Updated on September 15th, 2023

Raw cannabis

The benefits of raw cannabis aren’t fully understood. While we know of its medical uses, we’ve barely had a chance to look at the nutritional benefits. Believe it or not, there is much more to marijuana than getting high or – more recently – CBD.

Some might say that the benefits of raw cannabis lack any solid research – and they’re right. But keep in mind, experts said the same thing about medical marijuana, yet look where we are now. People from all walks of life now use medical marijuana with the full support of their doctors.

However, raw cannabis works very differently. If you’re unhappy or uncomfortable with regular marijuana use, eating it in its flower form might be the best choice.

Before we continue, however, it’s important to note that “cannabis” is a genus of plants. This includes both the high-inducing marijuana (cannabis Sativa) and the non-impairing hemp (cannabis Sativa L.).

Since hemp has been a dietary staple for some time, the topic we want to address, refers explicitly to eating raw marijuana. We will, therefore, be using “cannabis” and “marijuana” interchangeably.

What Happens if You Eat Weed?

Marijuana is best known for its ability to get people high. The high varies depending on the strain and its potency, but the drug’s euphoric effects make it particularly popular. But there’s a vast difference between raw cannabis and regular cannabis products.

But to answer the question – no. Raw cannabis will not get you high. How does this work? It’s a matter of simple chemistry.

THCa vs. THC

Pretty much everyone knows about tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); however, THC wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA). THC doesn’t even exist on its own in raw marijuana.

Instead, it remains hidden in an acidic form (hence the “acid” part).

This is because THC is the product of a chemical reaction. When you apply heat from a vaporizer or flame to the dry herb, it converts the THCA into THC through a process called “decarboxylation”.

What About CBD and Other Cannabinoids?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the latest craze. Like THC, it exists as an acid (CBDA) in raw cannabis. The same goes for all the cannabinoids. The application of heat is what turns them into active cannabinoids.

Raw Cannabis as a “Superfood”

Raw cannabis Superfood
When most of us picture marijuana, we don’t typically think of food (unless it’s the munchies). In recent years, health enthusiasts coined a new term known as “superfoods”. While initially a trendy buzzword, the American Heart Association now recognizes them.

They clarify that superfoods alone will not miraculously improve health; however, “…adding these nutritious foods to an already balanced diet can bring health benefits”.

What is a “Superfood”?

Most superfoods are plants, with a few including fish and dairy. They’re very nutrient-rich – more so than your average food. But it’s important to note that, while many products carry that badge of honor, dietitians don’t have an actual food group assigned to them.

The list of superfoods simply grows as laypeople and experts add more to the list. That being said, it’s important not to let smart marketing and wordplay determine what we consider to be healthy or unhealthy. Instead, we need to evaluate foods based on what they demonstrably carry – and that includes raw cannabis.

What Nutrients Make Raw Cannabis a “Superfood”?

Raw marijuana is so full of nutrients that we sometimes wonder how they all fit into that tiny package. While the seeds tend to contain the biggest reservoir of healthy compounds, every part of the plant is right for you. Let’s have a look at the primary nutrients found in raw cannabis.

Fatty Acids

Fatty acids are a crucial component of any proper diet. There are two major types that nutritionists recommend: omega-3 and omega-6. Raw cannabis just happens to contain both.

These compounds play a critical role in keeping our bodies in working order. They include:

  • Cell healthSuperfood nutrients
  • Maintaining a healthy nervous system
  • Keeping thyroid and adrenal glands in good shape
  • Proper production of hormones
  • Maintaining blood pressure
  • Liver function
  • Immune system support
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Help reduce cholesterol
  • Maintain healthy skin

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates may have received a bit of negative press in the last few years, especially with low-carb diets, looked at as miracles. But the truth is that carbs are essential, as long as they’re not sourced from processed grains. Fortunately, cannabis contains plenty of healthy carbs.

Carbohydrates are a crucial part of our daily diet. Some of these critical functions include:

  • Mood regulation
  • Weight control (again, if unprocessed)
  • Maintains heart health
  • Improved mental function (a vital energy source for advanced thinking and memory)
  • Prevents cancer
  • Increases energy and physical performance

Vitamins and Minerals

You don’t have to be a nutritionist to know what these are. Vitamins and minerals are concepts adults hammered into our heads since elementary school – with good reason. There are some severely critical vitamins and minerals in raw cannabis.

