Most people associate cannabis extract medicine with solvent-derived cannabis oils, which are further broken down into high-THC and high-CBD oils. There has been a growing movement to juice cannabis, a method that preserves raw acidic cannabinoids. When heated, THCA and CBDA decarboxylate to THC and CBD, which have different properties. Heat can also destroy valuable terpenoids that have been proven to work synergistically with cannabinoids. With juice, all of these compounds are preserved.
Dr. William Courtney in California has pioneered the field of juiced cannabis. His experience, along with his wife Kristen, was detailed in the 2011 mini-documentary Leaf. Since the age of 16, Kristen battled rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, which resulted in her being bedridden for four years. Doctors said she wouldn’t make it to 30 and would never have children. Aware learning of Dr. Courtney’s work, Kristen began juicing cannabis, which led to her relatively quick recovery. She now has three children with Dr. Courtney, and when juicing displays virtually no symptoms of her previously debilitating diseases.
In a popular Huffington Post article, Dr. Courtney discussed the dramatic reduction of an infant’s brain tumor with only high-CBD cannabis oil. In an accompanying video, Dr. Courtney further discusses a cancer patient (likely the brain cancer patient Amber from the Leaf documentary) who was sent home to die, and then eliminated the tumors solely with juiced cannabis leaves.
Besides Dr. Courtney, there has been relatively little material on juicing. A new book by Katie Marsh aims to raise awareness about juicing and encourage further documentation of experiences. Juicing Cannabis for Healing details her remarkable journey into the world of juicing. After suffering from severe rheumatoid arthritis for five years, Katie looked into cannabis juicing as a means of naturally healing.
The book is incredibly comprehensive. It discusses Katie’s struggles to find a proper source of cannabis leaves, problems which can arise in a juicing regimen, optimization tips, and scientific discussion. Throughout the text, the atmosphere surrounding the juicing world is effectively conveyed, especially the need for more research and experiential evidence. Some other testimonials are included, but Katie openly encourages individuals to send their experiences, as the book is constantly evolving and hopes to become a definitive resource on cannabis juicing.
Overall, Juicing Cannabis for Healing is a truly informative, valuable, and interesting book. It reads very smoothly and is a great way for anyone to learn about this unique aspect of the cannabis extract movement.
You can pick up a copy of Juicing Cannabis for Healing here.