab tests that verify CBD per serving.

Both types can be enjoyable. Your choice depends on whether you want the whole-plant experience from hemp herb, a specific CBD amount, or a flavor profile from blended botanicals.

Cannabinoids are fat soluble. That means:

• Water alone extracts only limited amounts of cannabinoids.
• Drinking hemp tea with a snack that contains healthy fats, or adding a splash of milk or a plant-based creamer, may help absorption.
• Human studies with prescription CBD show that taking CBD with a high-fat meal can increase exposure severalfold compared to fasting.

When shopping, be aware that the CBD listed on a package is not the same as the amount your body absorbs.

Some brands use nanoemulsions or other technologies to help CBD disperse in water. These can improve how evenly CBD mixes into a beverage, and they may improve absorption. However, independent human clinical research comparing nano formulas to standard oils is still limited. Focus on:

• Transparent testing, look for recent third-party Certificates of Analysis.
• Clear CBD per serving.
• Minimal, food-safe ingredients used for emulsification.

There is no one-size-fits-all CBD dose for general wellness. Over-the-counter CBD products commonly range from 5 to 25 mg per serving, and teas often provide less unless fortified. For medical uses like epilepsy, doses are much higher and used under physician care.

• Start low and go slow. See how you feel over several days before adjusting.
• Talk to your healthcare provider for personalized guidance, especially if you take medications that use liver enzymes such as CYP3A4 or CYP2C19.

• Gentle roasting of hemp herb before brewing can increase the amount of CBD compared to CBDA.
• Typical tea-brewing temperatures may cause some conversion, but not as much as dedicated heat treatment.
• Since cannabinoids are not water soluble, pairing your tea with a small amount of fat can further support extraction and absorption.

At The Whistling Kettle, we curate delicious hemp-forward blends alongside traditional teas, so you can explore the flavor you love with the functionality you seek.

• Legal status: In the U.S., hemp products must contain 0.3% THC or less. Check local laws if you are outside the U.S.
• Drug testing: Full-spectrum hemp products may contain trace THC. If you are subject to testing, choose broad-spectrum or CBD isolate products, and review lab reports.
• Precautions: Avoid CBD if pregnant or nursing unless your doctor approves. CBD can interact with medications and may cause side effects such as fatigue or digestive upset.

• United States Department of Agriculture. Hemp Production and the 2018 Farm Bill. https://www.usda.gov/topics/farming/hemp
• FDA. What You Need to Know About CBD. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/what-you-need-know-and-what-were-working-find-out-about-products-containing-cannabis-or-cannabis
• Epidiolex (cannabidiol) Prescribing Information. High-fat meal effect on exposure. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2018/210365lbl.pdf
• Millar SA, et al. A systematic review on the pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol in humans. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2018. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2018.01365/full
• Devinsky O, et al. Trial of cannabidiol for drug-resistant seizures in the Dravet syndrome. NEJM. 2017. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1611618
• Blessing EM, et al. Cannabidiol as a potential treatment for anxiety disorders. Neurotherapeutics. 2015. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13311-015-0387-1
• Jadoon KA, et al. A single dose of cannabidiol reduces blood pressure in healthy volunteers. JCI Insight. 2017. https://insight.jci.org/articles/view/93760
• Oláh A, et al. Cannabidiol exerts sebostatic and anti-inflammatory effects on human sebocytes. JCI. 2014. https://www.jci.org/articles/view/64628
• Zgair A, et al. Dietary fats and pharmaceutical lipid excipients increase systemic exposure to orally administered cannabinoids. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. 2016. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2016.0017
• Penn State Extension. Hemp: Botany and Uses. Cannabinoids occur in glandular trichomes on flowers and leaves, not in seeds. https://extension.psu.edu/hemp-botany-and-uses _