Juicing Raw Marijuana Yielding Positive Results

[burnin1]

From hightimes.com

Juicing Raw Marijuana Yielding Positive Results

By Maureen Meehan · Wed Jul 15, 2015

One young woman, diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis three years ago, was fed up with the side effects and ineffectiveness of the liver-destroying anti-rheumatic drugs her doctors were giving her so she decided to take matters into her own… blender.

Katie Marsh’s daily relief is a smoothie with fruit, yogurt and thawed, juiced cannabis.

After trying other natural anti-inflammatory remedies like turmeric and ginger, her pain continued to worsen and she became more and more debilitated.

“It got so bad that I had trouble getting out of bed, getting off and on the toilet and even dressing myself,” according to a Fox News article.

Upon a friend’s advice, Ms. Marsh decided to try juicing marijuana. She soon sought out Dr. William Courtney, co-founder of the International Cannabis Foundation a leading expert in raw dietary cannabis.

“When it’s consumed as a leafy green vegetable, you get the whole profile of the plant,” said Dr. Courtney.

Unlike heated forms of cannabis, raw dietary cannabis contains both the terpenes and chemical compounds in the correct portion and ratio. Some 8,000 of his patients, he says, have seen positive effects from ingesting raw dietary cannabis, whether juiced, blended, or chopped into coleslaw.

According to Courtney, one of the biggest benefits is the positive effect cannabis has on the body’s endogenous cannabinoid system, which is made up of endocannabinoids, or chemical compounds found throughout the body that perform different processes.

“I believe this plant, having evolved over millions of years, is put together to support that system,” he said.

As for Katie Marsh, it’s working like a charm. Once she learned what strains to look for, she started juicing every day.

“I saw results very quickly. Within a matter of a couple of days I was able to stop the prednisone and ibuprofen,” she said.

Nearly a year later, Marsh still has slight pain in her feet from damage done by the rheumatoid arthritis, but her condition is now in remission.

(Photo via www.cevapsepeti.com)

http://www.hightimes.com/read/juicing-raw-marijuana-yielding-positive-results

 

[bombbudpuffa]

Nice! A bud smoothie would be great right now.

 

[cbdoil]

I've never gotten much juice from juicing MJ so I do it just as a process to get more from the plant, the pulp that is left is the plant torn apart and made ready for extraction and I use alcohol to soak the pulp in. The alcohol was first used to wash the oils off the plant itself so it doesn't clog up the juicer. The alcohol works on the pulp to remove the other beneficial oils that are produced and stored in the cells and found to work in conjunction with each other in the body. Left out in a wide, shallow container to air out the alcohol will provide oils that are much less psychoactive but effective. Heating to drive off the alcohol will activate the psychoactivity of THC but I find that to be more effective at deterring my back and leg pains.

The resulting oils from soaking the pulp doesn't taste well at all so I use it in Canna Caps rather than eating in food.
I have made extracts with Bacardi 151 and heated to remove the alcohol and water and made brownies that tasted rather good. The concentrated 151 gave the brownies a caramel flavor with the chocolate and took the brownies to a new level. My next try with 151 in brownies? I'll be making an actual caramel with the oil and make a caramel swirl brownie!

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Someone a while back was mentioning juicing cannabis. It would be nice if there was a bit more info on exactly how they do it and how much they use.

I think we are all familiar with making oils, but this appears to be quite different. For one thing, no alcohols are used and nothing is heated, which seems to be important-- "...Unlike heated forms of cannabis, raw dietary cannabis contains both the terpenes and chemical compounds in the correct portion and ratio...."

I do suppose that this probably does not taste that good however.....

 

[WeedHopper]

You would need to mix with fruit fof taste.

 

[zem]

one thing though, if cannabis is not mixed with fat, will it still have a psychoactive effect? I thought that ingesting it that way will not get one high, and that is one benefit that the user is losing

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

No, it probably will not have the psychoactive effects, but that is not what they are going for here. Getting high is not always a "benefit". I, for one am looking forward to some good CBD strains that will offer pain relief without the high.

