By Luke Sumpter


Most people picture red eyes, goofy giggles, and a raging appetite when thinking about people enjoying cannabis. Although we love the herb for offering those things, the plant has so much more to it than a high.

THC—the molecule behind these effects—remains only one chemical out of hundreds that exist in the plant. The species produces many other non-psychoactive cannabinoids and terpenes that boast their own health benefits, and several strains contain almost no THC at all.

Although we just know it as something we smoke, cannabis is—at its core—a leafy green vegetable. Sounds strange, right? Much like the kale in your fridge, cannabis holds its own status as a nutritional superfood.

Packed full of healthy compounds, raw cannabis can make a fine addition to a healthy smoothie or shake! Consumed this way, the cannabinoids and terpenes will still light up your endocannabinoid system while the raw leaves offer a host of vitamins and minerals.

Rather than munching on a bowl of fresh leaves, making a refreshing smoothie provides a fast, efficient, and tasty way of getting these phytochemicals into your body. Juicing your cannabis prior to adding it to the mix will offer you even high concentration of compounds.

Before you head into the kitchen, though, you should discover the benefits of juicing in general, and see why cannabis should become a regular part of your diet.

The Benefits of Raw Juicing

Juicing allows you to squeeze all the beneficial vitamins and minerals from carrots, apples, ginger, and other desired foods while leaving unwanted fibre behind.

While fibre is an essential part of the human diet, removing it vastly increases the concentration of healthy micronutrients in your juice. For example, drinking the juice of ten carrots will provide you with plenty of beta-carotene, while sparing you the chore of munching and digesting such a large amount of the vegetable.

The most impressive benefits of juicing include:

  • Improved Absorption: Your body will have an easier time shuttling nutrients into the bloodstream. A juicer effectively “pre-digests” your food by removing the fibre, meaning your gut has to do less work in that department.
  • Higher Nutrient Concentrations: Eating a bowl full of cannabis leaves might take a toll on your belly and your jaw. Instead, juicing them will allow you to get all of those nutrients in a single glass. It’s all you need to convert a handful of veg into a quick and efficient shot of liquid.
  • Easier Way to Meet Fruit/Vegetable Requirements: Nutritional guidelines state we should aim for a minimal amount of fruit and veg each day. Juicing makes it much easier for people to consume this baseline requirement.

The Benefits of Raw Juicing

Why You Should Add Raw Cannabis To Your Diet

Raw cannabis contains several molecules that users don’t get access to when exposing the herb to heat during smoking and cooking. Cannabinoids such as THC and CBD exist as cannabinoid acids in raw cannabis (THCA and CBDA).

Both of these cannabinoid acids act differently within the body to their decarboxylated counterparts. THCA binds to the receptors of the endocannabinoid system, and may help to settle the stomach, along with increasing levels of the body’s own cannabinoids.

Unlike THC, THCA produces no psychoactive effects because of its weak action on the CB1 receptor. So, you can drink as much juice as you like without getting stoned.

CBDA also produces interesting effects. Early research suggests the molecule may increase serotonin receptor activation[1], possibly elevating the mood. Nothing is certain, though.

Raw cannabis flowers also contain high numbers of aromatic terpenes. These chemicals give cannabis strains their unique smell and flavor. In theory, terpenes also work in synergy with cannabinoids to boost their effectiveness through the entourage effect[2]. They degrade quickly when heated, so consuming cannabis raw guarantees higher levels of these pleasant-smelling compounds.

All of these benefits, in our opinion, make raw cannabis worth including into your routine on a regular basis.

Why You Should Add Raw Cannabis To Your Diet

How To Juice Raw Cannabis

Juicing raw cannabis before you include it in a smoothie will free up all of the desired cannabinoids, terpenes, and other phytochemicals. Follow the quick tips below to complete this process as easy as possible.

Tip One: Roll Up The Leaves

Roll all of your cannabis leaves into tight cylinders, passing them through the juicer. This will work with the centrifugal force of the device.

Tip Two: Combine With Large Fruits and Vegetables

Chop up some of your favorite fruits and vegetables to round out your juice. Add items with high water content such as apples and cucumbers for a more substantial output.

Tip Three: Use a Wheatgrass Juicer

If you’re aiming to make juiced cannabis part of your daily routine, purchase a wheatgrass juicer! These devices work at lower temperatures and use a press to extract the juice (as opposed to centrifugal force).

How To Juice Raw Cannabis

Raw Cannabis Smoothie Recipe

Now you know the benefits of juicing raw cannabis, and you even know how to do it!

Next, you’ll discover a tasty recipe to put all of that goodness to use. Follow the recipe below to light up your tastebuds and ignite your endocannabinoid system.

You Will Need

Gather these ingredients before plugging in your blender. You don’t need everything, but try and get as close as possible for the best-tasting experience!

  • A handful of ice cubes
  • Up to 0.5 oz of raw cannabis leaves and flowers
  • A few sprigs of parsley (stalks removed)
  • A handful of washed spinach leaves
  • One large, ripe avocado (skin and seed removed)
  • A handful of blueberries
  • A quarter of a cucumber (unless already juiced)
  • 600ml freshly squeezed apple juice (unless already juiced)
  • A squeeze of lemon juice
  • Pinch of turmeric powder
  • Pinch of hemp seeds
  • 2 tsp baobab powder
  • 2 tsp powdered green superfood complex
  • 1 tsp coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Remove the seeds, stalks, and skin from the necessary ingredients
  2. Place them into the blender one by one
  3. Blend away!

It’s as easy as that! All of these ingredients synergise to create a sweet, creamy, fresh, and cannabinoid-rich smoothie that tastes incredible and feels even better!

External Resources:
  1. Cannabis Pharmacology: The Usual Suspects and a Few Promising Leads - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. The Entourage Effect | CBD and Synergies with other Cannabinoids – Plant People https://www.plantpeople.co
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: