Dr. Courtney's raw cannabis juice

Dr. Courtney: Marijuana and Psychiatry

Doctor William L. Courtney has a solid medical education. After obtaining the Doctorate in Medicine at the Wayne State University (USA) and doing his internship at the Psychiatry Medical Center of California, he obtained his post doctorate on legal medicine. Dr. Courtney is currently member of the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine, the International Assotiation of Cannabis as Medicine, and the Society of Clinical Cannabis. Furthermore, he has also teached Continuing Medical Education courses in clinical cannabis .

Doctor William Courtney
Dr Courtney has become the foremost specialist on cannabis juice

The favourite research field of this american doctor is the daily use of marijuana, with a 250-500mg intake of phytocannabinoids in the form of non-psychoactive acid, which the doctor considers to be essential nutrients. During the last years, Dr. Courtney has shown his investigtions to many other doctors; during his speech Cannabis Therapeutics in Rhode Island - April, 2010 -  at the Institute of Molecular Psychiatry of Bonn - June, 2010 - at the Institute of Advanced Studies of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem - November, 2010 - or in his speech at the International Cannabinoid Research Society in Chicago - July, 2011. 

Dr. Courtney is also vice-president of the Association Luxembourgeoise des Méthodes Préventives, that use his recipies for making raw marijuana juice. He also works with those cannabis dispensaries that want to offer cannabis juices to all their therapeutical users with serious diseases. He has also started several medical research laboratories in California

The Power of RAW Cannabis (2012)

Kristen Peskuski, first patient healed with raw cannabis juice

Dr. Courtney's most interesting story is about his wife Kristen Peskuski. Kristen suffered from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus for many years, an autoimmune disorder that damages the connective tissues of several organs. When her health status greatly improved after consuming raw marijuana juice every day, they were confident that they had found a viable treatment for certain chronic diseases. Kristen used to take about 40 medicines every day, while today she only takes them occasionaly, for some specific symptoms.

Although her gynecologist was sceptical at the beginning - even hostile of the idea of using cannabis as medicine - he subsequently stated:  "It is a miracle, a story that deserves being told". After a medical evaluation, the gynecologist carefully studied Kristen's expedient to verify her previous health state. On the basis of her medical history, he caimed that Kristen "was about to die...and any medicine eminence  could help her, could neither know what was happening nor how to proceed. That's why they contacted Dr. Courtney, who saved her life." Courtney initially prescribed her dry marijuana capsules, and then he gave her raw cannabis juice.

Kristen Peskuski
Kristen Peskuski was Dr. Courtney's patient before becoming his wife

Doctors had told Kristen that she could never have a baby, however, she gave birth to a healthy girl without any medical intervention or treatment for pain. Nowadays, Kristen and her daughter are healthy, strong and radiant. Kristen Peskuski truly believes that cannabis saved her life; she tells that "when I take marijuana juice, I feel more focused, more alert. I breathe better. I have neither heartburn nor gastric disorders, I don't feel muscle weakness or pelvic and back pains. Now that I feel good, my aim is to help other people with the same problem than mine, so they have all the information on raw cannabis juice."

Dr. Courtney shares his wife's passion for helping other people with marijuana and states: "I'm happy to know that my patients don't need medicines anymore, which caused them ulcers, stomach hemorrhages or liver injuries - that pain and anti-inflammatory medicines usually cause. We believe that spreading this information is worth fighting for. Why deprive someone of reducing the risks of a tumor, a heart attack or diabetes?"

Doctor Courtney continues: "Go and visit Amber; at age 2, she was diagnosed with an end-stage brain tumor. With the classic treatment, she had a 10% chance to survive. After surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, tumors were still developing; the doctors recommended Amber's parents to take her home and wait for what's inevitable.  A month later, Amber's parents started to notice a change. Tumors were decreasing in size and number; the family had started to make juice with raw cannabis leafs, giving the child a few mililiters every day.

The fact that such an important institution like the National Cancer Institute has recently recognized the anti-tumor properties of cannabinoids shows that the situation is progressing at the highest level.  But this issue has a dark side: if marijuana is finally and officially recognized as a benefitial plant, companies like Monsanto will soon create and distribute cannabis seeds genetically modified to be sterile and Roundup Ready."

Composition and therapeutic properties of the raw marijuana juice

In natural form, marijuana is a super-nutrient, rich in essential nutrients capable of preventing and healing many diseases, since we can not sintetize these essential nutrients: essential fatty acids, essential aminoacids, fibers, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, carotenoids, terpenes,...without forgetting the renowned phytocannabinoid acids.

Marijuana can be consumed raw
Marijuana is a concentrate of essential nutrients and cannabinoids in acid, non-psychoactive form.

