by Jason Draizin, MarijuanaDoctors.com

Juicing is an increasingly popular health trend. Many people, from nutritionists to athletes, are consuming pressed vegetable juices to get the nutrients contained in leafy greens like spinach and kale. But what about cannabis?

Health Benefits of the Cannabis Plant

The leaves of the cannabis plant are rich in antioxidants, polyphenols and antibiotics, along with cancer-reducing and anti-inflammatory compounds. In fact, the U.S. federal government found in pre-patent research that CBD, which is a cannabinoid found in raw cannabis, is a stronger antioxidant than vitamins C or E.

Along with its nutritional value, raw cannabis can provide therapeutic effects and promotes basic cell function – activating receptors in your brain, releasing antioxidants, and removing damaged cells from the body.

Studies have also shown that consuming raw cannabis has the potential to treat lupus, arthritis and neurodegenerative diseases, help stimulate appetite and decrease nausea, prevent the spread of malignant prostate cancer cells, and prevent cell damage that can lead to serious illness and poor health.

Consuming Raw Cannabis

Consuming raw cannabis does not cause the “high” feeling that one gets when smoking cannabis or consuming it via edibles. This is beneficial for those who do not enjoy the psychoactive feeling often associated with marijuana.

By consuming the plant raw, one can receive all the nutritional and health benefits of the plant without feeling stoned. In fact, it’s been reported that you lose 99% of the health benefits of the cannabis plant when you smoke or cook it.

Juicing marijuana is the easiest and most convenient and way to consume the nutrients found in raw cannabis. Juicing the leaves of raw marijuana extracts essential minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, including:

Iron
Zinc
Calcium
Potassium
Selenium
Carotenoids

In terms of dosage, one suggestion is to consume 30g of fresh cannabis leaves per day.

Tips for Juicing Raw Cannabis

Add in 2- to 4-inch buds and 15 large fan leaves into a juicer. You can use the juice in smoothies with other vegetable and fruit juices, or freeze the juice to make ice cubes. Freeze leftover leaves to preserve their nutrients for future juicing.

Additional Tips for Juicing Cannabis:

Don’t use dry cannabis or nuggets that have already been cured for smoking.
Look for small, sticky crystals on the flowers and make sure that buds are amber colored.
Combine 1-part cannabis juice to 10-parts carrot juice to help reduce cannabis bitterness.

Additional Raw Cannabis Information

When incorporating raw cannabis into your diet, there are side effects to consider, including allergic reactions, possible ingestion of insecticides and pesticides, and compromised immune system from possible pathogenic exposure.

Consuming raw cannabis isn’t the best solution for fast symptom relief. Typically, it takes about three days to notice benefits. For some, the benefits may not be noticed for four to eight weeks as the nutrients build in your system.

To learn more about the benefits of cannabis, or to find a medical marijuana-recommending physician near you, visit MarijuanaDoctors.com.

Jason Draizin is the Founder and CEO of the Medical Cannabis Network and MarijuanaDoctors.com. Founded in 2010, MarijuanaDoctors.com is a secure portal for qualifying patients looking to connect and schedule an appointment with medical marijuana-certified physicians. The site has assisted in the certification of more than 300,000 patients in the U.S., and has established a network of more than 700 physicians nationwide.