 

[cbdoil]

It appears in the pic that the pulp is used in the drink with most of the juice provided by other plants like cucumber and broccoli. You won't get much juice from juicing since the plant is so fibrous. I've consumed something like it but I didn't like the taste of my burps afterward and is why I make the caps...just take the cap before a meal and the problem is resolved. The cap also contains coconut oil so yes, it is there as a carrier for the oils and allows it to slowly enter your system.

If left out to air dry, you won't get the high you'll get if heated but it's difficult to mix with fats without the addition of heat and you'll have to make it in quantities so you'll have enough to work it in with a blender. That is fine if you wish to make some as a topical at the same time, just be sure to separate what you want for caps before adding other things for a topical such as mint oils or the like.

 

[burnin1]

I found this article to be very informative.

• Juicing Cannabis: How To Get Started Juicing Marijuana

Juicing Cannabis: The Potential Health Benefits of Treating Cannabis Like a Vegetable

Zach Reichard

Donald Abrams is chief of Hematology Oncology, at San Francisco General Hospital, and a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He does research on the applications of medical cannabis, and has become an advocate as a result.

Abrams stated, “If cannabis were discovered in the Amazon rainforest today, people would be clambering to make as much use as they could of all of the potential benefits of the plant. Unfortunately, it carries with it a long history of being a persecuted plant.”
​

Abrams appears in the short film that accompanies this article. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa0nLdVJiIg[/ame]

The film,provides some unique insight into the benefits of ingesting medical cannabis in its raw form and introduces the newest technique for doing so, juicing.

Pressed vegetable juices are very popular in America right now, so it’s no surprise that someone would eventually look into the benefits of juicing cannabis as well. In fact, some people have even suggested that cannabis should be considered and classified as a vegetable.

Vegetables are typically defined as a “herbaceous plant grown for an edible part, usually eaten as part of a meal.” This typically refers to the leaf, stem, flower, or root of a plant. In 1967, the meaning of “vegetable,” was specified to mean, “Plant cultivated for food, edible herb or root.” Some vegetables may be eaten raw, and others must be cooked in order to be edible. When certain fruits and vegetables are heated, they lose tons of beneficial enzymes and nutrients. Cannabis is no different.


The Health Benefits of Juicing Cannabis

Cannabis preparation techniques are based on what benefits you seek from the plant. By juicing the cannabis, you receive most of the medical benefits of the plant without the “high”. Cannabis in its raw form is still psychoactive, just not like the medicating effects you are used to from smoking or eating an edible. In fact, he claims that achieving the psychoactive effects from cannabis is purely a human aspect of the plant that, “Has nothing to do with the 34 million years of evolution the plant has.” Courtney is a dietary raw cannabis specialist, and a strong believer in the plants healing powers.

Dr. William L. Courtney claims, “It (cannabis) has captured these molecules that help our bodies regulatory system be more effective. The bottom line is it’s a dietary essential that helps all 210 cell types function more effectively. I don’t even refer to it as medicine anymore, strictly as a dietary essential.”
​

While Courtney understands that smoked cannabis can in fact be used as a medicinal therapy, he believes that in its best form, raw, it is a preventative. He claims cannabis is the “most important vegetable on the planet” and that it can assist the function of your immune system, provide anti-inflammatory benefits, and improve bone metabolism and neural function. Cannabis is even capable of inhibiting cancer cell growth according to the doc; the list could go on and on.

According to the doctor, when you cook or smoke cannabis you are actually walking away from 99% of the benefits cannabis provides. Not to worry, in its raw form the plant contains THC-A (Tetrahydrocannabinolic-acid) and CBD-A (Cannabidiolic-acid), which must be heated in order to produce THC and CBD.

Only when you decarboxylate THC-A, turning it into THC, does it cause psychoactive effects or the ‘high’ you may be used to when smoking cannabis. Additionally, the body is able to tolerate larger dosages of cannabinoids when cannabis is consumed in the raw form. This is because when you smoke cannabis, the THC actually acts as a CB1 receptor agonist and your body can only absorb about 10 mg at a time.