Humans have an endogenous cannabinoid system that controls many cell functions. 525 different molecules have been identified in the cannabis plant. Some of them act as modulators, facilitating the regulation of the cell physiology of the endeogenous cannabinoid system. The main component found in raw cannabis plants is THCA, which - along with other phytocannabinoids - interact with the immune system. Recently harvested marijuana plants also contain cannabinoids in acid form: THCA, CBDA, CBGA...which are non-psychoative.

Patients become euphoric with THC doses between 10 and 20mg, while they can take complete doses - 200/1000mg - of other non-psychoactive cannabinoids. Many patients don't tolerate THC due to its psychoactivity, which interferes with their daily activities, even when it does improve several symptoms. When cannabis is ripe or heated, cannabinoids decarboxilate, what reduces the tolerable dose from 2000 to 10mg. The result is the loss of the anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic and anti-proliferative - anti-cancerous - properties of cannabinoids.

Cannabinoid extraction for nutrition
Marihuana can be consumed in multiple ways, like capsules, powder or raw juice

THCA is a potent agonist of TRPA1 receptor, and antagonist of TRPM8 receptor (Source: JPET),what could explain its analgesic action, taking a prominent role in the treatment of prostate cancer. THCA has also antiemetic properties (Source: NCBI) and protects dopamine neurons from degeneration, what could be a great help for Parkinson treatments (Source: NCBI).

CBDA has the same properties than THCA in both TRPA1 and TRPM8 receptors, but it is also agonist of TRPV1 receptor and inhibitory of COX-2 (ciclooxigenase-2), an enzyme complex that has a very important role in inflammations. CBDA also has the potential of fighting against the mutation of tumoral cells (Source: NCBI), which are highly invasive in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells (Source: NCBI). CBDA has also influence on 5-HT1A serotonin receptors, what could partially explain its anti-nausea properties (Source: NCBI).

Acid cannabinoids CBDA and CBGA are known for being strong antagonists of GPR55 pro-inflammatory receptor (Source: JBC). Thus, cannabinoid acids have anti-inflammatory properties 2 to 4 times more efficient than cannabinoids in neutral form, which have been studied for the last 30 years.

We can still highlight another interesting property of acid cannabinoids: the acid carboxylic group is hydrophile, what means that these acid cannabinoids are partially soluble in water compared to decarboxylated cannabinoids - THC, CBD... - which are not.

A nice meal with marijuana
To enjoy the benefits of cannabis we can include a Raw Marijuana Juice at each meal

The N° 6 630 507 United States patent states that some cannabinoids have useful therapeutic effects, which are not activated by cannabinoid receptors and, consequently, don't have psychoactive effects. Furthermore, this absence of psychoactivity allows very high doses without non-desired side effects.

Dr. Courtney claims that these cannabinoids help the regulatory system of our body to be more efficient. In summary, they are nutrients that help to better regulate the performance of our 210 types of body cells. We are not talking here about their use as a medicine, but simply as essential nutrients.

The best way to spread this message is to have good information and to know what one is talking about. One of the first reactions when speaking of using marijuana is identifying it with its psychoactive effects. Marijuana in natural form is not psychoactive, sice THC is in acid form, THCA. This THCA can be decarboxylated to psychoactive THC over time - drying, ripening, storing - and/or because it is heated - combustion, vaporization,cooking.

Marijuana can be used in several ways
By combining different extractions we can use a large number of cannabinoids

Doctor Courtney continues:  "If you heat the plant, you get decarboxylated THCA - THC -  and you will have psychoactive effects with only 10mg of THC. If it is not heated, you can take from 500 to 600mg of THCA, use it as essential nutrient and enjoy the antioxidant and neuroprotective properties that these high doses offer you.

This spectacular increase of the dose - from 10mg of psychoactive THC to 500-600mg of non-psychoactive THCA, CBDA, CBGA - explains the main difference between traditional medicinal cannabis and this new alternative daily use of cannabinoids. However, other substances of the plant, such as aromatic molecules , may affect mood or energy levels.

Marijuana is an incredibly complex plant, whose synergic components are still not totally catalogued and studied. Meanwhile, it is up to every consumer to identify the most suitable strain to improve his/her health."

The proportion of cannabinoids varies from one cannabis plant to another; however, we still don't have studies or analysis about which parts of the plant contain more or less specific cannabinoids.  For this reason, it seems that the most recommendable way to consume it is using the entire plant, leafs and flowers.

There are currently on the market different strains rich in CBD . The ideal CBD dose per person is 5-20mg per Kg of body weight. For a person weighing 70kg, 7gr of 5% CBD marijuana are needed for a dose of 5mg of CBD per Kg of body weight, while 35gr of 1% CBD marijuana will be needed to consume the same amount of this therapeutic cannabinoid.

