The beauty of the cannabis plant is that you can enjoy the benefits of raw cannabinoids with a shot of cannabis juice and then with a more conventional, smokable joint. Just because you want to reap the therapeutic value of raw cannabinoids doesn't mean you have to forgo heat-activated compounds.
In fact, since they often target many of the same health issues, you might want to double down. A joint and a juice can increase medicinal value through the synergy of many compounds. Sounds like a great way to start the day!
Cannabis juice is one of the latest trends in juice bars across the United States. From New York to California, people are starting to explore the health benefits of cannabis juice. Cannabis juice is giving new insight into the medicinal effects of the plant.
You might be wondering why anyone would want cannabis juice, rather than getting the benefits through more conventional methods – like smoking or in an edible. It is a good question. After all, we are just beginning to understand the full spectrum of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Most of them require heating through smoking, steaming or cooking to access.
Now, experts are starting to explore the potential of raw cannabinoids. You have to remember – it wasn't that long ago that cannabis was an unlikely treatment option. Although people have used cannabis as a medicine for thousands of years, it is only very recently that science has “proved” the therapeutic potential of the plant. Now, the value of pure cannabis is going under the microscope. Early indications show that fresh cannabinoids can be as valuable as drugs as activated cannabinoids.
Tasty green marijuana juice
The greener the juice, the better for you. Try adding handfuls of fresh herbs along with the other fresh green ingredients. Mint, cilantro, basil and parsley are all known for their cleansing properties and work well together. The more herbs you throw in, the healthier it becomes.
Ingredients:
5 handfuls of spinach
3 cabbage leaves
7 large cannabis fan leaves
½ cucumber
½ lemon
1 Fuji apple
Instructions
Throw everything in the juicer and enjoy!
Feel free to swap the lemon for lime or the apple for pears. Use what's in season for the best nutritional value.
Raw cannabinoids 101
If you're familiar with edibles, you've probably encountered the term decarboxylation, this process turns raw cannabinoids into the activated ones we all know and love. For example, it converts tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) into THC and cannabidiolic acid (CBDa) into CBD. While we know that activated cannabinoids have many health benefits, we are now starting to understand that raw cannabinoids do too.
Another interesting point about raw cannabinoids is that they are not intoxicating. THCa only becomes a psychoactive stimulant when it is subjected to heat and turns into THC. Which means you can technically drink all the green juice you want and not feel high at all. Cannabis juice is safe and poses no risk of serious adverse reactions.
Benefits of raw cannabis juice
Raw cannabis juice allows you to reap the benefits of two cannabinoid acid molecules: THCa and CBDa. These compounds aren't as widely studied as the more popular versions of CBD and THC, but there are still a handful of preliminary studies that demonstrate some exciting potential.
In one case, THCa and CBDa were found to have anti-inflammatory properties. Specifically, they inhibit the activity of the cyclooxygenase enzyme. Pharmaceuticals that inhibit this same enzyme provide pain relief and reduce inflammation. Theoretically, if CBDa and THCa reduce the activity of this enzyme, they can produce a similar effect. Therefore, inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and Crohn's can benefit from a little green juice daily.
Another interesting preliminary finding of THCA is its neuroprotective properties, which scientists have identified in Petri dishes and animal models so far.
According to a 2012 study, both THC and THCa produce a neuroprotective effect against a neurotoxin called 1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridinium (MPP+), thanks to their powerful antioxidant properties. This specific neurotoxin is used to study Parkinson's disease. While these are early days, it seems possible that THCa has a role to play in combating MPP+ cell death.
How to incorporate raw cannabis juice into your routine
Unless you grow your own cannabis or know someone who does, it's still a little challenging to get your hands on fresh cannabis. Dispensaries sell everything for smoking or cannabis concentrates, but rarely the fresh plant.
If you find a stash of fresh flowers or leaves, try incorporating them into your daily juice routine. Keep in mind that not all juicers extract leafy greens effectively, so do some research beforehand to avoid wasting the product.
Cannabis in juice has a slightly spicy taste, but in the right juice recipe, it's barely noticeable. If you usually use wheat, try adding a shot of cannabis juice next to it. Combining cannabis with other green juices (think kale, spinach, cucumber) is a sure bet for a delicious morning drink.
Use fan leaves, sugar leaves, and fresh flowers if you can find them. The cannabinoid content increases as you move up the plant towards the crystal covered trichomes. However, as the cannabinoid content is higher in buds, they are more difficult to obtain in their raw, uncured form.
Never consume the stalks as they can be hard on the digestive tract due to the small hairs they tend to irritate from nose to tail. For a complete look at how to make cannabis juice, check out this in-depth preparation guide.
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