Are cannabis leaves edible? – What happens when eating the raw plant

Can you eat raw cannabis leaves? Are they healthy? Can you get high from eating marijuana leaves?

Yes, cannabis leaves are edible. In fact, the raw cannabis plant is nothing more than vegetables we eat for dinner.

Not only can cannabis be compared to nutritious vegetables, but it can also be looked at as a superfood because it is packed to the brim with other phytochemicals that are highly beneficial to all mammalian species.

With regained popularity in recent years, people have started to introduce cannabis in all sorts of foods with the aim to absorb raw phytochemical nutrients in the plant.

Crammed with advantageous phytochemicals rarely found elsewhere, raw cannabis flowers and leaves can potentially become one of humanity’s most valuable food supplements and medical treatments.

Not until recently, researchers found strong evidence that identifies some of the incredible health benefits provided by other compounds found in the cannabis plant.

These existing new medical discoveries temporarily shifted the focus of the medical community from the two most studied compounds THC and CBD to other phytochemicals.

Recent studies suggest that these once perceived secondary compounds and terpenes are extremely prevalent but immensely different in chemical structures and their potential health benefits.

There are so many unexplored compounds and terpenes in the cannabis plant, researchers don’t even know how many there are, or their full effects on our bodies.

Before jumping on the latest health buzz to munch on marijuana leaves like a “hangry” goat, there are minor caution labels to take note of.

It has been reported that chowing on larger raw fan leave may irritate the mouth and throat which can be extremely uncomfortable.

Mature fan leaves have tiny spikey bulges that don’t usually irritate the skin but can cause tiny cuts on softer membranes like our oral system.

Health Benefits of Eating Raw Cannabis

If your goal is to live a drug-free healthy lifestyle, raw cannabis just might be your night in shining armor.

It is well documented that raw flowers or fan leave might cause an upset stomach. While this side effect is not fatal, it is very uncomfortable and even painful to hypersensitive people.

This brings us to the elephant in the room.

Will I get high from eating cannabis leaves?

If you were hoping to get high from eating raw cannabis leaves, I regret to inform you that you are out of luck.

Consuming raw cannabis flowers or leaves will not get you high, but it offers other valuable health benefits.

Raw cannabis flower or fan leave contains THCA which is non-psychoactive and is safe to consume in large quantities.

The same principle applies to when smoking marijuana. The combustion process when smoking marijuana serves as a different method of decarboxylation.

Technically, raw marijuana is not a drug, it only becomes a psychoactive substance once humans interfere with its compound structure.

Furthermore, the decarboxylation process destroys many non-psychoactive phytochemicals that hold the greatest health benefits from the cannabis plant.

Research suggests these phytocannabinoids and terpenes that get discarded during the heating process may be effective against complex ailments such as anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties.

As a result, eating raw cannabis in palatable forms like smoothies or juices, hold much more health benefits compared to cannabis edibles sold for recreational use.

The fact that marijuana’s psychoactive properties need to be purposefully activated by humans holds huge benefits by itself.

This is great news for those who what to take advantage of marijuana’s endless pit of health benefits while still being drug-free.

Furthermore, science suggests that the unchanged phytocannabinoid THCA (non-psychoactive) found in raw cannabis, has potent health benefits that THC (psychoactive) does not have.

THCA may actually contain the most sought-after healing properties in the cannabis plant. Multiple studies reported that THCA can help boost immune function, anti-inflammatory effects and even potentially destroy cancer tumors.

There is also evidence that shows that many other desired terpenes and flavonoids which are also lost in the decarboxylation process have unique health benefits.

Think about raw cannabis as a common vegetable plant that is extremely high in nutrition and health benefits. Just like any other plant, it loses nutrition when cooked.

The only difference is that cannabis can be transformed from a superfood into a therapeutic medicine when cooked in a particular way.

All these fascinating properties make cannabis a true gift from Prometheus.

Health Benefits of the raw phytocannabinoids CBDA

Just like THCA converts to THC once heated, CBDA change to the more commonly known CBD found in products sold over the counter.

Research suggests that CBDA interacts in our body much the same way then THCA, in that it is non-intoxicating, and as a result, offers unique therapeutic effects compared to its cousin CBD.

Fortunately for us, some clever laboratory nerds have already extensively researched THCA and CBDA and their effects on the human body.

While research shows that the CBDA has amazing potential, more research is needed to help us understand the full capability of raw cannabis compounds like CBDA and THCA.

It should come as no surprise to learn that CBDA has extremely potent Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-tumor properties.

Anti-Inflammatory

CBDA health characteristics are very similar to THCA, but with one major exception that CBDA also interacts with an enzyme that performs an important role in inflammation homeostasis.

Studies suggest that the raw compound CBDA acts as a selective inhibitor for COX-2, this interaction is similar to common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which make it a natural alternative for chronic inflammation conditions.

Antitumor: Potential Cancer treatment

In recent years scientific studies have gained momentum to uncover the correlation between CBDA and tumor cannibalization.

Understanding how raw cannabis interacts within our biological systems may just unlock the blueprint cure for one of humanity’s biggest foes. Or that is the feeling I got while researching this topic.

Even though multiple studies claim to have observed a correlation between CBDA and breast cancer reduction, I have not found enough evidence to undisputable support this claim.

However, as the old saying goes. Where there is smoke, there must be fire.

At the very least, this extraordinary claim sparks curiosity within our communities which eventually leads to more scientific trials about cannabis. Knowledge is power.