Hemp crop in Luxembourg
Doctor William Courtney legally extracts CBD in Europe from hemp

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a potent antioxidant for lipids, more efficient than vitamin E. That is why it is so useful for preventing diseases caused by alcohol and radiations, as well as CNS - Central Nervous System - diseases (myelopathy, encephalopathy), since CBD is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and so acting as antioxidant on brain neurones. CBD also has antiepilectic, antiproliferative and antidystonia properties.

Decarboxylation of CBDA to CBD needs a slightly higher temperature than decarboxylation of THCA to THC. Therefore, if you want to transform the CBDA of a plant to CBD, you will also have to transform THCA to THC.

The average THC dose for those who don't have problems with its psychoactivity is from 10 to 20mg. If we make a juice of a 10gr ripe marijuana bud with a 1:1 THC/CBD ratio (5%) we will get up to 500mg of THCA and 500mg of CBDA. If this juice is accidentally heated, a 500mg THC dose will we achieved, that is to say, approximatelly 50 times the needed dose to feel high!

Raw marijuana juice preparation and conservation tips

Consuming marijuana in natural form is the only way to enjoy all the benefits of the plant. Extracting its juice is the best way to use cannabis as nutrient , but it is also possible to chew and swallow recently harvested - fresh - marijuana buds and leafs. Using a juice extractor is highly recommended when processing a large amount of leafs, while a blender will be perfect for shredding buds. Using a blender for the buds instead of a juice extractor reduces the loss of cannabinoids, since these are attached to the juice extractor filter.

Raw marijuana juice extraction
Diluting cannabis juice with different fruits is recommended to lessen its strong vegetable taste

Recently harvested marijuana can be stored in airtight bags in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Once the juice is extracted, it can be stored either with ice in the fridge up to 3 days, or in the freezer for several months.

Before extracting their juice, it is recommended to clean the leafs and soak them in cold water for 5 minutes. Check that all leafs are perfectly clean before soaking them, even if they were grown orcanically. If our plants received any kind of phytosanitary treatment (insecticides, fungicides, acaricides,...) they are not suitable for making cannabis juice.

Marijuana and fruit juice
We can use male cannabis leafs to make a delicious raw marijuana juice mixed with fruits

Buds have higher concentration of cannabinoids than leafs, and therefore are an excellent method of consumption if one has sufficient supplies. Both leafs and buds are extremely benefitial, but combining them is ideal. Marijuana buds must have their trichomes of withe/milky colour, there should not be anyone amber. You can use plant's leafs either in their growing or flowering stage.

Male plants - from regular seeds - hermaphrodite plants  or even all the trimming can be used to make raw marijuana juice. The main difficulty to supply ourselves with raw cannabis juice during all the year is, obviously, having enough green matter for the whole year. It would be perfect germinating one marijuana seed every day so, over time, we can harvest one plant every day.

Juice extractor processing marijuana leafs
A juice extractor allows us to easily extract marijuana juice from its leafs

To ensure that his patients consume 250-500mg of acid phytocannabinoids every day, Dr Courtney recommends taking care with plants grown too close to indoor bulbs or other possible heat sources. Sometimes, when plants are too close from HPS bulbs , the heat produced by the lighting system can decarboxylate THCA to THC. This could also happen in outdoor plants when they reach their flowering peak and the climate is too hot, although it is not usual.

If you want to process an entire plant, or a large amount of green matter, you should allow to cool your juice extractor from time to time. If your extractor is too hot, it may produce decarboxylation of cannabinoids during the extraction, what will make the juice to be psychoactive; a cup of hot marijuana juice is equal to several tens of joints.

Marijuana ice cubes
We can freeze our marijuana juice and make ice cubes with it

Doctor William Courtney recommends consuming oil from hemp seeds every day,  salads with sprouted cannabis seeds and 120-240ml of raw marijuana juice, divided into 5 doses (500mg of CBD cannabidiol). Doctor Courtney states that "it is great because we use non-psychoactive cannabinoids, but that actually saturate the body, facilitating its regulation". According to him, this diet reduces the risks of cancer, heart attacks (66%) and insulin-dependent diabetes (58%).

The taste of raw marijuana juice is strong and "green", so it is recommended to mix it with other fruit juices or foods: lemon juice, yogurt, oil from hemp seeds , fresh fruits and vegetables, garlic, turmeric and other spices, which will be the perfect supplement for cannabis juice. Dr. Courtney claims:  "I started to make marijuana juice with carrots. I took 4 every morning, and 4 more every afternoon, but after taking carrot juice for several months my skin was starting to turn orange. That is why I now use broccoli and beet".

