by Chris Conrad
Spirulina Hemp Date Nut Balls
Mix 2 c. dates, pitted and mashed, ½ c. roasted ground hempseed, ½ c. chopped macadamia nuts, ¼ c. powdered spirulina, and 2 tbs. honey. Form into balls. Roll in flaked coconut for a sweet and healthy treat.
The following recipes are from the sixteenth-century Pen T’sao Kang Mu, translated from the Chinese by Norman Goundry. They can be found in Kenneth Jones’s book Nutritional and Medicinal Guide to Hemp Seed.
Beneficial Chi
Boil 2 l hemp seed with 1 l soybeans. Drain and fry slowly, stirring to make a dried powder. Roll the powder in honey as a binder and make into pills. Take twice a day to assuage hunger for long periods.
Black Gold Powder
Thoroughly clean hemp seeds, roast, and crush into a fine powder. Apply topically to treat abscesses, boils, pimples, and swellings.
Nutritional Supplement
Place 604 g of ground hempseed in water, soak, and strain to obtain a juice. Add two-tenths of a liter polished, round grain, non-glutinous rice and boil to a thin porridge. Add to the porridge several salted, fermented soya beans; the bottoms of Chinese green onions; and a condiment of roast prickly ash and salt. Eat when the stomach is empty for relief from various forms of paralysis (palsy), rheumatism, and numbness, or to ease obstructed bowel movements.
Hair and Cough Formula
Boil hemp seeds until they become black. Remove the seeds and extract the oil by crushing the seeds. The remaining liquid can be used as a drink to soothe the throat and stop coughing. The extracted oil, ma you, is applied to the scalp to clean the pores and feed the hair roots. Used to cure excessive hair loss and stimulate overall hair growth.
RESINOUS CANNABIS CONCOCTIONS
Bhang Milkshake
The classic Hindu cannabis beverage, in which cannabinoids are suspended in the fatty content of milk, making digestion faster and easier. Take 220 grains cannabis; 120 gr. each of poppy seed, pepper, almonds, and cucumber seed; 40 gr. ginger; 10 gr. each caraway seed, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg; 60 gr. rosebuds; 4 oz. sugar; and 20 oz. milk. Boil together and cool.
Cannabis Butter (Ghee)
1 oz. finely chopped cannabis flowers, 2 qt. water, 1 lb. butter. Combine ingredients in a large pot, bring almost to a boil, and simmer at very low heat for 24 hours. Remove from heat, add honey, and strain through cheesecloth. Discard solids. Allow butter to rise to the top, and skim off into a separate dish. Discard the water. Butter is ready to be wrapped and stored. Cool and use. It can be frozen. Test for potency before adding to any recipe. Reduce the butter or shortening called for in the regular recipe by an equivalent amount of cannabis butter.
Curing Cannabis Flowers
Uproot plant or cut low on stem, and hang upside down by the base to let the sap flow into the flowers. Remove and separate large shade leaves for compost or making shake. Hang in sunlight for a golden color. Hang in dark, warm, and well-ventilated place to retain green color. Can also be dried lying down, as long as it is turned occasionally. If using an ionizer in the drying room to avoid odors, be aware that it will reduce the flavor and fragrance of the cured herb. When the moisture level is down to about 12.5 percent, it springs back more quickly when squeezed. The ideal moisture content for use or storage is 10 percent. Cannabis is best when it is fresh. Since oxidation reduces the potency, delay the final manicure until shortly before consuming the herb. Store in a glass container in a dark, cold environment to retain maximum potency, taste, and aroma.
Fresh Cannabis Juice
Prune off some fresh cannabis flowers. Lightly rinse them under cold water and cut the flowers into pieces of suitable size to fit into a juice extractor. Run at a speed to liquefy. Remove lignocellulosic plant matter and compost it.
A few drops of extracted juice can be dabbed onto the skin as a topical ointment, placed under the tongue for absorption, or added to a cup of tea or fresh water and drunk. Fresh juices should be used as soon as possible after preparation; however, if you place the liquid in a small glass container, cork it tightly, and refrigerate it or keep it in a cool, dark place, it will last for several days without appreciable loss of effect.
Hashish
Take cured cannabis flowers and carefully sift off the resin. Gather together the resin glands (trichomes) and roll them into a ball or compact into a gummy, sticky mass. Try to avoid having it come into contact with external oils, such as from your hands.
Hash Brownies
Hashish and chocolate are a fine combination, since they both contain cannabinoids. In Spain, Brazil, and Portugal, “chocolate” is slang for hashish. Many people feel that adding resin to brownies is better than using herbal cannabis because it is smoother in texture and has a distinctive flavor.
Pulverize 5 g of hashish. In a separate pan over hot water, melt 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate and 1/3 c. butter. Add the hashish. Beat in 1 cup sugar and 2 eggs. Sift together and stir into the mixture ¾ c. cake flour, ½ tsp. baking powder and ½ tsp. salt. Mix in ½ c. roasted hempseed. Pour into a greased 8-inch square pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F. Nibble with caution.