These include:

Cannabis vitamins

  • Vitamin C – provides immune system support
  • Vitamin K – helps absorb calcium and promotes blood clotting
  • Iron – repairs DNA and prevents anemia
  • Folate – improves the flow of oxygen through the bloodstream
  • Calcium – essential for bone maintenance and prevention of osteoporosis

Antioxidants

Raw cannabis is full of antioxidants, thanks to a single cannabinoid. CBDA – the inert, pre-combustion state of CBD – is the main driving force behind this benefit.

Antioxidants play a crucial role in maintaining health and preventing some serious diseases. Specifically, they combat the effects of free radicals, which are responsible for a plethora of severe health issues. These include problems like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.Purely Medicinal Cannabis

Reported Medical Benefits of Raw Cannabis

While medical marijuana continues to receive mounds of research, raw cannabis is barely a footnote in the scientific community. Consequently, we know very little about its benefits beyond simple nutrition; however, one doctor’s testimony provides anecdotal evidence that warrants investigation.
Dr. William Courtney

Dr. William Courtney

Today, Dr. William Courtney is known for his advocacy and creation of the “raw cannabis movement”. Before embracing cannabis medicine, he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Michigan. He then went on to receive his Doctor of Medicine at Wayne State University.

Courtney also interned for his Residency in Psychiatry from California Pacific Medical Center, followed by a Post Doctorate in Forensic Medicine. Dr. Courtney’s education and experience more than establish his credibility, making his advocacy for cannabinoid medicine particularly compelling.

Kristen Courtney

His wife’s unexpected health changes spurred on dr—Courtney’s devotion to the raw cannabis movement. Kristen Courtney suffered from several ailments. As a teenager, she developed lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, bladder issues, and cervical cancer.

Making matters worse, she also had to live with constant infections and hypothyroidism, leading to 40 medications per day, along with 16 surgeries to date.

Mrs. Courtney began using marijuana for pain control but soon found that her use also reduced her chronic infections. Later, she discovered that the beneficial contents of cannabis were even more present when consumed raw.

After starting a raw cannabis regimen, she experienced dramatic improvement after just six weeks. Eventually, her immune system strengthened considerably, her severe conditions all but vanished, and she even became pregnant, despite being told that she would never have children.

Sadly, there is no real scientific research to confirm just how far-reaching the effects of raw cannabis could be for patients on a large scale. Hopefully, Dr. Courtney’s findings and his wife’s recovery will eventually give raw cannabis the attention it deserves.

“Cannabis cures cancer”, Harvard study suggests in a recently published document. They studied synthetic components of cannabis that could be produced in factories and achieved good results indicating the potential of cannabis.

Eye-opening Videos about Raw Cannabis

Other Medicinal Effects of Raw Cannabis

While curing diseases may not have a ton of scientific support, we know that cannabis – raw or otherwise – helps patients deal with a lot of symptoms. This is due to the cannabinoids and terpenes, which are known to aid with a variety of medical issues.

Before we get into this, however, we need to take note of one important fact. According to Dr. Courtney, the compounds in raw cannabis do not provide instant relief. They need time to build up in our fatty tissue.

This means it could take four to eight weeks before you see improvement. If you need immediate relief from the following health problems, stick to oil drops, smoking, or regular edibles, along with raw cannabis, until enough time elapses.

Inflammation

Individuals use marijuana to help reduce inflammation, even though combustion or decarboxylation weakens the terpenes and cannabinoids. In their raw form, these compounds are much more effective.

Several different terpenes in cannabis possess anti-inflammatory properties. Caryophyllene and limonene, for instance, are known to help with inflammation. CBDA is also particularly useful in this regard, so consuming raw marijuana advertised as high-CBD is essential.

Alternately, you can always eat hemp, which is over 99% CBDA.

Pain

Some terpenes and cannabinoids are known for their analgesic properties. When smoked, THC provides immediate pain relief. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that its raw counterpart, THCA, has the same features.