Usually, patients start taking 1-3mg of fresh grinded buds to ensure that there are neither allergic reactions nor psychoactivity. Once accustomed to this dose, it can be progressively  increased from 10 to 15gr of fresh, raw cannabis buds every day. As a supplement, consume about 30gr of fresh leafs every day, even more if you have sufficient plant production .

Raw marijuana juice distribution
Step by step, american cannabis dispensaries are starting to offer their patients raw marijuana juice

The juice will be more efficient if we divide it in several intakes, since our body eliminates it very fast, aproximately 50 minutes after its assimilation by the intestinal tract. If we have 300ml of raw cannabis juice, we will make 5 intakes of 60ml during the day, every 3-4 hours. Keep the juice with ice and shake it before using it, so the fatty acids are evenly distributed in the watery part of the juice.

Doctor Courtney warns those patients with kidneys and gall bladder problems that cannabis juice in natural form poses some risks. Marijuana juice is not recommended for hypercalciuria or hyperoxaluria. Finally, doctor Courtney points out that patients consuming medicines whose efficiency could be decreased by grapefruit or pomegranate juice should inform their doctor before starting a diet with marijuana juice; the same happens if patients use anticoagulants (like Coumadín). Most leafs from plants contain large proportions of vitamin K, which can impede the liver to metabolize these medicines.

Preparation of raw marijuana juice
Mixed with carrots or fruits, raw marijuana juice is an excellent choice for our health, and non-psychoative

According to Dr. Courtney, some effects of the raw cannabis juice may appear 3 days after the first intake, while others can take a few weeks. We must consume raw marijuana juice from 4 to 8 weeks before noticing its benefitial properties, since phytocannabinoids are slowly accumulated in fatty tissues, just like liphophilic vitamins (A, D, E, K).

Mariellen Jurkovitch, director of the Humbolt Patient Resource Center, notices a great improvement in the patient's health. She states that smoking marijuana lessened the pain of several patients and improved their life quality, but that she could not actually observe a true improvement in their health; raw marijuana, in its natural form, changed her point of view. She claims that while making the juice and cleaning the extractor means a lot of work, "people that do it love it, because they can see results".

Main sources used to draft this post:


The articles published by Alchimiaweb, S.L. are reserved for adult clients only. We would like to remind our customers that cannabis seeds are not listed in the European Community catalogue. They are products intended for genetic conservation and collecting, in no case for cultivation. In some countries it is strictly forbidden to germinate cannabis seeds, other than those authorised by the European Union. We recommend our customers not to infringe the law in any way, we are not responsible for their use.
2014-07-28 Medical marijuana

Comments in “Dr. Courtney's raw cannabis juice” (94)

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Inderjeet 2022-12-14
Dr. William Courtney Sir, My father had brain surgery in 2019(cerebellum) as he had a tumor in that area after surgery got successful, he had some effects after like:- poor motor skills strength is 100% no memory loss not able to speak properly poor vision not able to stand alone(need some support to stand with) please assist me with this , is it safe to give this treatment to my father, I have an doubt that is there any feeling or symptom (High feeling like after consuming alcohol). Please help me with this and if you want I can share the reports of my father pre and post surgery . Thanks Inderjeet singh

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2022-12-15
Hi Inderjeet, We're a Grow Shop from Spain, I'm sorry but we have no contact with Dr. Courtney. From what you say, and especially if you're living in the States, I'd ask some doctor who knows about cannabis about that treatment. Hope you'll find a treatment that works for your father!

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Leonardo 2022-10-28
Hello!, amazing post and info. I've already read all of it including, Q&A section, but I'm still wondering isn't better processing the fresh buds in a "slow juicer / cold press juicer" instead of a blender? the blender will not make fricction and heat a little bit or more the cannabis ? I await for the answer! and thanks for everything! Cheers

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2022-11-02
Hi Leonardo, thanks for your kind words and for your comment/question. Effectively, yes, it's always better for the active compounds if we use a proper cold press juicer rather than a blender, but they're relatively expensive machines and not too widespread here in Spain, so we tailored the instructions to use the equipment found in a fairly basic kitchen setup. I hope that helps. Best wishes and happy juicing!

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Dr. William Courtney 2022-10-08
For a personalized cannabis conultation you can reach Dr. William Courtney at askdrbill@gmail.com or 707-961-1420.

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2022-10-17
Hi Dr. Courtney, thanks for the updated contact info, I hope our readers will find it useful. Best wishes and happy growing!

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Ali 2022-08-06
Will you deliver to Australia?

