Plant 101
Why Cannabis Juicing Can Be Good For You
This 15 minute read should convince you to try out cannabis juicing, trust me, it is good for you.
Juicing, literally any veggie, comes with several benefits. That’s why this has become a popularized fad among health freaks. For starters it’s a way to cut back on calories since veggies are generally low in calories. Juicing saves time and this practice leaves you feeling good about your eating habits. That’s not all, a big reason why juicing is gaining momentum is because of the buzz word – DETOXIFICATION. Juicing promotes a body cleanse which rids the body of harmful toxins. So, does juicing cannabis present all these opportunities?
Well, when cannabis juicing is done right it presents many unique opportunities for health and rejuvenation. To understand this better, here is some background as to why juicing cannabis is beneficial.
What is Cannabis Juicing?
Juicing is the art of making juice from anything, mostly fruits or vegetables. It follows that cannabis juicing is the process of extracting a juice from the plant material of cannabis. The extract is then consumed raw without being subjected to further processing or heating.
When vegetables are subjected to heat they tend to lose volatile nutrients, and cannabis is no exception. Terpenes in particular are very volatile and may be lost when the plant material is subjected to extreme temperatures. This of course does not happen when the cannabis is “juiced.” And that’s an obvious benefit right there.
But does this mean that you get to enjoy all the phytocannabinoids that you love such as THC and CBD when you juice cannabis?
Unfortunately, that’s not the case. That said, this happens to be a “blessing in disguise” as you will see below.
Acidic Phytocannabinoids Are Abundant in Raw Cannabis
Raw cannabis contains acidic cannabinoids otherwise termed as inactive cannabinoids.
When cannabis is heated the raw cannabinoids go through a process known as decarboxylation where the acidic forms are converted to their active forms.
For example, raw cannabis contains THCA which loses acidity when heated and it breaks down into THC. THC is the psychoactive compound in cannabis that is responsible for producing the typical “marijuana high.”
So what happens when you consume raw cannabis?
You will be consuming THCA and not THC. Consequently, you will not be getting intoxicated by consuming raw cannabis juice. The same follows for other cannabinoids; you will be consuming their acidic forms. This includes cannabinoids such as CBD, CBG, and CBC among others. Raw cannabis contains CBDA, CBGA, and CBCA.
Earlier on it was believed that the raw cannabinoids were inactive and could not offer any therapeutic benefits. However, it has now emerged that these compounds have properties that endear them as therapeutic agents. Most importantly, they offer these benefits without triggering any sense of euphoria.
It follows that juicing cannabis presents several benefits with minimal chances of causing undesirable negative side effects. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. This article highlights the benefits that you stand to enjoy from juicing raw cannabis and goes further to show you how to DIY cannabis juice at home. You will discover that this is something very beneficial yet very simple to undertake.
So let dive in.
What Are The Benefits of Juicing Raw Cannabis?
Cannabis is a nutrient- dense plant and all these nutrients are readily available when you consume the raw plant. Like other vegetable juices, juicing cannabis also helps to flush out toxins from the body through the process of detoxification. But unlike other raw vegetable juices, cannabis juicing is the best way to load your system with acidic phytocannabinoids whose benefits are extensively discussed below.
Cannabis has several acidic phytocannabinoids. However, four of them are of interest when it comes to therapeutic benefits that have been investigated. When one consumes raw cannabis juice they are likely to enjoy the therapeutic benefits that have been linked to THCA, CBDA, CBGA, & CBCA.
Benefits of THCA
Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) is the acidic form of THC which is the cannabinoid that is known to have psychoactive properties. THCA has several benefits when cannabis is consumed in its raw version such as in cannabis juicing. Most notably, THCA is known to have anti-proliferative benefits that have been demonstrated in prostate cancer cells.
THCA also helps to relieve inflammation and may be used to relieve inflammatory symptoms in arthritis. It also offers neuroprotection and may be useful in managing neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease.
Some products are currently being marketed for their high THCA content such as Mary’s medicinal transdermal patches. With all these benefits why not make your own cannabis juice at home and enjoy THCA to its fullest?
Benefits of CBDA
This is the acidic form of the “phytocannabinoid poster child” CBD. Some research has shown that CBDA is a selective COX-2 inhibitor which makes it a potent anti-inflammatory agent. This works in a similar way to the traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as aspirin and ibuprofen. With this property, consuming CBDA in raw cannabis juice may help to address inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and arthritis.
CBDA is also effective in addressing nausea and vomiting. Taking raw cannabis juice may help to settle that queasy stomach as was recently demonstrated in a rodent study that was published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.
CBDA has demonstrated anti- cancer benefits against breast cancer cells. In a research that was conducted in 2012 CBDA was shown to stop the migration of breast cancer cells in a culture. Clinical trials are needed to validate the preliminary results.
Given the negative association between cannabis and psychosis it comes as a good surprise that CBDA has shown potential in mitigating psychosis. Not only is CBDA effective in addressing anxiety it has also shown potential in the treatment of psychotic conditions. To this effect some high-level pharmaceutical (the mighty GW Pharmaceuticals) has patented a CBDA patent that can be used in conjunction with antipsychotic medications. This patent also includes other therapeutic phytocannabinoids such as CBGA, CBCA, THCV, and CBC among others.