Certain terpenes also offer pain relief. Myrcene and caryophyllene are known analgesics. Best of all, they’re among the most common terpenes found in cannabis. Limonene, although less common, is another terpene to watch for.

For severe pain, THC is definitely better, but for milder forms, the best CBD for pain can help you to control pain as well. If you suffer from localized pain, like joint or muscle aches, pure CBD cream provides relief.

Anxiety

A lot of people use marijuana for anxiety. Smoking typically works well for handling immediate symptoms – assuming the strain is correct. But consuming the right terpenes in their raw form provides steady benefits in the long run.

If you suffer from anxiety, look for strains that contain myrcene, caryophyllene, limonene, and linalool. All of these are known to have anti-anxiety properties.

Similarly, CBDA is also effective at controlling anxiety symptoms. If you suffer from anxiety, you have to be careful, though. Often THC-rich cannabis causes anxiety to increase, down to a panic attack. Therefore many anxiety sufferers find comfort and relaxation with CBD edibles for anxiety or other forms of CBD.

Depression

Depression is another reason many people use cannabis – raw or otherwise; however, like with anxiety, you need to choose your strains carefully. If smoking the wrong terpenes makes your issue worse, then you’d have to conclude that the same goes for raw cannabis over time.

Unsurprisingly, CBD can fight anxiety in animals. Additionally, the terpenes known for helping with depression are limonene and caryophyllene.

Epilepsy

Out of all of the specific medical conditions, we can say with confidence that cannabis has curative properties. While there’s no actual cure for epilepsy (aside from surgery in rare cases), marijuana’s effectiveness is well-established.

We know that CBD helps treat cases of severe epilepsy – specifically Lennox Gastaut Syndrome and Dravet Syndrome; however, research into more common forms of epilepsy are weak or non-existent. Nonetheless, individuals who suffer from these conditions can significantly benefit from raw cannabis in addition to CBD and other treatments.

There is one other player, though – a terpene called linalool. While it has other functions, it is the only known terpene with actual anti-seizure properties. Unfortunately, it’s also harder to come by.

But if you suffer from any form of epilepsy, linalool is the one terpene you need to find.

Getting the Most Out of Your Raw Cannabis

Now that we know the many benefits of raw cannabis, the next thing to consider is how to consume it. Methods vary, but you don’t have to be an expert chef to make the best of your raw herb. Let’s see what options we have.

1. Straight Leaf

Let’s start simple. If you want to eat raw cannabis with virtually zero effort, then just eat the leaf. You can easily purchase plants at a dispensary or grow them yourself.

Cannabis leaves are known to taste reasonably bitter, so popping them in your mouth might not be enjoyable. But you can always toss the leaves into a salad or onto a sandwich. Just pretend they’re lettuce and use them accordingly.

2. Salads

Speaking of salads, you don’t have to make them an addition to your favorite ranch or Caesar. Just make a salad with those leaves as a primary ingredient. Toss in some other vegetables and top it with some dressing.

It’ll taste different than what you’re used to in a regular salad, but keep experimenting until you find a combination that suits your preferences. You can also add some nutrient-rich hemp seeds as a crunchy topping.

Eating cannabis salad with a glass of the best CBD water… How healthy can it get?

Cannabis superfood

3. Salad Dressing

Salad seems to be a recurring theme here, but we promise this will be the last time we mention it. The dressing can make or break a salad, but sometimes that added flavor comes at a considerable cost. Creamy ones, like ranch, Caesar, or Thousand Islands are full of calories and sugar.

Instead, try grinding down the leaves using a grinder or food processor. Mix them with some balsamic vinegar or olive oil, and you have a healthy cannabis salad dressing.

4. Salsa

This may sound weird, but cannabis has a peppery taste. Some strains have a jalapeno-like flavor, making them perfect for salsa/.

Adding them to salsa is that it helps mask the taste, assuming you’re not a fan. Not to mention, you can snack on corn chips and still feel like you’re a health enthusiast.

5. Juicing

Juices and smoothies are said to be the best, most effective way to make the most out of your raw cannabis. According to Dr. William Courtney, the body has an easier time absorbing nutrients in liquid form. He recommends 15 leaves and two dried ground buds per day.

