For more cannabis and hemp health info see The Cannabis Cookbook: Over 35 Tasty Recipes for Meals, Munchies, and More
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-seed, many cannabis chefs choose to grind the seeds to produce a flour for breads, cakes, pastas and cookies. As well as imparting them with the many benefits discussed above, hemp-seed lends foods a distinctive, nutty flavor perfect for adding depth and richness to any meal.
