This article first appeared in the Health & Wellness edition of Fat Nugs Magazine, published February 2024
You may think you know cannabis. You may think you know the many forms and shapes this wonderful plant can take, and all the variety of ways to enjoy them. But I invite you to a new perspective – cannabis as food.
Not edibles. Raw food.
Let me ask you this:
What happens to the fan leaves on cannabis plants after they’re trimmed? Do you save them or toss them right in the bin?
Do you skip over the hemp seeds in the health food section, dismissing them as just another fad?
Your favorite way to elevate your mind can also elevate your gut: cannabis is a superfood.
What is a Superfood?
First, let’s back the train up. What, exactly, is a superfood?
“Superfood is a non-scientific term we give to plants that have certain compounds,” said Steven Philpott, Environmental Biologist and Ph.D. Graduate Researcher. “Superfoods are antioxidant-rich plants that neutralize oxidative stress in our foods.”
Oxidative stress is caused by free radicals, single electrons seeking a pair. These solo travelers are the starting point for dozens of health problems, from acne and weight gain all the way to cancer. Superfoods contain antioxidant compounds that reduce oxidative stress in the body and help eliminate problems before they become one.
Calling a food “super” just means that it’s got a robust profile of nutrients and it’s not highly processed. If you want to eat more superfoods, you don’t have to clean out your fridge or spend $1,000 at Whole Foods. Philpott suggests starting with a focus on eating the rainbow in plants. The more colors on your plate, the more nutrients in your food.
So how can you add cannabis to the mix?
Skip The Grocery Store – Use Fan Leaves
One of the biggest hidden superfoods on the cannabis plant is the fan leaves. They’re iconic – but how often do they go to waste?
These seven-pointed stars hide a surprisingly long list of nutrients in their thin bodies. They have essential fatty acids, an astounding nine amino acids, fiber, and a long list of vitamins, including zinc, magnesium, folate, Vitamin C and K, and iron. They also have nine times more protein than spinach does!
“Cannabis is rich in antioxidants, even more so than some of the other foods the media deems ‘super,’” said Philpott. “Omega-3, omega-6, cannabinoids, terpenes, chlorophyll, polyphenols – the same diversity we love in cannabis for smoking is beneficial for us in eating too.”
Surprised yet?
How to Eat Cannabis Fan Leaves
Philpott enjoys using his fan leaves to make tea, but he also occasionally grates flower over meals as a garnish. You may think that sounds like a waste of a good high, but you don’t need to get high to benefit from the compounds in cannabis.
Fan leaves also contain phytocannabinoid-derived acids, better known as the acidic versions of your favorite cannabinoids like THCA and CBDA. These molecules are not intoxicating but still contain powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Once heated, the conversion process from acids to active begins.
“The Western world is obsessed with cooking food and that changes the nutrient profile,” Philpott said. “Eating raw cannabis is a great way to get the benefits.”
But wait – what do fan leaves taste like? It’s exactly what you’d expect: an earthy, crunchy flavor with a hint of classic cannabis. If you already enjoy raw greens, fan leaves will pair nicely in your meals. If you don’t like the “weed taste” there are ways to hide it.
A few ways to enjoy leafy greens:
- Salad. Make a salad and add in your fan leaves (off of the stem) along with spinach, arugula, or any other greens you like.
- Tea. All tea is made from dried plant matter. Dehydrate your leaves or allow them to dry naturally, crush them, steep in hot water for 3 – 7 minutes, and enjoy.
- Juice. At least one doctor (Dr. William Courtney) has advocated for juicing fan leaves to treat cancer. I can’t endorse that, but it certainly never hurts to boost your greens intake. (And there’s no way juiced fan leaves are worse than juiced celery.)
- Smoothies. If you can’t stand the taste of fan leaves alone, add them in with other fruits or veggies to a smoothie mix.
- Your favorite recipe. Swap the spinach in Italian Wedding Soup for fan leaves, blend them with basil and pine nuts to make pesto, or sneak them into your favorite recipe another way. Your imagination is the limit!
- Green powder. Use this powder like you would any supergreens powder, or portion it into capsules to add to your daily vitamin routine. Pro tip: Philpott suggests putting your leaves into the freezer for a few hours and then putting them in the blender. This allows the water in the leaves to freeze so they shatter rather than pulverize into liquid.
One important note on eating fan leaves and weed flower: use fresh, organic bud. Always wash your fan leaves before consuming, and don’t eat anything that looks moldy. If you’re growing at home, don’t consume fan leaves that you use to foliar-feed your plants. Feed mixtures often contain fish excrement and bat guano, and you do not want to ingest that.
Don’t Leave Hemp Behind
And hemp – well, my goodness. What can’t hemp do? Build walls, create wood floors, provide a sustainable alternative to plastic that cleans the ground it’s grown on – and act as a complete source of protein.
Long before people were regularly getting high, hemp plants were creating civilizations by providing base materials for vital fibers (stalks and stems) and a balanced source of protein, Omega-3, and Omega-6 (seeds). Hempseeds are an original superfood, not just because of their nutrient profile, but because of how important they were to growing civilizations.
Hemp seeds mix in well with oats and chia seeds, as a garnish to salads, or in your favorite recipes. If you’re like me and don’t enjoy the texture of hemp seeds, Philpott recommends pulverizing them in a food processor for easy drinking.
We have only scratched the surface of what cannabis can do for us. The next time you’re looking for a good veggie pairing for dinner, why not whip together a fan leaves and hemp seed salad? It’s creative, delicious, and supportive of your gut and your endocannabinoid system – what more could you ask for?
