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Welcome to Cannabis
There are many reasons why people turn to cannabis to make their life pain free, manage an illness or improve their quality of life. The reasons more people are turning to cannabis as medicine, is because it is safer than pharmaceuticals. And as a relaxant, it replaces alcohol without stress on the liver and heart.
Anyone new to cannabis or if you want to know the history of how cannabis, a medical plant used around the world and was all of a sudden proclaimed a danger to humanity, should read The Emperor Wears No Clothes, by Jack Herer. In the book, you'll learn how in government documents cannabis is referred to as marijuana, which is a slang word for cannabis. This was one of the many ways they set out to trick people into thinking the medicine in their medicine cabinets (that listed cannabis as the ingredient) was not the marijuana they were warning you about.
For many people who have never used cannabis, there is sometimes an aversion to getting high. When you start out take it slow, start out with low doses and you will get used to it. If you do accidentally consume too much activated cannabis and wind up having an unpleasant “trip”, keep calm and know that eventually you will fall asleep and suffer no ill affects. Consuming CBD at this time will counteract the psychoactivity.
In time you will find your optimum dose and your tolerance level will rise.
There are many ways to get the powerful cannabis medicine without the high. Depending on your intention, you may, or may not, want the cannabinoids to be activated. Some issues and illnesses benefit from activated cannabinoids and some respond better when they are in their acid form. Medibles and tinctures using cannabis that have not been decarbed, topicals and juicing are some of the ways to avoid the high with cannabis medicines. I will detail these and any terms as I go.
We have set up the Medical section of AFN to guide you through learning how cannabis can help with many particular issue or illnesses. Cannabis is not a cure all, but in many ways helps the body heal itself. We have step by step tutorials on how to make canna-meds and will encourage you through this process. Our experiences will help you wade through all the contradictions, and confusing information of cannabis, and how it can improve your quality of life.
The cannabis plant does not make tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It makes tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) which is not psychoactive and has many medical benefits. When the plant is harvested, heat and time slowly change the cannabinoids from their acid state. This process can be sped up by either igniting the material (as in smoking it) or decarboxylation (controlled heating to activate the cannabinoids).
The Industrial/Medical Hemp plant that is grown to make CBD oil can have no more than 0.3% THC and is legal in many places. This kind of CBD oil is purchased ready made, not a do it yourself product.
The reason for this is the large number of plants needed to produce a small amount of CBD and a few other cannabinoids.
See one of our AFN articles: CBD Crystal, Isolates and Syrup
Decarboxylate? Or Not?
Use the chart below to match the ailment you wish to treat to see if the acid form of the cannabinoids are best for you, or you should activate them by decarbing. More often than not, CBD is paired with either THC or THCA. It is widely understood that the synergy of the cannabinoids working together are what makes cannabis treatments work so well.
The wheel above shows which of the main cannabinoids are beneficial for different ailments.
THCA shows benefits in neurological issues Multiple Sclerosis, gastrointestinal issues, inflammation, HIV, AIDs, issues not related to mood. Only when THCA has been converted into THC does it attach to the CB1 receptor in our brain to have a mood/ mind altering affect.
The cannabis plant produces cannabinoids in their trichomes around the flowers, leaves and stems. There are 85 or more different types of cannabinoids, many with documented medical properties. The cannabinoids connect to CB receptors in our bodies like a lock and key. The majority of CB1 receptors are in our brain, with some throughout the body. All CB2 receptors are located all through the body.
Although cannabis use for medical illnesses are in the Do It Yourself category and haven't had the formal clinical trials we should have, we know some of the ways it works and seeing is believing!
Juicing
Fresh fan leaves along with trim and buds can be used for juicing. At harvest is the best time to harvest leaves for juicing. Leaves can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Freezing leaves is not recommended, but freezing the undiluted juice works well. It takes 25 to 30 leaves, a fresh bud, and 1 cup of water each day to juice. Freeze the undiluted juice in ice cube trays to keep all the goodies fresh and convenient for daily juicing.
It is also important to use a masticating juicer, household blenders and food processors create heat and will start to activate the cannabinoids.
Raw cannabis has a bitter taste, so mixing with fruits and vegetables will help the palate.
There is no psychoactivity when you juice, you get all the cannabinoids in their acid form where they get processed by the liver and on to your endocannaninoid system.
This is the first time that I have juiced leaves. I didn't have a masticating juicer, but used very cold filtered water and ran my blender in short bursts to not heat up the leaves. I then froze the juice in ice cube trays and will store in a plastic bag.
For our first glass, I added a frozen banana and some blueberries. That masked the taste of chlorophyll really well.
For recipes and discussion on juicing , visit the following links at Auto flower network:
https://www.autoflower.org/threads/smoothies-with-raw-canna-for-breakfest.43799/
https://www.autoflower.org/threads/medicinal-juice-recipes.38469/
https://www.autoflower.org/threads/cannabis-leaf-juicing-questions.36261/
Medibles
Medicating with cannabis medibles is an option for many people who don't want to smoke.
