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Food that makes its own munchies
By Hempology | September 5, 2002
From Monday Magazine, September 5th, 2002
By J. Sushil Saini
Good medicine takes local cuisine to new highs
As the Island’s biggest underground harvest starts to com ein, I am reminded of the old adage
that “good food is good medicine.”
Three years ago, my mother died of a cancer that made it impossible for her to eat without
debilitating nausea and pain. She was a woman who loved to cook, so it was a cruel irony to
watch her starve to death. Now, years later, I still have little patience for the conservative
small town doctor who wouldn’t accept that marijuana was the medicine her body required, if
only to ease her suffering.
The experience left me with a culinary curiosity about this “good medicine,” especially
since its bitter chlorophyll flavour doesn’t exactly lend itself to tasty cuisine. Years of
hippie living in Tofine introduced me to the rudiments of ingesting marijuana, but to truly
learn the art of “one-pot” cookery, I visited the exerts at the Victoria Compassion Club
Society.
More than 250 Victorians, from the ages of 20 to 90, access marijuana through the club, using
it to deal with debilitating illnesses.
The two plants used to produce medicinal marijuana are: Cannabis sativa and
Cannabis indica. The sativa tends to be more stimulating, uplifting
and creatively enhancing. Indica, on the other hand, is more relaxing, sedating
and ain reducing. Research indicates no discernable difference in flavour between the two.
Both types contain over 60 different cannabinoids, chemical compounds (THC being the most
abundant) that have medicinal effects on the human body. According to Compassion Club
literature, cannabinoids interact with a part of the human nervous system that is
“concentrated in areas dealing with ain and the immune system as well as reproduction.” The
same literature cites studies that suggest cannabinoids have anti-epiletic, anti-nauseant,
anti-spasmodic, anti-depressant, anti-inflammatory, sedative, and analgesic effects, and can
also reduce pressure inside the eyes.
While some smoke the herb to access its medicinal qualities, many choose to ingest it as a
means of producing a stronger, longer-lasting effect (and as a means of not over-taxing lungs
that may be affected by illness.)
“Ingested marijuana has over three times the potency of inhaled,” observes Chad Ellis, who has
volunteered at the Compassion Club for two years.
Inhaled cannabinoids pass through the lungs, into the blood and directly into the brain.
Ingested marijuana, however, is broken down by the stomach, producing a stronger alkaline
cannabinoid with longer-lasting effects. The only drawback is a 30- to 90-minute wait for the
full effects to be felt – which is why the Club recommends ingesting on an empty stomach.
“Many of our clients do both,” says Ellis. “They smoke a little to get the immediate effects
that carry them until the ingested marijuana kicks in.”
Applying the heat is the only means by which to access cannabinoids from the plant, making it
ideal for culinary experimentation. Smoking is easier, but cooking requires a delicate hand,
since the medicinal qualities are vaporized between 180 and 210 degrees Celsius.
“It’s best not to exceed 100 to 150 degrees Celsius,” cautions the experienced Ellis.
Some classic marijuana cookbooks like High Cuisine (Mount Olivet Press, 1966)
recommend grinding and roasting the herb before adding it to your favourite recipies.
Ellis is skeptical. “The hemp plant is highly fibrous,” he explains. “It’s hard to pass,
esecially if you’re ill.”
In his experience, the medicine is “more effective” when infused in a carrier like butter
or oil. These roducts can be used in everything from cookies to salad dressing, making
all kinds of foods become that magical spoonful of sugar to hel the medicine go down.
Delicious as they may be, Ellis warns about overindulging in medicinal delicacies. While
overdosing is not dangerous, it can be a long, disorienting wait for it to wear off – leaving
you enough time to brainstorm another tasty dish that heals the body and soothes the soul.
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