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2022-08-06
Hi, thanks for your question. Yes, we can deliver pretty much all of our stock apart from cannabis seeds to Australia, although to be honest, the shipping cost is rather prohibitive. More info at this link: shipping to Australia. Best wishes and happy growing!

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Gurdev Singh 2022-07-13
I am 84 and I participated in the World Masters Athletics Championship held in Poland and finished 60 metres in 10.22 seconds and on the basis of this my ranking in Asia is on No 1 and my mother got 4 golds in 100 plus age group. I live in India and there are so many areas where Hemp can be seen growing wild. My question is can we juice this plant and drink it. How much we can take this juice.

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2022-07-14
Hi Gurdev, thanks for your comment. I can only hope that when I'm your age, I'll be as healthy and active as you are! In answer to your question, yes, you can certainly use those wild hemp plants for juicing. Try not to pick plants from roadsides or other potentially contaminated areas, or anywhere that may have been sprayed with pesticides, etc. If these plants are truly hemp, then the cannabinoid content will be relatively low, meaning that you should be able to drink as much of the juice as you please without feeling any type of "high" effect. People talk about 500-1000 mg of THC-A as being the recommended daily dose, and with hemp plants having low THC levels and somewhat higher CBD levels, I don't think it would even be possible to drink enough juice to exceed these limits! I hope that helps, and I hope you enjoy the juice. Best wishes and happy juicing!

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TAR 2020-07-11
Hi Dr.Courtney I have recently been diagnosed with SLE and Sjogren's syndrome. I am currently being prescribed 400 mg a day of Hydroxychloroquine. I'm very interested in trying cannabis juice. I have access to the leaves. but I keep reading you should only use certain kinds of juicers. I cannot afford to spend hundreds of dollars on a juicer do you have any other suggestions?

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2020-07-13
Hi TAR, thanks for your comment and question. First I must make it clear to you that we do not represent Dr. Courtney nor do we have any links or relationship with him or his work, this article is simply about his work with raw cannabis juicing. He has his own website that is run by him and his wife, you can contact him there at cannabisinternational.org As for the juicer, my opinion is that there's more benefit to be gained from juicing cannabis with whatever equipment you have at hand than waiting until you can afford to buy the best juicer available. There are plenty of budget juicers available, they'll do the job well enough but might not be as durable and long-lasting as the more expensive ones, which means that in the long run, you may have to buy 2 or even 3 cheap juicers to last as long as one good-quality juicer would, thus working out more expensive (and wasteful) over time. I hope that helps. Best wishes and happy juicing!

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Kim 2020-06-05
I'm very concerned about the plants getting too hot in the sun here in northern California. We are growing for my dad who has prostate cancer. If he gets high, it will be all over. It was 97 today. At what temperature does the Thc convert?

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2020-06-05
Hi Kim, thanks for your comment and question. You don't need to be too concerned about this, the THCA will not convert to THC or CBN while it's still on the living plant. While all the plant's metabolic processes are working it will keep producing THCA and won't begin to decarboxylate (convert THCA to THC) until the plant is harvested and drying, so really it's post-harvest when you need to be a little more careful with heat. However, these kinds of high temperatures probably aren't going to be much fun for the growing plants, so I would possibly recommend hanging some shade cloth over the plants to shield them from the harshest sunlight, which ought to keep the temperatures to more reasonable levels and stress the plants less. I hope that helps, best wishes and happy growing!

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DerrekR 2020-05-07
Dr W Courtney has mentioned developing a self directed internet study courses ranging from 30 minutes to 300 hours. Do you have any idea about whether his particular courses are available and if so where and how can one apply? I wouldn't wanna look elsewhere since I regard him as the forerunner of the raw cannabis juicing regime. Anxiously await your email reply. Regards Derrek

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2020-05-07
Hi Derrek, thanks for your comment and question. I've done some searching online and unfortunately, I can't find any information or mention of these courses. They do sound like a really great idea though! Dr Courtney does, however, have a website where you can find his contact details: https://drwilliamcourtney.com/wordpress/index.php/contact-form/ All the best and happy juicing!

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Brian 2020-03-28
I would think that now with legalization here in California it would be much easier and cheaper to buy pre made smoothie mix or frozen juice. Do you know where I could find it and what kind of cost I would be looking at per day per adult in the household?

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2020-03-30
Hi Brian, thanks for your comment and question. I agree that it ought to be much easier to access that kind of thing in a legal marketplace, but search as I might, I can't find anyone offering raw cannabis products anywhere. You may have more luck if you enquire in local dispensaries, a good one will hopefully be able to point you in the right direction. I know some dispensaries offer THC-infused beverages, but these are quite different from raw cannabis juice. In any case, most patients find that the best way to get good quality material, free from pesticides and chemicals, is by learning to grow it for themselves. Prior to Prop 64, I'd have advised you to make contact with growers at local farmer's markets and try and make a deal with them to source fresh leaves, but as far as I know, that would be illegal under the new legislation. As for cost, I'm afraid I know even less, sorry I can't be more helpful to you. Best of luck in your search, and if you do happen to find anything useful, please feel free to share the details with us here, please. All the best, happy growing!

