The Current Buzz Newspaper Vol 2 Issue 6 | Page 12

The Current Buzz Vol 2 Issue 6 Page 12 The BLUNT Truth Beyond Brownies by Amy Addams Before doing anything new with MM, EASY ways to use medical cannabis to address and ease pain it is recommended that you prebake (decarboxylate) your MM: All you need to If you’re new to the Medical Cannabis thing, do is de-stem your buds, break them up you might feel a bit intimidated by your local dispensary; the edibles are strange, and some of us are resigned to finding a new way to get medical marijuana (MM) into our systems via trial by no fire. There is also the cost factor. You are paying more for that added process. Why not make your own? This month, we’ll focus on ingestible oils for pain management. This is NOT meant to replace your current pain program, only help you address your pain. Quick lesson: There are three main types of medical marijuana (MM): Sativa, Indica and Ruderalis. Sativa and Indica address mind and body issues respectively and Ruderalis is used to enhance other plants’ growth and functions (there’s more, but for the moment). What makes MM work better is drying, aging, or heat – it releases the plant’s psychoactive compounds you need to feel better, so it makes sense that cooking with it will help you. Sativa and Indica have been mixed to make strains that help with pain and mimic opioids’ mental effects, thus helping dependent people slowly wean themselves off. Ask your budtender to recommend the best strain for you if this is one of your issues. into small pieces (about the size of raisins), place your buds on a baking sheet (I wrapped mine in foil) and bake at 200F for 35-40 minutes. This intensifies the strength of your medication and makes it easier to work with later. No matter how little you cook, you can infuse MM into everyday foods. We’ll start with Canna oil; an oil that has been infused with MM, you can use it in varying amounts as needed in any number of dishes from salad dressings to pasta. Add garden herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme, salts or cheeses and use it as a topping on burgers, fish, grilled meats or sandwiches. Feel free to get creative with this, but watch your intake! It’s easy to overdo. Our suggestion: allocate your amount, then add more oil, herbs, salt, etc. from there. You’ll need: • 2 cups (16 ounces) olive oil (extra virgin has more options for use in other dishes and tastes better) • 1-ounce cannabis 1. Grind your prebaked MM (or break down with hands; you don’t want dust). Add to the olive oil. 2. Heat oil and MM in a saucepan on lowest heat for 3 hours, stirring