Juicing Raw Cannabis
Photo: Jay Anarchon
The Juice
No, I'm not talking about O.J. (pun intended)! Juicing has been trending for some time now. There is some debate as to the health benefits of juicing as opposed to eating veggies and fruits whole. I say results speak louder than anything else. Try juicing (properly) for 12 weeks and see for yourself. In this post I will cover some of the ways to maximize the benefits of juicing as well as cover a few secrets to get the most out of your juicing and health regimen, including the addition of raw cannabis!
Don't Leave Your Leaves
Most growers I know throw the fan leaves with no trichomes from their cannabis plants away. Raw cannabis leaves are jam-packed with nutrients just like any other leafy green. They also contain low amounts of several cannabinoids, including THCA. Depending how "sugary" your leaves are, the levels of THCA may be quite substantial. As THCA (the main psychoactive substance in cannabis) is only psychoactive after being heated past 160 degrees and converted to THC, no psychoactive effects can be felt from juicing or eating raw cannabis. You can even juice big fat buds! I find this to be a waste of high quality medicine as the return is very low and in my opinion you would waste much less of the THCA/THC, and benefit more from, making a high quality extract to consume orally. I do still add buds from time to time. Be warned, buds are very sticky and can gunk up your juicer and make it difficult to clean.
Adding raw cannabis leaves and buds into your juicing regimen is beneficial in several ways.
- It reduces waste created from your grow
- It allows you to consume unlimited amounts of THCA, CBD and other cannabinoids without any psychoactive effects
- The nutrient profile is very dense
- Raw cannabis can increase cell efficiency in the body
- Your body/brain have an endocannabinoid system which is activated by consuming raw cannabis. When activated, this system produces antioxidants and helps our bodies to rapidly detox, remove dead and damaged cells and fight illness and disease
- Cannabis is a great source of omegas
Juicing Basics
Photo: Jay Anarchon
When most people think of juice they think of fruit juice. I was in the same boat when I started juicing. I enthusiastically rushed to a produce wholesaler to pick up a few cases of fruit to run through my newly purchased juicer. Wrong move. Consuming pure fruit juice can be an amazing treat but the health benefits are definitely not maximized when fruit is consumed in this fashion. Drinking 2lbs of fruit first thing in the morning actually causes a massive spike in your blood sugar and is anything but beneficial.
A few things to consider when you are deciding on a juicer and which ingredients you will be adding to your juice.
- Masticating juicers are some of the most efficient juice extraction tools. They spin at a very low speed and do not produce much heat, preserving the living microorganisms in your juice and increasing the health benefits
- Your juice should consist of mostly vegetables and leafy greens, I would say 70-90%
- Fresh herbs and roots such as ginger make excellent additions to juice
- When juicing a large percentage of greens adding citrus (especially a lemon) will drastically improve the taste by reducing bitterness
- Deep colors means high health benefits! Think greens, oranges and purples. I've run some purple cabbage through my juicer as a great addition and I'm sure you've noticed the rainbow chard in the pic above
- Choose high quality, fresh, organic produce
Orange You Glad I Shared This Info?
In closing I just want to share a few more tips to help you get the most out of your juicing/heath plan.
- Drink your juice as soon as possible. I drink mine immediately but the rule of thumb is to consume in under 72 hours
- I prefer to consume my juice as my first meal after my nightly fast. In my opinion this optimizes nutrient uptake and utilization when combined with increased levels of Human Growth Hormone found in the body after extended (12 hours or more) fasting
- Add 20-40 cannabis leaves or at least 2-3 decent sized buds to your juice for noticeable benefits
- Try to juice 3-5 times per week
- Include juicing as a regular addition to your home menu. Dieting is ridiculous. Make healthy changes to your eating habits and incorporate these permanently into your nutrition plan
Photo: Jay Anarchon
One quick warning: I have heard rumors that citrus fruits can decarboxylate the THCA in the cannabis converting it to psychoactive THC. I consistently juice cannabis and citrus together and have not found this to be true. I do have a high tolerance to cannabis and am interested in hearing from anyone who may have felt effects from this. Hit me up and let me know!
I hope you all enjoyed this post and I expect that any who try will be juicing raw cannabis for life! Please check out my other cannabis related posts, like this one on cloning, as well as my short essay on Anarchy.