Eating cannabis is an ancient tradition that has been around since the beginning of time. Ancient Chinese Emperors brewed cannabis tea, and the Nomadic Tribes exploring Morocco would eat “mahjoun”, a heavy hash jam packed with nuts, fried fruits, and special spices. The first cookbook ever published with a cannabis recipe was compiled of memories of a lesbian and first LGBT democratic club, Alice B. Toklas. The autobiography was written by Alice’s life partner and writer, Gertude Stein. The book was published in 1954 and was a mixture of personal memories in Allice’s life and her recipes, including her recipe for “hashish fudge”.  Alice’s hashish fudge called for cannabis, nuts, fruits, and a mix of spices. Alice described how the fudge was “the food of paradise”.  Stein’s autobiography The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, can be found on Ebay, the original edition for $1,000. Pot edibles are the perfect solution to salvage trim and un-smokable buds that go to waste.

(Google images)

When you smoke cannabis, the high comes on within a minute or two, and the “high feeling” can last anywhere from 1-3 hours depending on the potency of the bud. Versus, when you eat cannabis, the effects take up to at least 30-90 minutes to fully kick in, and this can depend on if you have an empty stomach or not.  After eating cannabis, the high effects can last between three to seven hours. Eating cannabis won’t give you the burned out feeling once the effects wear off, unlike smoking cannabis. Edibles are better if you are looking for a longer lasting effect, but the only con is it takes a little bit for you to start feeling the effects. Many medical marijuana patients turn to edibles as a long lasting pain reliever from muscle spasms, headaches, and other chronic pains. On the other hand, if you are looking for that quick pick-me-up, smoking cannabis is perfect for you.

I remember my very first time ever trying a pot brownie. I was 21, and my best friend at the time came to me and said the guy we usually get our product from, experimented with a batch of weed brownies. As a stoner, I was automatically interested. I gave him my cash, and off my best friend went to our florist. My best friend met me back up at the park later that evening. I remember him handing me a little brown paper bag and it was just soaked in THC and cannaoil. I carefully extracted the brownie out of the bag and it was wrapped again in a plastic zip-loc bag, and the smell was indescribable, it was like I just stepped into Cheech and Chong’s weed fortress. Once I finally got the brownie out of the zip-loc, my buddy and I were just laughing and going on and on about how we were about to “go on an adventure”. We split the brownie right in half to split between the two of us, now this was a fairly large pot brownie, like those big square ones that you can find at local bake sales and flea markets. I was looking at this hunk of brownie and very hesitant on eating it, as I had never consumed an edible in my life. My friend finally coaxed me into it and I dove into the brownie and ate it gone in three big bites. The taste was pretty horrible. The guy who made them could have used less oil, as it was just seeping through the brownie and all you tasted was cannabis. It was almost like eating buds dipped in chocolate. The high though, made up for all of that. It took about 35 minutes for me to fully feel the effects. As the high became more intense, my levels of euphoria changed. First I was anticipating the high and had anxiety about it, and when the effects fully set in, all of that went away and I was on my top level. The rest of the night is pretty much a purple haze (no pun intended). I do remember laughing so much my abs hurt so bad the next day it felt like I just did a million sit-ups.I remember forgetting my own name, and where I was, but it wasn’t in a scary way. I felt literally like I was on cloud nine, I was so relaxed and happy. If you are a stoner and listen to hip-hop and rap, you probably know the song Tangerine Sky by Kottonmouth Kings, my best friend and I played that all night, sat back and smoked blunts, and I gained so many good memories and great laughs that night. The effects lasted a good 5 hours, and the whole time I was in euphoria.

Edibles can be very potent, and if you are going to attempt to make edibles you need to do your research and know what you are doing. I was safe, but it could have ended badly. What if I got too paranoid and started having a psychological trip? Those are things that you need to think about. Correct dosage means everything and it is so important.

Here is an easy pot brownie recipe for those of you curious enough to try. Keep in mind; you have to have cannaoil or butter. You cannot just throw ground up herb into some brownie mix and call it good. There are ways you can make your own oil or there are dispensaries that sell it (if that is a legal option for you).

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

3/4 cup cannabutter (see below)

1 3/4 cups coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

3 mint leaves, minced (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13-inch glass baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Place chocolate in a large glass mixing bowl and melt in the microwave or over a saucepan of boiling water.
3. Add cannabutter to melted chocolate and mix until combined, then mix in coconut sugar, salt, and vanilla.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.
5. Mix in flour, and walnuts and/or mint, if using.
6. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut into 16 pieces. Store leftovers—clearly marked as “special” if there are others using your kitchen—in the refrigerator for a week, or in the freezer for several months.

(http://greatist.com/eat/weed-brownies-how-to-make-them recipe by Rebecca Firkser)

 

Sources: http://herb.co/2016/04/28/benefits-eating-marijuana/

https://en.wikipedia.org