Herbal Pack or Plaster
Soak large cannabis leaves in strong isopropyl alcohol for two weeks. Remove singly and wrap around stiff, aching joints. Dried flowers or leaves soaked in alcohol for the same period can be mashed into a paste and applied to affected areas and under wrappings.
Herbal tinctures
Loosely fill a glass bottle or jar with cannabis flowers. If using fresh plant matter, cut it up with a scissors; if dried, crumble it up. Add pure spirits—use drinking alcohol (ethanol), not rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) or denatured alcohol. A liquor like vodka or whisky with a high proof rating will do nicely. The flavor of the liquor will affect the flavor of the tincture.
Cover the herb with liquid, seal the container, shake up the mixture, and allow the tincture to stand in a warm place (70°–80°F) for two weeks, shaking the container daily. After two weeks, strain out the herbs and filter out any residue. Use under the tongue in drops, take with water or hot tea, or further dilute the tincture in more alcohol.
Penne con Tre Formaggi e Canapa
(Penne with three cheeses and cannabis)
A variation on the classic Italian dish. Cook 1 lb. dried penne or other short pasta in boiling water until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, heat 4 tbs. olive oil in a skillet. Add ½ c. chopped cannabis. Cover and saute for 10 minutes. Add 2 tbs. butter and melt. Stir in 3 tbs. flour until smooth. Gradually add 2 c. milk, stirring constantly. When the sauce has reached a velvety texture, stir in 2 c. of mixed grated cheese (parmesan, fontina, and bel paesa is the classic mix, but you can also use cheddar, monterey jack, gruyere, or any other good melting cheese). Drain pasta, pour sauce over pasta, and serve. Serves 4–6.
Root Decoction (For topical use only)
Boil the root of a cannabis plant in water, stirring occassionally and crushing up the root as you go. Cook down into a paste. Smear onto wounds, burned or damaged skin, inflamed or aching joints, etc., for analgesic and antibiotic effects.
Cannabis Helper
Select ½ c. of cured bud or shake, and remove as much stem and seed as possible. Chop up and run through a sifter, if desired. In a skillet, melt three tablespoons of butter. Stir in the cannabis powder bit by bit, and sauté at a medium temperature (not too hot), stirring constantly with a spatula to avoid burning. When it takes on a smooth, creamy consistency, fold into any standard recipe. Remember to reduce the amount of flour and oil used in the recipe to compensate for the cannabis helper.
Appendix D:
Cannabis Patient Registry Questionnaire
Cannabis Patient Registry/CPR
2121 Commonwealth Avenue
Suite 200-G
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 334-1798
FAX (704) 334-1799
[email protected]
http://www.maps.org
contact: Sylvia Thyssen
Dear Cannabis Patient Registry Participan
t,
Welcome to the Cannabis Patient Registry (CPR). Healing Arts Press has included the CPR in Hemp for Health so that it can reach the broadest possible audience. The goal of the CPR is to help protect the rights of seriously ill Americans who use cannabis medicinally by creating a network of as many patients as possible. The CPR has been made possible by a grant from the Drug Policy Foundation.
The Cannabis Patient Registry exists to benefit the community of cannabis patients and compassionate caregivers by documenting the widespread medicinal use of cannabis. It will hopefully play a positive role in the effort to influence the scientific and political forces which currently obstruct legal access to medical cannabis.
This questionnaire will take about fifteen minutes for you to complete. Please photocopy it from the back of the book, fill it out, and mail it to us at the above address. Response to it will be kept confidential and the CPR will not give out your name or number to other organizations or to individuals unless you specifically authorize otherwise. The questionnaire is structured around the elements of a medical necessity defense. In the future, the CPR might expand to include additional documentation about your medical history in the form of more detailed questionnaires that track your symptoms and use of cannabis over time.
We urge you to obtain a written note from your physician, on letterhead. It should at least indicate your diagnosis, but may also include whether Marinol or other drugs have been tried, that cannabis provides the best relief, and that the doctor would prescribe it to you if it were legally available. If you have a note from your doctor, please attach a copy of it to this survey once you complete it and return it to the CPR. If you do not yet have a note, we can send you a packet of information that you could give to your physician to inform him or her about aspects of the medical cannabis issue.
If you would be interested in writing a personal account describing your experience with medical cannabis, we are posting such accounts on the Internet (World Wide Web) so as to put a human face on this issue to people all over the world. Such accounts can be anonymous.
Thank you for taking the time to fill out this questionnaire. Please feel free to call if you have questions, suggestions, or comments.
Sincerely,
Sylvia Thyssen
CPR Project Director
CANNABIS PATIENT REGISTRY PATIENT QUESTIONNAIRE
Personal Use & Medical History
(Your response to this questionnaire will be kept confidential) Today’s date: ______
1. Have you ever or do you currently use cannabis to treat yourself for any of the following medical conditions or symptoms that you have?
2. Do you also use cannabis for nonmedical purposes? ______ yes ______ no ______ I don’t differentiate for what reason(s) do you use it nonmedically?
If you are currently using cannabis medicinally, please skip to question #5. If you used cannabis medicinally in the past, but not currently, please answer questions #3 and #4 first.
