By Luke Sumpter

We were all instructed, and wisely so, to eat our greens when we were children. And if propaganda fuelled prohibition did not exist, this would more than likely have also included the beautiful, majestic, emerald coloured leaves of the cannabis plant.

INTRODUCING THE CANNABIS BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

We can all benefit from including raw cannabis in our diet just as we would other green leafy vegetables. They can be used in much the same way, from salads to wraps and even pizzas, let your creativity run wild. However, one highly delicious and nutritious way to include cannabis in the diet is through a smoothie, specifically one that features another healthy and delicious superfood: blueberry.

IT ISN’T PSYCHOACTIVE

Before we delve into this recipe, let us take a second to remove any stigma from this subject that might be present within the minds of skeptical people. You do not need to be a smoker of cannabis or muncher of edibles in order to use cannabis as food in everyday life and reap the health benefits from this magnificent herb. Raw cannabis is not psychoactive, and therefore people can enjoy its juice and use it in smoothies without any potentially unwanted side effects, such as being heavily stoned.

Cannabis needs to be heated to a certain temperature in order for it to become “active” in the way that is able to get a person stoned. Before this process takes place, such as via cooking or combusting in joint, THC, the active constituent that brings about a psychoactive high, remains as THCA, a cannabinoid acid that is non-psychoactive and has been associated with numerous health benefits.

Now that we have that covered, let’s move onto the recipe of how to make this delicious concoction. After that we will briefly explore the health benefits of the main ingredients of this beverage, so you can feel extremely good in that knowledge while you sip away at it.

Blueberry Benefits

THE INGREDIENTS

First of all, let's cover the ingredients you will need to make this beauty. These are all just suggestions - smoothies are far from masterpieces - feel free to play around with this as much as you see fit, and add or remove anything according to your own taste and desires.

Our recommendation is as follows:

  • 1 cup of ice cubes
  • Around 40 to 50 small to medium sized fresh cannabis leaves (feel free to use buds if desired)
  • 1 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)
  • ½ cup mango (frozen or fresh)
  • 1 tablespoon of hemp seeds
  • 1 banana
  • ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder
  • Small pinch of black pepper (to absorb curcumin within turmeric)
  • 2 cups hemp milk (in order to stick with the cannabis theme, feel free to use oat milk, soy milk, rice milk or coconut milk)

THE RECIPE

Now for the extremely easy part. Throw all of these health boosting ingredients into a blender and simply blend together until completely smooth. If you happen to have a sweet tooth, feel free to add some coconut sugar, raw honey or maple syrup until your palate welcomes this delight.

Although there are some other complimentary ingredients within this recipe that serve to both add taste and health benefits, the main components are indeed raw cannabis, blueberries and some type of base, such as hemp milk to mix it in. Feel free to use these and only these if you have nothing else lying around to add to the recipe.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF RAW CANNABIS

So why exactly would somebody want to put raw cannabis into a smoothie and drink it? Is this just a novel idea or is there a true reason behind doing so?

These are good questions to ask, and there are answers for them. Cannabis leaves also house trichomes - the glands that produce cannabinoids and terpenes - and are found in high concentrations on the flowers of the plant. Cannabinoids found in raw cannabis include the previously mentioned THCA. CBDA also exists within raw cannabis, before being exposed to high temperatures and transformed into the now well-known cannabinoid CBD.

A scientific paper titled Non-psychotropic plant cannabinoids: new therapeutic opportunities from an ancient herb, displays information regarding these two cannabinoid acids. The authors state how THCA exhibits anti-proliferative and anti-spasmodic activity. CBDA, on the other hand, has shown to anti-proliferative effects. Incredibly, anti-proliferative effects refer to an action that can stop the spread of malignant cells within the body.

CBDA is also thought to be anti-inflammatory, anti-nausea, antioxidant, a painkiller, antibacterial, and antimicrobial.

Cannabis is also full of other amazing compounds with their own health benefits such as other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids.

Superfood Omega-3 Hemp Seeds

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLUEBERRY

The other key ingredient in this recipe is the humble blueberry, and it just so happens to be a great berry to combine with the cannabis herb due to its equally impressive array of health benefits.

148 grams of blueberries contain 24 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an essential, water-soluble vitamin that can help to absorb the mineral iron. It is thought to boost the immune system - bolstering natural defence. It may also help with kidney problems, chronic pain, and high blood pressure.

The same serving size also contains 36 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin K. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in blood clotting. However, its uses also span into the building of strong bones and heart disease prevention, among other processes.

148 grams of blueberries also contains an impressive 25 percent of the recommended daily amount of manganese. This mineral plays an important role in bone structure and bone metabolism. It also plays a role in the creation of essential enzymes involved in bone health.

A STRONG ANTIOXIDANT

The antioxidant effects of blueberries are perhaps the health benefits they are most well known for. These small bundles of blue can help to protect our bodies against oxidation and the DNA damage caused by free radicals. Blueberries are thought to be the highest antioxidant containing member of all commonly eaten fruits and vegetables.

 

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