There is a lot of information all over the internet regarding the health benefits of eating raw cannabis. We will only touch on some general information about it.
Many will say that Cannabis only becomes psychoactive after the decarboxylation (heating) process, without the introduction of heat THC is supposed to remain in its acidic state as THCA.
The problem is, there are unique environmental factors which can cause partial decarboxylation which cannot be easily measured or controlled.
The only reason for immediate decarboxylation of Cannabis is if you wish to use it for making edibles.
The two things which cause decarboxylation to occur are heat and time. Drying and curing will cause a partial decarboxylation to occur. This is why you may get a bit of a buzz from eating weed which has been cured and dried.
Smoking will instantaneously decarboxylate cannabinoids in cannabis due to the high temperatures present. This is why smoking gets you high.
To get the health benefits of raw cannabis consumption you should eat truly raw plant matter taken directly from the plant.
Removing it from the plant and storing it in the fridge will, within days, allow for partial degradation of the beneficial parts of the plant which are listed below. This degradation is the same as any organic material which is harvested from its growing state.
Raw cannabis contains the following things which all of our bodies need:
Anthrocyanin – Good for your heart, immune system and vision.
Antioxidants – May help to fight off cancer, keep your blood vessels healthy and can greatly contribute to helping with slowing the effects of old age.
Iron, Folate, Calcium – Said to be keys in repairing DNA, aids oxygen travel throughout the blood system, and is key in maintaining strong, healthy bones.
Terpenes – Terpenes, THCA, and CBDA have anti-inflammatory properties which may have greater value than the plants psychoactive effects.
Vitamin C – Helps to boost your immunity system, we should all know how important vitamin C is already.
Vitamin K – Helps to clot blood and aids your body in absorbing calcium.
Other vitamins include
Vitamin A
Vitamin B1, B2, B3
Vitamin E
OMEGA 3, 6, 9
Palmitic Acid
Stearic Acid
THCA is also present in raw cannabis, and research suggests that it’s a great cannabinoid for treating inflammation and pain regulation. The raw form of cannabidiol, known as CBDA, has also been reported to aid in epilepsy treatment and preventing inflammation.
With all of this being said, if you plan on ingesting raw cannabis, be sure of its history. We highly recommend only eating raw cannabis if you grew it yourself or explicitly trust the source.
Because of the high value of cannabis there is a good chance that the plant may have had some form of pesticide exposure at some point in its growth. The potential value of the crop is one of the reasons pesticide use is common.
- The protein content (by way of amino acids) in cannabis seeds can be of tremendous benefit as well. The problem with this is the massive amount of seeds required to get a suitable amount.
A wheat-grass juicer would likely be the best tool for trying to extract juice from fresh cannabis.
Storage of your juice can be easily accomplished by freezing it into ice cubes.
When you juice the leaves, you are extracting essential minerals, antioxidants and other elements including but not limited to
Iron
Zinc
Calcium
Potassium
Selenium
Carotenoids