Only when you decarboxylate THCa, turning it into THC, does it cause psychoactive effects or the ‘high’ you may be used to when smoking cannabis.
​

The doctor recommends vaporizing to achieve the powerful anti-oxidant, anti-emetic and metabolism boosting CB1 receptor agonist activity of THC. Courtney suggests, “If you heat the plant, you will decarboxylate THC-A and you will get ‘high’. You’ll get your 10mg (of THC). If you don’t heat it, you can go up to five or six hundred milligrams, use it as a dietary cannabis and push it up to the anti-oxidant and neuro-protective levels which come into play at hundreds of milligrams. It is this dramatic increase in dose from 10 mg of psychoactive THC to the 500 mg – 1,000 mg of non-psychoactive THC-A, CBD-A, and CBG-A that comprises the primary difference between traditional ‘MedicalMarijuana’ and Alternative Cannabinoid Dietary Cannabis.”

The FDA has actually approved a tolerable CBD dose of 600 mg/day as a new investigative drug. This makes the medical potential of drinking the juice containing 600mg of CBD-A, far greater than when you heat the cannabis. Considering CBD percentages are typically below 1% in most strains, it would be physically impossible to smoke enough in one day to ingest a 600mg dosage of CBD.


Two-Way Communication With Nerve Cells

An article written in the December 2004 issue of Scientific American was about a molecule in cannabis that could communicate two-ways with nerve cells. They explained that one-way traffic to nerves is the main cause of inflammation in the body. Immune cells are being continuously attacked, and nothing is communicating with the nerves to tell them to calm down. When you add cannabinoids, a two-way communication is made possible, and inflammation is reduced. The cannabinoids work to prevent, or fight symptoms by providing nerves with this two-way communication.

Ethan Russo is a senior medical adviser to GW Pharmaceuticals, a British company that produces a THC mouth spray called, Sativex. In the mid-‘90s, Russo took a sabbatical in Peru after leaving his job at a neurology practice that he believed, was prescribing medicine with toxic side effects. Upon his return he claimed that marijuana holds the “greatest potential of any medicinal plant.”

A quote from Russo, “CBD works on receptors, and as it turns out, we have cannabinoids in our bodies, endogenous cannabinoids, that turn out to be very effective at regulating immune functions, nerve functions, and bone functions. The endogenous cannabinoid system acts as a modulator in fine-tuning a lot of these systems, and if something is deranged biochemically in a person’s body, it may well be that a cannabinoid system can bring things back into balance.”

Russo suggests that people who do not naturally produce the necessary amount of cannabinoids may be more susceptible to illnesses such as irritable bowel syndrome, glaucoma and migraines. The girl from the movie below, Kristen Peskuski, tells her incredible story of how she used juicing cannabis to treat what she is calling, “endogenous cannabinoid deficiency disorder.” Kristin suffered from a number of conditions that include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, hypoglycemia, anemia, chronic sinusitis, chronic bacterial infections, and other serious ailments before she started juicing cannabis.


The interesting thing about Kristen’s story is that smoking marijuana didn’t do nearly as much for her as juicing. Before she began juicing, Kristen would smoke a quarter of an ounce of cannabis a day along with ingesting many edibles and concentrates. Now she is off all antibiotics, and uses only cannabis juice to aid all of her ailments. Her OBGYN believes that cannabis may have even assisted her through her pregnancy; which was originally thought to be impossible because of her history with endometriosis.

Tips & Suggestions for Juicing Cannabis




Now we know all this is very exciting, but do not go throwing your dispensary buds in the juicer thinking your about to make a magic healing potion. Here is a list of recommendations from Dr. Courtney on juicing raw cannabis:

• When it comes to juicing, as with any vegetable, the fresher the better.
• Cannabis that has been dried and prepared for smoking is not suitable for juicing.
• Dr. Courtney recommends that patients juice 15 leaves, and 2 large (2 to 4 inches long) raw buds per day.
• Raw buds are flowers harvested when the THC glands are clear rather than amber.
• It is recommended that you mix in another vegetable juice to cut the bitterness of the raw cannabis.
• A popular choice is carrot juice, and a ratio of 1 part cannabis juice to 10 parts carrot juice is a good rule of thumb.
• Split the drink into 3 parts and drink with each meal, or store for up to 3 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

From the MJ Directory Visit the directory
Dr. William L. CourtneyDr. William L. Courtney has an extensive medical education that began with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Michigan. He also received his Doctor of Medicine from Wayne State University, and …

http://www.medicaljane.com/2013/01/19/cannabis-the-foundation-of-health/

 

[burnin1]

Until recently I never would have considered juicing cannabis.
The science of this non-toxic plant is amazing.

