Health Benefits of Cooking with Cannabis

Marijuana as Medicine

As we're sure you're aware, there are a number of health-benefits associated with cannabis use. Medicinal marijuana is now a fairly mainstream method of treatment for a number of health-issues. Cannabis is prescribed to glaucoma patients to relieve eye-pressure and to sufferers of multiple sclerosis to stop or reduce muscle spasms. It is prescribed to cancer and AIDS patients to reduce nausea and stimulate appetite. Marijuana has also effectively been used to treat epilepsy, depression, and anxiety.

However, there has been major criticism of cannabis as medicine, with particular opposition to smoking as a method of consumption. We're not here to debate this hot-button issue - but we will agree that individuals reluctant to smoke marijuana can receive the same (or greater) health-benefits by cooking with cannabis. By extracting the cannabinoids into butters, oils, or other fat-soluble compounds, THC's unique effects can be metabolized by the human body.

Nutritional Benefits of Cooking with Cannabis

The best part? Cooking with cannabis need not be limited to medicinal uses. In addition to the number of ailments that cannabis can relieve, cooked marijuana is actually quite nutritious and can be incorporated proactively into your diet.

As one of the world's most balanced and richest known sources of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (EFAs), cannabis seeds are nutritional powerhouses. The EFAs found in hemp-seeds are known to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, eczema and psoriasis, attention deficit disorder, and depression. Cannabis seeds also contain a perfect balance of essential amino acids, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, and carotene.

Combining marijuana with butter or oil is the most common way to cook with cannabis, but to get the benefits of hemp-seeds, many cannabis chefs choose to grind the seeds to produce a flour for breads, cakes, pastas and cookies. If you want more ways to incorporate hemp seeds into your diet, you can also try incorporating hemp-seed oil into your diet. As well as imparting foods with the many benefits discussed above, hemp-seed lends foods a distinctive, nutty flavor perfect for adding depth and richness to any meal.

To find out which strain suits your medical needs best, check out our Cannabis Strain Guide.

For more cannabis and hemp health info, check out Marijuana Medical Handbook: Practical Guide to Therapeutic Uses of Marijuana