SUPER BEAUTY IN THESE LEGAL LEAVES
CANNABIS
While they have an instantly recognizable iconic shape, cannabis leaves are not the most prized parts of the plant. The THC and CBD treasures -- the active ingredients --- are concentrated in cannabis flower buds. But Cannabis leaves are not only essential -- absorbing sunlight for photosynthesis -- they are proving to yield even more benefits, both aesthetic and nutritional.
Cannabis has been in the news lately because more US states and countries are electing to now legalize it. This past week, three states voted in favor of marijuana legalization in the midterm elections. Utah and Missouri approved the drug for medical use, while Michigan legalized cannabis for recreational use. To date, 33 states have legalized medical marijuana, and 10 states and Washington, DC have legalized recreational marijuana. Nearly $9 billion in cannabis sales was reported in 2017 in the United States alone, according to BDS Analytics. Federal legislation has to change to accommodate.
The benefits of cannabis use seem to be outweighing its real risks. Studies show that cannabis has a far lower risk factor for dependence compared to both nicotine and alcohol, far lower risk for cancer and other disease, and no risk of overdose.
People have been using cannabis for many thousands of years, dating back to prehistoric societies in Eurasia and Africa. Ancient Greeks took cannabis steam baths. Cannabis appears in the Old Testament as קני בושם (q'nei bosem), a component of the biblical anointing oil.
Ancient Romans, Buddhists, Hindus, and other religious groups used cannabis. Some modern Gnostic Christian sects have asserted that cannabis is the Tree of Life. And in the past 40 years, Jamaican Rastafarians helped spread its popularity to Western culture.
Today, it is estimated that around a quarter of a billion people around the world use the buds of two main cannabis species -- Cannabis sativa & Cannabis indica -- in one form or another, smoked, in edibles, and topically. They use it recreationally, to relax and expand their thinking. They use it medicinally, to reduce nausea, seizures, and pain. And they use it spiritually. Now, several creative chefs are using cannabis leaves gastronomically. In fact, cannabis leaves may be the next “superfood!”
Cannabis fan or palmate leaves are symmetrical. They grow in pairs from the main stem. Indica features dark, wide leaves, while sativa features lighter green leaves with slender “fingers.” Hybrids feature a blend of the two. All of the leafs feature a serrated edge.
Cannabis flowers look more like a tangle of leaves than like blossoms. In females, flowers are dense, bristling with leaflets, called “sugar leaves,” and upright in thick leaf clusters arrayed along the flowering limb. All are covered with trichomes, tiny hairlike structures that produce a glistening gooey resinous coating that is loaded with THC, CBD, and hundreds of other cannabinoids. While they contain a higher concentration of THC and CBD than the large palmate leaves, sugar leaves are usually trimmed off before the bud is consumed, since they tend to yield harsh smoke. Sometimes the sugar leaves are used to make edibles.
We’re fascinated by the different colored leaves and buds available today. While a new research study shows that all cannabis species and strains are basically the same in that they contain the same amount of THC and CBD, color variations signal a plant’s ability to produce different effects. “Blue Dream” will give you an introspective buzz, while Afghan Kush will chill you out.
It turns out that the color variation comes from different levels in other cannabinoids, especially Cannabichromene (CBC) and Cannabinol (CBN). There are around 100 cannabinoids in every strain.
As young plants grow, most strains of cannabis are primarily green. As they mature, more colors can appear or become more pronounced in both leaves and buds. Temperature, nutrient levels, the acidity or alkalinity of the soil and the quality of the light all influence color.
Color has no effect on potency. But if you are consuming your cannabis orally in tinctures, oils, edibles, or capsules, you may be getting the nutritional benefits of carotenoids, anthocyanins, and other flavonoids, which influence color.
Most cannabis is predominantly green, thanks to high levels of chlorophyll. The leaves can change color in autumn, just as they do in deciduous tree leaves, when lower temperatures inhibit chlorophyll production, allowing the other colors to shine through.
Cannabis strains that really rock green color include Green Crack, Green Haze, and Green Goblin.
We especially love purple and blue cannabis leaves, like the aforementioned “Blue Dream,” “Blueberry Kush,” “Blue Cheese,” “Purple Haze” and “Purple Urkle.” Their color comes from anthocyanins, flavonoid and antioxidant compounds that are also found in fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, eggplant and purple cabbage.
There are rare red and pink varieties of cannabis, such as “Red Dragon” and “Pink Panther,” which have higher pH measurements.
Orange and yellow leafed and flowered cannabis strains get their color from carotenoids, another group of antioxidant and flavonoid compounds, including beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin, which can be converted by the body into Vitamin A, just as they do in carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. Carotenoids are important for eye health.
Cannabis plants grown in alkaline soils with a pH of 5.0 or less can have a greater abundance of carotenoids. Orange and yellow cannabis strains include “Creamsicle,” “Orange Bud,” “Lemon Kush,” and “Nectarine.”
Cannabis strains, such as “White Widow” and “White Rhino,” that have been developed to maximize potency, are so loaded with trichomes that they appear white or frosty.
Regardless of their color, now people are eating fresh cannabis leaves for their health benefits. While CBD (non-psychoactive) and THC (psychoactive) cannabinoids are found mostly in the flowers, THC-A, which has many of the same anti-inflammatory properties, can only be accessed through fresh cannabis leaves. THC-A has also been found to help manage or reverse chronic diseases, including Parkinson's and prostate cancer. And the plant contains essential fatty acids for your brain and brain function. Hello new superfood!
Consuming fresh, uncured cannabis leaves will not result in a high. You can add them to salads, juice them, and add them to smoothies.
Some cutting-edge chefs are taking the cannabis-leaf-as-food concept even further. Check out Shibumi, an uber-cool restaurant in downtown LA. It’s got a speakeasy vibe, with a secret doorway, and off-menu cannabis-infused dishes like Cannabis Leaf Tempura and their Baked Alaska Cocktail. Chef-owner David Schlosser uses fresh locally-produced leaves from an organic grower near the restaurant.
Schlosser, who lived in Tokyo and Kyoto for four years cooking for the US Ambassador to Japan learned that people have been eating fresh cannabis leaves in Southeast Asia for hundreds of years.
Schlosser has also created cannabis kimchi, made with fresh cannabis leaves, cabbage, and ginger. He is currently developing dishes smoked over cannabis plant branches. As the laws change to relax restrictions, Schlosser plans to host THC cannabis dinner parties.
You can learn more about cannabis at Leafly is the world’s largest cannabis information resource.
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