 

[TinctureBell]

Is there any newer info on the proper way to juice raw material? I have cancer and want to find what I need and start asap. Online reliable, lab tested sources as well as the proper technique and dosing would be most helpful.

 

[oldfogey8]

This is the Dr Courtney’s website. There is contact info on it. You should call them. Says you can discuss via phone or skype.

https://cannabisinternational.org/wordpress/

 

[2RedEyes]

I juiced a plant once, not much bud on it but I wanted to see what it was like...tasted horrible...i mean gag horrible...maybe with a lot of other stuff like tomato’s or other greens....straight juiced weed is a bitter pill though...

 

[oldfogey8]

I saw a recipe when I was searching about it. Looks like you use a few grams of bud, a few fan leaves and then a bunch of fruit to mask the flavor...

 

[TinctureBell]

Unfortunately, patient grow isn't legal in Arkansas yet, and I can't grow hemp unless I have a license, per the recent Hemp bill, so I have no access to fresh green raw leaves and buds

 

[Keef]

Hey TinctureBell -- Welcome to MP from the free state of Texas !-- OK so I'm in the same boat as U with prohibition !--
I don't have cancer but if I did I would take the same medicine I take now !-- I had a severe head injury and spent most of a decade as a legal morphine junkie - I don't go to the doctor anymore -- I make my own medicine !-- The simplest form is cannacaps -- Crumble the weed up and bake it at 275 for 45 to an hour -- I then pack it into empty gel caps with a stick !-- Before U go to RSO U may want to try these !-- Probably need to build up your tolerance first !
The cure to cancer if it's not too late is 60 grams of RSO in 60 days -- Adds up to eating about a pound a month !-- It will make U very high -- Need help getting around high !
So my suggestion is start on cannacaps and work your way up to RSO -- I believe once a certain THC level is reached in your blood it begins to kill cancer cells !-- Instead of slamming a body with that 60 grams in 60 days I think it can be accomplished with a smaller longer build up of THC !-- CBD is good but it's like clapping with one hand !-- Those cannacaps need to be taken with some oil to help carry the THC from your belly to your blood stream !-- Try to start taking caps 2 -3 does a day -- You'll have to find your own dose -- I use empty 00 gel caps and for a novice I would suggest - 1 or 2 caps-- I'm a grumpy old man with a high tolerance so I take 3-4 !---A proper dose is one U can feel but still able to function !--- Best Wishes !

 

[airspree]

Hey TinctureBell - we just moved away from Arkansas this spring, because of your exact situation. Very frustrating. We were in north central area. At least the dispensaries are open now, too late for us. Hope you can do what you need. Best!

 

[TinctureBell]

thanks - I'm a 70 yr old "hippie" but just started on medicinals for another condition in May. I'm making my own feco - both from high THC cannabis and high CBD hemp, and am already taking capsules of each twice a day plus homemade edibles and vaping dry herb. Juicing and/or eating raw sprouts from high cbd hemp seeds seems to be the best way to access and consume the most and best CBDa, hence my question. My tolerance is crazy high.

 

[Keef]

It's not the THCa and CBDa U want !-- The acid form will mostly pass thru your system unobsorbed !-- it's the active form !-- THC and CBD-- U want -- decarb and add a bit of oil or oilly food to help it absorb in the belly !--

 

[airspree]

Thanks Keef. We have been doing the high thc and high cbd oil for about 6 months now, but I want to make sure that I'm covering all bases. Thought we were getting feco but found out it's a co2 extraction, so no entourage effect. Now starting to grow our own. Anytime you have suggestions on strain or anything else, bring it on!