3. How long did you use cannabis medicinally in the past? ______ (years and/or months)
4. Please check below why you discontinued use and fill in blank where applicable:
______ I no longer experience the symptoms for which I sought relief because: _______________
______ I found a more effective method of alleviating my symptoms and it is: _______________
______ I experienced health complications from my use of cannabis in the form of: _______________
______ I experienced legal problems from my medical use of cannabis
______ I can’t afford it
______ there is no available supply
______ my doctor told me to stop smoking any substance
5. When you use cannabis medicinally, how much do you use?
______ 6 or more grams per day
______ 5–6 grams per day
______ 4–5 grams per day
______ 3–4 grams per day
______ 2–3 grams per day
______ 1–2 grams per day
______ ½–1 gram per day
______ less than ½–1 gram per day
______ several grams per week
______ several grams per month
______ only when I have symptoms, which occurs __________ times per month
______ OTHER / please list here: _______________
6. How do you use cannabis medicinally? Please put a #1 in front of the method you use the most, #2 in front of the method you use the second most frequently, etc. Put a 0 if you have never tried that method.
______ joint
______ pipe or bat
______ water pipe / bong
______ vaporizer
______ brownies, cookies, or other foods
______ tinctures, teas, or other drinks
______ OTHER / please list here:
7. How did you decide to try cannabis for your condition or symptoms? (check all that apply)
______ book or article about cannabis
______ suggestion from a family friend or acquaintance
______ suggestion from personal physician
______ I had been a recreational user and I found out by “accident”
______ other reason / please list here:_______________
8. How much money per month do you spend on cannabis? _______________
9. Do you smoke tobacco? ______ yes (if so, how much _______________ ) ______ no
The following questions ask about other medications you may use or may have tried:
10. What has been your experience with Marinol, the oral THC capsule?
______ never used
______ tried it and didn’t like it / please list why here:
______ tried it and thought it worked but stopped using it because: _______________
______ current user with partial relief
______ current user with complete relief
______ other:
11. If you have never tried Marinol, would you be willing to try it in comparison to cannabis? ______ yes ______ no
12. If you have tried Marinol or currently use it, which provides better relief? ______ cannabis ______ Marinol
13. Are you currently using any prescription drugs for your condition or symptoms in addition to using cannabis for your condition or symptoms? ______ yes ______ no
If yes, please list the drugs, dose (if you know it), frequency of use (once daily, etc.), and how it works for you (does it work well, or do you like cannabis better, does cannabis help it work better, etc.)
These are some of the comments that other patients have given when describing their medications:
“a combination of cannabis and another drug is most effective”
“cannabis helps me to cut down on drugs that give me unpleasant side effects”
“cannabis blocks the side effects of one or more of the drugs I use”
“cannabis helps with some of my symptoms and I use another medicine for other symptoms”
“other drugs do not provide the relief that I get from cannabis”
“cannabis works but I hate to smoke”
Please use this space if you would like to make additional comments on how your use of cannabis compares to or works with your other medicine(s): ________________
14. Are there other prescription drugs that you have tried in the past for your condition in addition to using cannabis for your condition? ____ yes ____ no
15. How much money per month do you spend on other medications? Please estimate your costs plus costs to your insurance company, Medicare, or Medicaid: __________
The following questions ask about your doctor:
16. Does your doctor know that you use cannabis medicinally? ______ yes ______ no ______ I don’t see a doctor
If yes, please check all that apply:
My doctor is . . .
______ strongly discouraging of my use ______ mildly discouraging of my use
______ mildly supportive of my use
______ strongly supporti
ve of my use
______ the person who recommended that I try cannabis
17. If your doctor does not know you use medicinal cannabis, would you be able to speak with him at some later date? ______ yes ______ no ______ maybe
18. If your doctor knows you use medicinal cannabis, do you have a letter of support or prescription from him indicating he would prescribe cannabis to you if it were a legally available medicine? ______ yes ______ no
(If so, please include and return a copy of your letter of recommendation or a prescription)
The following questions ask about your involvement with the medical cannabis movement:
18. Are you involved with a grassroots medical cannabis advocacy effort such as a Buyers Club, Green Cross, Cannabis Action Network, etc.? ______ yes ______ no
(If you are working with the medical cannabis movement, we would love to hear about what you’re doing. Maybe we could share your good ideas with other activists.)
19. The CPR will not give your name or number to other organizations or to individuals. Would you be interested in receiving information from the CPR about other efforts in the medical cannabis movement? ______ yes ______ no
20. If a patient calls us and would like to be in contact with another patient with your condition or in your geographic area, would you like us to call you to see if you’re interested in talking to them? ______ yes ______ no
21. If a reporter calls us and would like to interview a patient with your condition or in your geographic area, would you like us to call you to see if you’re interested in talking to them? ______ yes ______ no
22. If we call you and you’re not there, is it o.k. to leave a message about why we’re calling? ______ yes ______ no
23. May we send mailings to you with the return address: “MAPS/CPR, 2121 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 200-G, Charlotte NC 28205?” ______ yes ______ no