Benefits of CBGA
Cannabigerolic acid is the acidic form of cannabigerol (CBG) and also the precursor of most of the cannabinoids that are found in cannabis. It gives rise to both THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) and CBDA (cannabidiolic acid), as well as CBCA (cannabichromenic acid). This makes it a very important compound in cannabis.
CBGA has been implicated in the treatment of various conditions including:
- Cardiovascular Disease
An in- vitro study showed that CBGA prevents oxidative stress that has been linked to the development of cardiovascular disease. This implies potential in the management of cardiovascular disease.
- Metabolic Disorders
A study that was conducted in 2019 showed that CBGA activates receptors that are involved in regulating metabolism. Further research in this area is needed to show how this affects metabolic disorders such as diabetes which so far has no known cure.
- Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is the third deadliest form of cancer. Some preliminary investigations have shown that CBGA has cytotoxic activity against colon cancer cells. CBGA has also been shown to prevent GI polyps which may trigger the development of colon cancer.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
A 2013 mouse- model study showed the effectiveness of CBGA in treating colitis and relieving the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. The researchers demonstrated that CBGA helps to limit the production of nitric oxide in the colon which exacerbates the severity of colitis. Randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm this preliminary finding.
Benefits of CBCA
Cannabichromenic acid (CBCa) is the acidic form and precursor of Cannabichromene (CBC). It is a fairly new cannabinoid that is showing potential in several areas that are of interest to researchers. For example, it has been linked to anti-inflammatory properties.
Other studies have also shown that this phytocannabinoid has antifungal properties that may help to fight against athlete's foot, candidiasis, and ringworms.
Lastly, CBCA has also been linked to anti-cancer properties. It is actually considered to be the second-best cannabinoid for fighting against the proliferation of cancer cells.
It is important to note that most of the studies that have been carried out on phytocannabinoids are preliminary. However, the evidence generated from these studies provides a basis for conducting further research for validation.
The many years of cannabis prohibition played a huge role in curtailing cannabis research. However, we are now in an era of progressivism and the field is open for large randomized trials for cannabinoid- based therapies.
From the above information it appears that juicing raw cannabis may offer the following benefits:
- Anti-inflammatory effects
- Anti-cancer effects
- Tackling nausea and vomiting
- Neuroprotection
- Anti- fungal effects
- Boosting metabolism
- Cardiovascular benefits
- Anti- anxiety
Does Juicing Raw Cannabis Help With Lupus?
When talking about juicing raw cannabis it is important to mention the name of Dr. William Courtney. You might be wondering who this is, right?
This is a California-based physician who popularized cannabis juicing and has done some research in this area. Together with his wife Kristen Peskuski they have created overwhelming interest in the use of raw cannabis juice for treating lupus. Kristen is a lupus patient who has successfully used cannabis juicing to fight symptoms of the debilitating condition. This of course provides anecdotal evidence which needs further investigation. With this background the couple has since devoted their time and effort to educate the public about the benefits of juicing raw cannabis.
Lupus is a systemic autoimmune condition that is associated with chronic inflammation affecting the joints, skin, blood cells, and vital organs. To date there is no known cure for this condition and management usually focuses on symptom management.
No studies have directly linked cannabis juicing to the treatment of lupus. However, THCA has been linked to immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties which may help to manage lupus. Further research in this area might provide answers to this question.
How to Juice Raw Cannabis
Now that you understand the potential benefits of juicing raw cannabis you must be eager to learn how to do it, right?
If you have juiced raw vegetables before then you are halfway there with juicing cannabis. However, there are a few things that you need to get right before you embark on this process. They are listed in point form, for easy remembrance, below:
- Get the strain right
When juicing cannabis you are looking for raw cannabinoids, most notable THCA. Therefore go for strains that are high in THCA. This includes strains such as Bruce Banner, Candyland, and Special Sauce among others.
Also make sure that the flower is fresh and not dried out. Avoid plants that have been exposed to chemical contaminants during the process of growing. It is important to note that this may be a bit hard to come by as most dispensaries do not stock fresh buds. The best way to tackle this is to grow your own cannabis where you can control the process and finally harvest some fresh and potent nugs.
- Roll the Leaves into a cylinder
Do not just put the leaves into the juicer and turn it on. For best results, tightly roll them into cylinders to increase the centrifugal force.
- Combine with nutritious tasty vegetables
You can mix the cannabis juice with other vegetable juice to mask the bitter taste. Carrot juice usually works well and you can mix in a ratio of 1 part cannabis juice to 10 parts carrot juice.
With those few tips let's get to the recipe.
What you will need
- A juicer
- 3 Carrot sticks
- 3 kale leaves with stalks
- 5 freshly harvested cannabis leaves
Method
- Wash the vegetables thoroughly
- Soak the cannabis leaves in water for five minutes
- Chop the carrots and roll the cannabis and kales into cylinders and place in the juicer
- Turn on the juicer and run on high speed stopping occasionally to stir
- Once it is well blended, turn off the juicer and pour out the raw cannabis juice.
- Store in tightly sealed containers in the refrigerator
This is a very simple recipe that is easy to fit into your morning routine. With all the benefits mentioned above you should have good reason to try this recipe. Remember to use fresh ingredients that have been cultivated with the highest quality in mind.
