The wonderful health benefits of RAW CANNABIS

[MiHale]

This is a follow-up to a response I placed in BigmanPigman’s original post.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/127910910 The OP.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/127910910#post15 response

https://www.kalapa-clinic.com/en/cannabinoid-acids-thca-and-cbda/

Little background
I’ve been growing cannabis for a little over 25 years I live in Michigan, where it’s legal now, before I was mentored by a medical marijuana caregiver who seemingly grew forever. Mostly I grew for recreational purposes pain control was not on my menu. As with any long term project research sessions upon research sessions happened, first for ongoing updates on growing techniques which inadvertently led to more and more studies on pain control. I got hooked on finding natural pain relief herbs, it’s amazing what nature gives us.

I will stick with cannabis in this post but there are literally tons of plants that we can use for our health benefits.

Fresh or raw cannabis is product that has not been activated (decarbed) in this state all the good stuff in the plant is available for use now I’ll stay with just two THCA and CBDA which in combination seems to be a powerful pain reliever.

Here’s how it all started…
My constant canine companion, a twenty pound Havanese blew out his “knee” (stifle joint), a cranial cruciate ligament tear, he could not walk. Surgery was way too expensive especially with no guarantee of it working over time, so we explored casting …700 dollars for a custom made cast which he never really wore. A very loud, expletive “crap” was heard throughout the neighborhood.

Vet gave him pain pills that helped but made him very lethargic so I started mixing Meadowsweet powder into his food that helped tons. I’ll not get into Meadowsweet here but it’s another pain relieving herb. Then I had a memory blast come as I was working in my cannabis garden, it was the THCA/CBDA benefits, quickly I found the article and proceeded to make a Complete Spectrum raw cannabis oil. I had the raw material, leaves cut from plants I was working on.

I have a Infuzium 420 infusion machine used for making butters, tinctures and oils. I infused some Sweet Almond Oil with fresh (raw) cannabis some shade leaves some “popcorn” buds and a helping of trim equaling approximately an ounce to 2 cups oil. Roscoe loved the taste he always wanted a little more. At this stage he was limping around on 3 legs holding his injured rear leg up close to his body. Peeing and pooping was a struggle.

The first day I gave him 3 tablespoons throughout the day he seemed to be getting around a little better then a healthy dose before bedtime. Next day was almost magical, he started to release his leg toward the ground and while eating he gingerly placed his leg on the floor without much pressure on the foot, right there 100% improvement. Same dose for about a month with steady improvement each day he was now walking more normally but slowly. With some physical therapy everyday and dosing with the Raw Cannabis oil for about 5 months he was getting around comfortably walking normally. Then one day he refused the oil, he didn’t need it anymore.

Watching his recovery I got a little envious I’m dealing with osteoarthritis at the time waiting for a hip replacement. I made a tincture with fresh leaves same as the recipe for the oil, just a tincture this time. I didn’t like the taste of the oil but experienced why it got into Roscoe’s system so fast, it literally coated the inside of my mouth and even drinking water didn’t wash it away. We were “forced” to absorb it sublingual and then some. That’s why I made the tincture.

As with any natural product you can’t expect results immediately but with time and proper dosing for my body, the results are amazing. The above link is one of the better articles explaining raw cannabis.

[Walleye]

1. Do you know anything about alcohol tinctures? I don't like the taste of the oil either

I also have bad arthritis, I have had both knees replaced. Now my shoulder is acting up

[Joinfortmill]

9. Try moringa leaf capsules.

[Walleye]

10. Thanks I'll look for them

[Joinfortmill]

13. I was completely pain free within a month.

Best of luck. I buy mine thru Amazon. I also lost 30 lbs as an added side effect.

[MiHale]

11. I make alcohol tinctures a lot...

You can pick out almost any alcohol to use. The best results come from the high proof kind 100 proof or better. In Michigan the highest proof we can get is 151, Everclear comes in that proof or Bacardi’s Rum. The best to use is culinary alcohol which can come in at 200 proof, that’s 100% pure ethanol. Unfortunately I cannot buy any and have it shipped, it’s against Michigan law.
But maybe your state allows it.

https://culinarysolvent.com/

I also use the Infuzium 420 machine, its like the Magical Butter machine. It’s quick you can have a tincture in about 4 hours. There is no flame so not a chance of combustion but it must be done in a place where no open flame is present, that includes pilots, just to be completely safe. Also it chops up whatever your using into a kinda fine powder. It’s hard to strain that out to get a clear tincture. I use the old fashioned way of soaking in a mason jar for 2-3 months or longer. Remember to get high, if that’s what you want, you must first Decarb the cannabis.