Cannabinoids infuse very well into fatty oils, full fat milk, or unsalted butter, and can be done on your stove top or in a crock pot.
Starting out with quality cannabis material will give you the best results. Trim and leaves can be used as well as buds. Medibles can be made psychoactive or not. A separate step of decarboxylation is required for psychoactivity.
Canna milk would probably be the easiest recipe for a novice to try first. It makes a nice relaxing drink for insomnia or an enjoyable medication, hot or cold. All you need is a few buds or trim (decarbed or not) and a couple cups of whole milk.
Place your cannabis and cold milk in a pot on the stove and slowly warm to simmer (do not boil). Simmer and stir for 15 to 20 minutes, strain, cool, and drink.
Fresh green cannabis will turn the milk green and give it a green canna taste. Dried cannabis or decarbed material will have less green and possible psychoactive ability.
Chocolate, cinnamon or nutmeg can help while you are getting used to the taste of cannabis.
Butter (unsalted), ghee and fatty oils are just as easy to infuse with cannabis! Like with the whole milk, we are infusing with the fats. Medium-chain triglycerides (or fatty acids) are fats that are used for energy, rarely stored as fats, making them healthy fats.
Ghee, or clarified butter is made by taking the milk solids out of butter. Leaving the short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids of butter, with no lactose.
There is a nice tutorial and discussion on Autoflower network https://www.autoflower.org/threads/canna-butter-goodness.47321/
Raw unprocessed coconut oil has many health benefits, infuses well with cannabis and is made mostly of medium-chain triglycerides.
MCT oil is fractionated coconut oil using only the medium-chain triglycerides.
Olive oil and avocado oil are also good oils to infuse with cannabis for medibles and can be easily incorporated in regular meals.
All of these oils and butters can be infused in a crock pot or on the stove in a double boil system. Keep the temperature low, if you smell a nutty roasting odor it is over done.
Once you get your canna butter or oil infused, you are ready to incorporate it in any recipe that uses your base fat.
A few tips when cooking with cannabis
- Cannabis extracts will not decarb in a recipe, ie. Brownies, because the internal temperature of the batter does not get as hot as the temperature inside the oven.
- When cooking cannabis extracts on the stove, use a double boil system. This allows you to control temperatures and keeps the extracts from burning.
- Medibles can take over an hour for affects to be felt.
EoF's recipes [ https://www.autoflower.org/threads/marijuana-cooking-with-oil-butter.30472/ ]
Tinctures
Tinctures work best when taken under the tongue, sublingual, not swallowed right away. This allows the medicine to enter the bloodstream quicker because it bypasses the digestive system.
Cannabis tinctures made with grain alcohol (ethanol) requires no heat. It is as easy as 1,2,3.
One - place your cannabis material in a jar, leaving head room for Two - fill jar with grain alcohol to cover your material, put a lid on and shake. Three – After about 30 seconds, strain cannabis material out of the ethanol.
This is known as QWET (Quick Wash Ethanol Technique) and there are many variations on this method.
Tips for making tinctures:
- When consuming tinctures, use only food grade alcohol, isoproyl alcohol is not food grade.
- The higher the proof of your ethanol, means the less water there is and will give you a better extraction.
- Break up the cannabis but do not grind too fine, it will make it harder to strain.
- Alcohol does not decarb cannabis. To activate the cannabinoids you need to decarb before extraction.
- Freezing the cannabis and ethanol will reduce the amount of chlorophyll in your finished product and improve the taste.
- Visit our Hash Oils and Edibles forum https://www.autoflower.org/forums/hash-oil-and-edibles.248/ for other tips and procedures.
A glycerin tincture is made by putting cannabis material in a jar and covering with glycerin. Close the jar securely, put in a dark place and shake at least once daily for a month or more, strain and enjoy.
It is much quicker to do a warm glycerin extraction using thermal cycling. https://www.autoflower.org/threads/thermal-cycling-low-heat-glycerin-tincture-method.36982/
Topicals
When used topically (on the skin), cannabis promotes the healing of superficial wounds with regenerative effects on body tissues.
Autoimmune issues benefit from cannabis anti-inflammatory properties.
Cannabis applied directly to skin cancers have proved affective in reducing or eliminating them.
Salves absorb through the skin easing arthritic joints and injured or sore muscles.
You typically will not get high using cannabis topicals but depending on strength, it can happen. Topicals may also show up in a drug test, depending on strength.
Concentrated Cannabis Oil
Highly concentrated cannabis oil, (commonly known as RSO, Rick Simpson Oil or Phoenix Tears) has been shown to be effective in reducing and eliminating cancerous cells. Cannabis can cure cancer, but it is not a cure all.
If you believe your issue will benefit from cannabis treatments, visit our Medical section and our staff will help you make your medicine in a safe method with safe materials.
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