Here is another remarkable story about what the cannabis plant has to offer from O’Shaughnessy’s. Below is a summary of the article and some of the most interesting points.
William Courtney, a well-known Mendicino County-based physician, recommends eating — or juicing and then drinking— raw cannabis leaf and bud as a way to achieve megadose cannabinoid intake without psychoactive effect. The green plant contains THC in its acid form, THCA, which is not psychoactive.
He explains in an online Q&A: “The main psychoactive compound in dried, aged cannabis is delta-9 THC, which is absent in the raw, fresh leaf. In general, patients do not experience a ‘high’ from consuming the raw product. However, other compounds in the plant, such as the terpenes, may have an effect on mood or energy levels.
Raw cannabis does not provide acute symptom relief, Courtney acknowledges, although “some effects can be immediate.” Some effects, according to Courtney, “take three days to be appreciated. Others build for weeks. Full clinical benefit may take four to eight weeks to take effect. It takes that long for plant (phyto) cannabinoids to fully saturate the body’s adipose (fat) tissue. Phytocannabinoids are stored in the adipose tissue, as are the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K. Bud may have an effect in a shorter period of time.”
Those who wish to pursue a juicing regimen face a major obstacle: how to obtain sufficient amounts of raw cannabis? Purchasing large quantities of cannabis is beyond the budget of most medical users. And growing your own bud —the ideal in terms of freshness— is an option for all too few in our society and throughout the world.
There’s not a lot of science about cannabinoid acids in general and CBD acid in particular. From what we know, these compounds have medicinal value and juicing cannabis may help people with certain conditions. But how these benefits are conferred is not entirely clear.
Read the full article about juicing here: http://www.beyondthc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Juicing-33.pdf
O’Shaughnessey’s, The Journal of Cannabis in Clinical Practice, is one of the most comprehensive resources in the medical cannabis community. Visit their new site here.
Video of Dr. William Courtney and his wife and their experience with juicing raw cannabis:
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