However, make sure you get rid of the stems, as Dr. Courtney warns they can irritate your throat.

You’ll need a juicer to pull this off, but the devices are easy to come by at any department store. You don’t have to break the bank either, as many good models are available for under $100.

When to Eat and When to Heat

In light of what we understand, it may seem pointless to smoke, vape, or infuse hemp flowers into edibles when all you have to do is eat it or juice it raw. But there are instances when heating is the best option.
Smoking cannabis

Why Use Heat?

You might be thinking that (aside from getting high), there isn’t much point in using heat to gain the medical benefits of marijuana. But for some, smoking the herb is essential.

The main reason you would want to smoke or vape marijuana is because the effects are instant. Vaping with THC distillate cartridges is a good example and growing in popularity lately.

The cannabinoids go straight through your lungs and into the bloodstream, which is essential for relief from pain, nausea, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Another thing is that if you want to consume cannabis in the form of baked goods, candies, topicals, and other typical products, then you have no choice but to use heated cannabis unless it is heated during preparation. While you don’t smoke these products, all of them underwent decarboxylation.

The same is true, by-the-way, for CBD candy and edibles.

Why Just Eat?

Eat cannabis
Heating is the only way to get high or provide edible variety; however, these methods erase a considerable benefit, specifically nutrition. As we’ve established, raw marijuana can be a superfood.

But if you smoke the herb, it eliminates the nutrition aspect – not to mention it’s not exactly good for your lungs. Even if you consume it in regular edibles, most of these are sugary and unhealthy alone. They also lack the many nutrients in raw herb.

A second significant benefit of eating raw is that there’s no need for developing cannabis tolerance to reach the right dosage. It’s particularly beneficial to people who dislike getting high.

From a medical standpoint, raw cannabis offers gradual benefits that build up over time, whereas heating is a quick fix to alleviate immediate symptoms.

Sources:
https://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/ucm484109.htm
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristianastre/2018/07/26/yes-you-can-add-raw-cannabis-to-your-green-smoothie/#57dc242c36bb
https://www.leafly.ca/news/cannabis-101/what-is-thca-and-what-are-the-benefits-of-this-cannabinoid
https://www.livescience.com/24553-what-is-thc.html
https://www.green-flower.com/articles/539/the-world-of-cannabinoid-acids-like-thca-and-cbda-will-make-you-re-think-cannabis
https://www.alchimiaweb.com/blogen/dr-courtneys-raw-cannabis-juice/
https://www.livescience.com/34693-superfoods.html
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/get-smart-about-superfoods-infographic
https://www.coloradopotguide.com/colorado-marijuana-blog/article/can-you-eat-cannabis-exploring-the-nutritional-value-of-marijuana/
https://thefreshtoast.com/advice/health-benefits-of-raw-marijuana/
https://www.downtoearth.org/health/nutrition/benefits-essential-fatty-acids
https://www.naturalfoodseries.com/13-benefits-carbohydrates-foods/
https://www.marijuanabreak.com/eat-raw-marijuana
https://www.green-flower.com/articles/437/7-ways-to-incorporate-raw-cannabis-into-your-diet
https://unitedpatientsgroup.com/blog/2017/02/25/top-8-health-benefits-of-consuming-raw-cannabis/
https://www.medicaljane.com/directory/professional/dr-william-l-courtney/
https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/blog-the-therapeutic-and-dietary-benefits-of-eating-raw-cannabis-n517
https://infinitecbd.com/terpenes-for-pain-relief/
https://www.marijuanabreak.com/which-terpene-is-best-for-anxiety
https://www.kalapa-clinic.com/en/cannabinoid-treatment-depression/
https://cannabismd.com/health/depression/terpenes-best-treating-depression/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlsBGXNxJYU
https://www.greenentrepreneur.com/article/339066
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Written by Alex Chambers

Alex ChambersAlex, English lit grad turned know-how cannabis proponent, pens potent prose on the magic of marijuana. After witnessing the herb's healing powers in his family, he swapped suits for sativas. Trust his five-year, deep-dive journey into the world of weed - he's your bud for all things cannabis. --Medically reviewed by Fawaz Abomaray, PhD.

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