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MS 2019-12-09
Are there any benefits to using female stems and leaves?

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2019-12-09
Hi MS, thanks for your question. As a general rule, female plants will tend to have a higher concentration of trichomes all over the plant, including the leaves and stems, so I'd say yes, it's definitely better to use females, but not absolutely necessary. If you only have access to male plants then that's definitely better than nothing! All the best and happy juicing!!!

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My Bestie Is My Soulmate 2019-11-05
This was just what I was on the look for. I will come back to this blog for sure!

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2019-11-07
Awesome, thanks for the kind words. Happy growing!

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Roberta L Smith 2019-05-13
looking for a cold juicer for cannabis, that can also be used for celery, cucumbers, leafy greens and fruits and berries...can anyone suggest a particular make and model? thanks!!!

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2019-05-14
Hi Roberta, thanks for your question. We recommend a Masticating Juicer for use with cannabis, this is because they extract the juice by gently crushing the materials and they also work slower than centrifugal juicers and thus create less heat during the juicing process, which makes them perfect for raw cannabis juicing. Hope that helps, all the best and happy juicing!

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B 2019-01-06
Hi I am a bit confused.. Fresh/juice, very dry leaf/bud, does this contain the same quality in doing either process? so can you take the dry matter and grind it so to speak and put it in capsules to take, if you can what is the recommended daily amount? If you lose quality from fresh juice to making it dry matter, what is lost in the dry matter?

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2019-01-07
Hi B, thanks for commenting. Although this article does make a small mention of dry capsules, it only focuses on the benefits of raw cannabis, which is why we don't go into any details on how to dose dried cannabis capsules. There are so many factors involved in arriving at a daily recommended amount that we couldn't really arrive at a standardised figure, such as the cannabinoid content of the cannabis itself, the desired effects, personal tolerance levels etc. If this is something you're interested in, I'd recommend starting with a very low dose and building up tolerance over time. I'm no nutritionalist, but by drying fresh material, as far as I'm aware, we would reduce quality in terms of the vitamin content and other nutritional benefits, as well as beginning the decarboxylation process, which could lead to the patient getting high from eating it, which is exactly what Dr. Courtney's juice therapy is trying to avoid! I hope that's cleared up any confusion.

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Drico Is an Alchimia client 2018-07-31
With so many different strains of cannabis, which ones are best for juicing and have the best results for inflammation and general overall health benefits? I intend to grow from seed indoors and want to start juicing as soon as possible.

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2018-08-07
Hi Drico, thanks for the question. The choice of strain to juice will depend largely on the ailments being treated. Some will need higher levels of CBD while others benefit more from a high THC content. A good place to start would be trying some varieties with a 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC, which will offer a more balanced effect. If you're in a hurry to juice some home-grown flowers, then you could do a lot worse than try an autoflowering variety, some of which can be ready to harvest in as little as 60 days from germination. Hope that helps, all the best and happy growing!

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Dharam Singh 2018-07-06
Very interesting! I have one question at this point regarding use of ripe marijuana - you say: When cannabis is *ripe* or heated, cannabinoids decarboxilate, what reduces the tolerable dose from 2000 to 10mg. The result is the loss of the anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic and anti-proliferative – anti-cancerous – properties of cannabinoids. and then you go on to say: "The average THC dose for those who don’t have problems with its psychoactivity is from 10 to 20mg. If we *make a juice of a 10gr ripe marijuana bud* with a 1:1 THC/CBD ratio (5%) we will get up to 500mg of THCA and 500mg of CBDA. If this juice is accidentally heated, a 500mg THC dose will we achieved, that is to say, approximatelly 50 times the needed dose to feel high! I am confused. please clarify first at what point a bud/plant becomes ripe. And then you do go on to say that you are using a ripe bud for juicing, but it is the heating of it that increases the THC 50 times

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2018-07-09
Hi Dharam, thanks for your comments and question. I can understand your confusion, it's possible something was mixed up in translating the article into English. A "ripe" bud will not have any of the THCA converted to THC, and a well-cured bud will still have a much larger content of THCA than THC, despite what many will tell you, it's simply not true that decarboxylation takes place while curing, the temperatures are just not high enough to convert it. So, a "ripe" bud, by my definition, would be a bud that has been grown to full maturity and to its maximum level of cannabinoids and terpenes. Naturally this would occur at a different point for each variety of cultivar, but generally we harvest according to trichome maturity. However it appears that in this article the word "ripe" has been taken to mean fully de-carbed, which isn't correct. What is correct is to say that it's the heating that converts the THCA to psychoactive THC, so if using un-heated buds there should be no psychoactive effect. I hope that's cleared up your confusion, all the best!