Link to machine..

https://stxinternational.com/STX-Infuzium-420%E2%84%A2-Infused-Butter-Oil-Tincture-Maker-Machine-w-80-Magical-Recipes-Complete-Kit-p131024273

Link to making tinctures
https://emilykylenutrition.com/thca-tincture-tetrahydrocannabinolic-acid/

I make a Comfrey “cream” for pain but this is not the forum.

[Walleye]

12. Thank you, valuable info, bookmarking

[mitch96]

24. " I make alcohol tinctures a lot..." Same here. I can get 151 everclear and 151 rum but

not the 190 stuff. I have to go to Georgia for that. I make a tincture out of Calandula for bleeding gums. Works great. Calandula is the "natural" antibacterial form of Chlorhexadine which is a carcinogen if used over time. No more bleeding gums but it takes longer....
I also make mushroom tinctures. The cannibis tinctures just flat knock me out. Takes about 1 hr to hit and then I want to eat anything that isn't nailed down....but But BUT my arthritis does not bother me and I sleep like a baby... Great dreams...
I have always wanted to try my hand at growing.. I guess I'll start doing my homework. My problem is I usually kill any plants I grow,... Then again it's a weed right?
m

[central scrutinizer]

2. Thanks for the article

I grew a sativa dominant clone (outside) this year that was supposed to have a high percentage of CBD. I delayed harvest as long as possible to increase the percentage of amber tricomes. The weather turned damp and foggy and I had to cut it to stave off mold. It’s trimmed, dried and cured now and in quart canning jars. If I grind it up and add it to brownie mix would the baking process decarb it? I might just buy some gelatin capsules and fill them.

[2naSalit]

5. Yes...

Baking will decarb it. Also, some people, up here at least, make canna-butter and store it for cooking.

Quick decarb that I learned back in the 60s...

Place rough ground plant into a dry sautee pan over med-low heat. make sure it is evenly spread over the bottom of the pan. Watch closely for tiny wisps of smoke.As soon as you see that, give it a quick stir, wait for a couple more wisps then remove from heat and place in a glass bowl to cool quickly. You can use the decarbed stuff for anything from honey slides to adding to salad dressing.

Also, take raw - fresh or dried - plant to olive oil in a jar and soak it for a few weeks, shake every day. Strain and use in cooking, the heat from cooking will do the decarb thing.

Have fun.

[MiHale]

18. I decarb in a pressure cooker...

An Instant Pot pressure cooker maintains 240 degrees on high. It takes around an hour. I put in in a sealed mason jar. There’s plenty of instructions online.

[central scrutinizer]

23. I made a batch of cannabutter

One cup butter, one cup decarbed buds in a double boiler for 3 hours, keeping the butter at about 180F. Strained out the vegetable matter. Used 1/2 cup in a batch of brownies. I want to try the raw stuff so I think gelatin caps are the way. Will start slow to see if it causes any indigestion.

[2naSalit]

3. Interesting.

I use THC and CBD... grew a large plot of high grade CBD hybrid hemp a few years ago where we did a lot of experimenting with our crop as it grew. Licensed by the state, we had to hope the THC levels stayed seriously low with little variance. Our final results showed that we were on the edge of too high but the CBDs were also higher than most of what was grown in the area that year.

We made raw juice and drank that as an energy enhancer but it really helped we 60-somethings get our hard work done by easing our pains. We both agreed that we could never have pulled it off without the juice. Here are some of our discoveries:

We had two "juices" one was a 50/50 by volume raw leaves/RO water blended in a Vitamix and strained. 2oz was a dose that was good for several hours - call that juice 1. There was also the raw juice from the stem, that has uses too but is only available in the field - juice 2.

Juice 1 works as a tonic and pain reliever, relaxer. It is subtle but relieves pain and gives the sense that "I guess I can get that task accomplished without it hurting." It wasn't that it gave us energy like uppers, it was that you had stamina without feeling exhausted at the end of the chose. We had some at the end of the day as well, helped in going to sleep and waking without being groggy. The dosage was; 2oz 3x daily.

