When most people think of “eating cannabis” their minds probably go straight edibles, but have you ever considered eating it raw? By definition, raw means unprocessed and in its natural state, so a beautifully cured nug out of your stash won’t do the trick.
From a nutritional standpoint, raw cannabis one of the healthiest foods you could possibly eat. It’s leafy green produce that’s chock-full of antioxidants, protein, fiber, and a great combination of vitamins and minerals. It can be blended up into a smoothie with other fruits and veggies, pressed into a raw juice or boiled with spices like tea, or even eaten in a salad.
According to Dr. William Courtney, a California-based physician and promoter of the Raw Greens Movement, “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.”
Popular ways to munch on buds
Superfoods are food items believed to have health benefits resulting from a superior nutrient density
It’s important to remember that you need to use the leaves from live cannabis plants. Dried, cured buds will not work for raw cannabis consumption. Some popular ways to eat it include sauteing it with seasonings and other veggies, chopping it up and tossing it in a salad with your favorite dressing, or snacking on the seeds, just like you would with sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
If you’d rather drink your cannabis, you can make a smoothie in which case it’s a good idea to mix it with other fruits and veggies, to dilute the bitter taste it can have on its own. Juicing fresh cannabis leaves is another option. Remember, the fresher the pot the better the juice.
You can even find cold, compressed cannabis oil these days. It’s great to use as an olive oil substitute for salad dressings and the like.
Benefits of eating raw cannabis
Consuming raw cannabis straight from the earth can have a profoundly positive effect on your health. First and foremost, you’ll get the complete therapeutic effects of the cannabinoid acids, THCa and CBDa, which are normally burned away when smoking or vaping at high temperatures. And when it isn’t getting torched, cannabis will also hold on to a lot more of its beneficial terpenes.
It’s also an organic, leafy green veggie, meaning it’s chock full of fiber, protein, iron and fatty acids, and it can help tremendously with your daily vitamin intake. Vitamin C for immune function, vitamin K for calcium absorption, calcium for strong bones, and folate for DNA repair are just a few of the vitamins found in raw cannabis. And If you happen to have any purple leafed cannabis, don’t skip out on that! It’ll help removed damaged cells from the body due to its high antioxidants and anthocyanins content.
Eating raw cannabis is a great alternative to smoking, or even vaping. When cannabis is heated the chemical structure of the plant compounds change and some of the medicinal properties are lost. It’s also much safer for pregnant women or anyone with asthma or breathing disorder. Another commonly overlooked benefit is the fact that it doesn’t produce a high, which allows our bodies to process a much higher dose.
Raw cannabis products are perfectly safe to be included in your daily diet; it’s encouraged actually! Not only does it offer a variety of benefits that you can’t get from consuming it any other way, but it’s also healthier than many vegetables we already consume.