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Mitchell C Sheldon 2018-06-03
If anyone has any extra material which is good stuff and is willing to get it to me in salt lake City for juicing in Utah please let me know. Phone is 5034422961. I of course will pay and it is a matter of life and death so any help in locating this stuff would also be apreciated.

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Nick Picanzo 2018-04-29
Hello , I made a post back in February, my wife has been juicing for about 2 weeks now. I've been using a actual juicer to juice the leaves only as we dont have buds to juice with yet. She is currently taking one ounce of raw juice that is mixed in a smoothie divided up into three portions then consumed in the morning, afternoon and evening. My question is about the amount she should be taking, she is currently challenged with diffuse scleroderma an autoimmune disease . I read 15- 20 leaves and 2 medium size buds then read 240ml of raw juice. 20 leaves and 2 buds will not make 240 ml, it will barely make 1 0z. I'm confused on how much to give her per day. Any advise on how much actual raw juice to take per day would be greatly appreciated , thank you.

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Morinella 2018-04-23
Hi! Thank you for the good article! For everyone who is in SF, I can recommend a good juice delivery service (https://cancancleanse.com/)). They are doing very good and healthy detox juices! Fast delivery and interesting offers for regular customers!

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Pomy 2018-04-23
Very interesting! Thank you!

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James Salnas 2018-03-12
Has anybody tried to freeze dry there fresh plant, then grind up freeze dried plant material and mix that with juice. I mean an actual freeze dryer, looking at Harvest Right. I don't think that freeze drying will decarb it, what do you think?

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2018-03-13
Hi, that's an interesting idea, I've not heard of anyone trying that yet, it has to be worth a go though! I can't think of any reason why freeze-drying would cause any kind of decarb, it's just too cold! Please let us know how it works out for you, we're really interested!

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Nick Picanzo 2018-02-02
Hello thanks for this information on juicing , my question is can I throw the raw leaves and buds into my bullet juicer ? I make great fruit and kale smoothies that my wife loves. She’s currently challenged with diffuse scleroderma . I’ve been giving her cannibis oil for the past 6 months with fairly good results . I’m hoping this takes her to another level, I understand that it can’t heat up the plant and the way I make my smoothies with frozen fruit it shouldn’t , my drinks are very cold. I want to make sure that this is an acceptable way to juice the buds and leaf so she gets the full benefits, if not then I will use a different method of juicing. Thanks in advance for your help and we will be tracking her results from day one in hopes it can help other scleroderma patients. Nick P.

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2018-02-06
Hi Nick, thanks for the question. Absolutely yes, that's a great way to juice cannabis leaves and buds to get the benefits of THC-A, and people often blend cannabis with fruits to improve the flavour. Good luck, and I really hope your wife benefits from this. All the best, and good luck!

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Ian 2018-02-02
Hi I have been juicing everyday and I think it's been great as I used to take tablets for gout, hiatus hernia and ulcers I feel a lot better, and don't take my tablets anymore, I had a blood test and I have too much iron in my blood now? Do you know if this could be affecting my iron levels? Doctor is testing me for haemocromotosis. Do you think I should stop juicing? Thank you very much if you could help with a reply. Ian

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2018-02-06
Hi Ian, thanks for your question. I'm rally glad you've improved with juicing, that's great news! I'm no nutritionalist, but I know cannabis isn't particularly high in iron, no more so than any leafy green plant, so I don't imagine the juicing is the reason for your high iron levels. In fact, a quick internet search reveals a lot of people worried that their cannabis consumption is lowering their iron levels. Personally I'd look elsewhere for the root cause. All the best, good luck and stay healthy!

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Fr stu 2018-01-08
Interesting site I was approached randomly from a friend of a friend about juicing raw buds for control of back pain. This person has been using CBD type oils for a few months and receieving some relief. But is finding he is becoming more tolerant of it Anyways so someone recommended juicing. I have quite extensive experience and knowledge bout cultivation but truthfully understanding the ins and outs bout the diff cbds and all that never truly interested me I've given up cultivation because I am strongly against the corruption and greed it brings on. But I do feel if it can help people then there is a place So I have agreed to help this man with his journey Initially the logistics bout when to harvest and to have the different plants at different stages caused me concern my first thought on strain selection was one of a balanced thc/cbd spectrum which I see u guys have recommended I have froze large quantities of finished buds in the past for extract use. So I'm familiar with that In your opinion would it be best to freeze buds and fan leaves in their whole state or to juice/blend and then freeze? And of course immediately thought it has to be grown organically What are your thoughts on using chemical based fertilizers and of course leaching the plant well before harvest? There is for sure a lot more research needed on juicing but in theory it sounds like there can be some good benefits from it and I am glad I can help someone to potentially grow some legit medicine and just not getting people high Keep up the good work

