Drinking tea for relaxation just got taken to a new level with the addition of CBD-infused teas at Scented Leaf Tea House and Lounge.
For the past 10 years, Scented Leaf, located on University Boulevard and Park Avenue, has drawn in customers with their large variety of teas. The company’s addition of CBD-infused tea is the newest popular addition to their lineup.
Cannabidiol, the scientific name for CBD, is a naturally occurring component of cannabis. While tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, produces a “high” sensation, CBD helps with a range of health problems while having no intoxicating effects. While the exact affects of CBD are disputed ue to a lack of scientific studies, there is evidence of CBD helping with physical pain management, as well as the treatment of mental illnesses.
According to the World Health Organization, CBD use in humans displays no signs of addiction or dependence.
Customers can now order up to three 10 milligram doses of CBD in each serving of hot or iced tea they would like to order. Scented Leaf prices their CBD tea at $2.50 per 10 milligram serving.
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Shane Barela, the owner of Scented Leaf, said he is pleased with the success of the new teas.
“It’s been great, it’s already popular,” Barela said.
He explained that Scented Leaf isn’t the first café to start doing this, but that the idea definitely originates from the west coast. Now, CBD is available almost everywhere in the United States.
Thanks to new innovations by companies testing out CBD products, water-soluble CBD is now used frequently in tea and other drinks that help the substance dissolve more efficiently into the liquid.
While states may make CBD legal, the substance is still illegal federally. However, Barela said the company that supplies the CBD is completely legal and free of any THC.
Summit CBD, Scented Leaf’s supplier, promotes themselves as a company that has pure, high-quality CBD that is completely free of THC.
Scented Leaf features flyers at the cash register and on a wall near the bathroom that explain the benefits of CBD and answers common questions people may have about the product.
The flyer states that CBD is effective in pain management, inflammation, anxiety relief, migraines, stress relief, depression, epilepsy and seizures, skin conditions, liver disease and improves general well-being.
There is a QR code in the upper left-hand corner that customers can scan to see the official lab results of the company’s CBD. The potency and quality can be checked by downloadable certificates of analysis.
Brooke Abbatico, a senior at the University of Arizona, has worked at Scented Leaf since last semester. Abbatico said she sees the positive effects of the addition of CBD tea and recommends it to students.
“I think it’s going really well,” Abbatico said. “A lot of people come in and get the CBD, and I think especially for college students suffering from anxiety, it definitely helps.”
Barela remembered one particular customer who was suffering from pain because of a broken arm and found much relief in the CBD tea. He said the man’s pain went away after drinking two dosages of the substance with tea.
Taylor Bader, another Scented Leaf employee and UA student, has been working at the location for over a year.
“For this location, our target demographic is definitely students and staff from UA and local businesses,” Bader said.
Bader recommended herbal, non-caffeinated tea with CBD and said that natural, relaxing teas work together with the CBD to give customers the ultimate calming effect.
“From a more personal standpoint, at a tea shop, you’re coming here to relax, you’re coming here to work, you’re coming here to enjoy getting a break from life outside of the shop,” Bader said. “The CBD just helps as a catalyst to kind of jump-start that relaxation. It’s not THC, it’s not a drug, it’s just like caffeine where it’s going to help you induce a state of being relaxed.”
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