Juice 2 Was discovered by accident. In early harvest season the irrigation canals had tumbleweeds piling up so we had to clear those but, as we found by accident as well, that mud wasps had taken up residence in some of them. Mud wasps are viscous, fast and go for the jugular before you know what hit you. And it freaking hurts for days if you can't find some kind of relief. When I got stung, it was at the hairline on my neck, hurt like hell, I slapped some mud on it, jumped in the pickup and drove to the main house to get some baking soda on it. All of that was of marginal help. It still hurt a lot, I couldn't sleep that night. Next day, out in the field with a welt on my neck forming, I was harvest some plants. They leave a large puddle of fluid around the stump, they are really wet inside. So for some reason, in desperation from the pain, I tried putting some of the stem juice on my sting. Within minutes the pain was gone and the redness was gone within an hour.

The reason I thought of putting juice on the sting is that the year prior, same farm with a test crop, I was harvesting just buds from the plants, my hands were covered in resin and I was giving each bud a little squeeze to check for density and something wasn't right with one. As I rolled it over in my hand I found a bee which flew away. I hadn't felt anything like a sting so I didn't think much of it until it started to itch a little, still it was nothing. After several hours and a shower I saw that there was a little black spot surrounded by an "air blister" on my hand where the itching was. Turns out, it was the stinger from that bee and it never really had any affect other than the little plug I plucked out of my hand with no consequence.


I found the tea works just as well for internal pain relief and relaxation if all you have is dried plant. I also add the dried hemp to my oil based salves, seems to enhance the effect somewhat.

And it's true, there are many plants that relieve pain and promote healing.

[MiHale]

20. Gotta try the juicing haven't done it yet...

Thanks for that info. Got some leaves ready to go!

[2naSalit]

21. FYI...

I suspect it is different for THC but the CBD levels were the same for leaves and buds.

[MiHale]

22. Can't be positive but...

There were some desperate times of no smoke with the next crop coming. So after the very first defoliation of the large shade leaves I dried and smoked some. Much to my surprise it was a pleasant buzz. Matter of fact my wife likes that high more sometimes it’s like a cannabis hug.

Do you know if there’s a place here to discuss medicinal plants other than cannabis? Gardening doesn’t seem right neither does health, the lounge where the post could get “lost”.

[2naSalit]

25. I don't know the nswer to that.

I do have decades of practical knowledge about herbal medicine, it would be great to have a place to share that info.

[Farmer-Rick]

4. There are so many health benefits from cannabis yet

medical science has done so little to research it. They just want to sell you opioids and addict you for life instead of researching pain relief based on cannabis.

Opium is illegal but that has not stopped research on it. Why has cannabis been ignored?

[2naSalit]

7. It was forbidden...

As a research subject in the US. That changed recently so now studies can be conducted. I grew hemp a couple times, we're talking small acreage, and researching anything about it was hard. Most of the info and even the seeds the first year came from Canada.

[Joinfortmill]

8. Amazing. I'm a believer. Found same results

For ever increasing joint pain with organic moringa leaf powder capsules. I must continue to take it, but so worth it. Full of nutrients too.

Added note: My daughter has autoimmune issues. Cannabis products offer her significant relief.

[Chakaconcarne]

14. So this process is not activating the THC, so one can consume without getting high?

[MiHale]

16. Yes...

Until you activate the THC and CBD through heating it is still bonded to it’s acid precursor(?), heating such as lighting a joint performs the activation process.

[flying_wahini]

17. Only when heated does the plant material release THC. (What gets you high)

And really not too hot because it will burn it all up.
The natural ‘uncooked’ contains CBD.
When heated it releases both.

[Emile]

26. How to decarb cannabis

https://thechillbud.com/how-to-decarboxylate-cannabis-and-why-its-important/

[ms liberty]

15. Bookmarking. Thanks. n/t

[Deep State Witch]

19. We Gave Our Old Cat CBD

Our old cat, Cosmo, had serious arthritis stemming from a broken hip when he was a youngster. We were giving him Onsior, but supplemented it with animal-strength CBD. It's easy to find CBD for dogs, but cats require a different formula. Anyway, the old boy loved his "skunk juice". When he finally passed on, we gave the remainder to a friend who also had an older cat.

When I no longer had to worry about being pee-tested at random, I started using CBD for my knee pain and getting to sleep. Now I have my husband using it. We haven't upgraded to THC yet because we are both on anti-depressants, and we are concerned about it clashing with those. Once I finally persuaded him to try CBD, he was hooked on it (in a good way). Plus,

The other problem that we have is finding a tincture that doesn't have sugar in it. Sugar and Kush made sugar-free gummies, but they're having supply chain issues. I would love to try getting some food-grade CBD and making my own gummies using allulose or erythritol. If you have any links for recipes or anything like that, I'd appreciate it.