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2018-01-11
Hi and thank you for your question! I'm happy you've decided to take up cultivating again to help someone, that's great! I'm sure you'll be able to do some real good for your friend's friend. In answer to your first question, I'd recommend juicing first and then freezing, if only for convenience because it will occupy much less space in the freezer once it's been juiced. It's also probably easier to work with fresh material than frozen, as once the mass of leaves and buds defrosts it's going to be fairly soggy and unpleasant. As for your second question, naturally we'd recommend growing organically, but if you're going to use mineral fertilisers then that will be fine as long as you flush well as you said. What's more important though, is not to use any kind of foliar spray on your plants, and certainly nothing chemical at all. Mild, natural organic fungicides such as bicarbonate of potassium or raw milk would be the kind of thing that could be acceptable, but I wouldnt spray anything that i wouldn't ingest myself, and if I was growing outdoors I'd be sure to give plants a good spray with clean fresh water before harvesting them to wash away any dust, dirt or other contamination. I hope that's of some help to you, don't hesitate to ask any further questions and we'll try to help. Thanks again, and all the best for this project!

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Chanel 2017-12-13
Hi, I use cannabis medicine for advanced Fibromyalgia and IBS with severe colon spasms. Every couple of months I find that the cannabis medicine loses its therapeutic effects due to tolerance. Does this happen as well when using THCA? And would you know how many plants one would need to have to be able to cater for my condition? thanks Chanel

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2017-12-15
Hi Chanel, thanks very much for your question. As far as THCA goes, it's a very new treatment so there is still not much scientific literature devoted to its use and it's certainly not easy to find any information on tolerance, as most users are consuming THC in it's decarboxilated form, however I did find some information suggesting that there is no clinical evidence of tolerance build up to THC-A, CBD-A or CBN. It is suggested that the non-psychoactive effect is because it doesn't bind with the CB1 receptors in the brain, but instead interacts with other receptors throughout the body, which would seem to me to mitigate tolerance build up. What is clear is that more research needs to be carried out in this area, and as the legal situation improves worldwide, hopefully more studies will help to clear up these doubts and give us some reliable answers. As far as the number of plants you'll need for your condition, it's really hard to say, but I don't think you can have too many! It's better to have too much and freeze it for a rainy day than to have too little! All the best!

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Vienna 2017-11-27
Thank you for your information and your pioneering spirit and leadership that is helping so many people. I am interested in growing some plants and juicing for my thyroid (hashimotos). Are there specific seeds that will help with autoimmune issues? Also I really want to help my 4 year old grandson with type diabetes. Are there protocols to follow yet for that. What kind of carbs are present with cannabis juice? Will it drop his blood sugar irrationally (dangerous). Tricky indeed so I appreciate all information. Thanks again!

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2017-11-29
Hi Vienna, thanks for your comment and questions, we're happy you find the information we share to be useful! From what I've been able to read online, research has suggested that CBD can help greatly with problems associated with both autoimmune diseases and diabetes, while THC helps with any associated pain. For this reason I'd recommend starting with a variety that balances THC and CBD in a 1:1 ratio, we've a good selection of suitable genetics in our medicinal seed catalogue, with a few strains in particular that I've seen being recommended for autoimmune issues: CBD Skunk Haze from Dutch Passion; CBD Nordle by CBD Crew; and Royal Queen Seeds' Medical Mass. As for the carbohydrate content of raw cannabis, I'm afraid I don't have any concrete data. Juices are made with a mix of fruit and vegetable, so the nutritive content can vary wildly depending on the ingredients used. I'd recommend following any normal established rules for a diabetes sufferers' diet when preparing cannabis juice and go easy on the sugar intake. All the best!

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Holly 2017-11-07
Thank you so much for this information! Approximately, how many plants do I need to grow for 1 person? Also how long does it usually take until the plant is ready to harvest?

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2017-11-13
Hi Holly, Well, it dpends on the amount of leaves/bud needed. People who grow indoors normally put 9-16 plants per m2, even more in SOG setups. They let them grow for about 3-4 weeks and then switch to flowering, which might take 8-11 weeks (depending on the strain). On the other hand, and if you grow outdoors, you can easily harvest the same amount with a single plant (planted in the ground). Best!

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Cheryl 2017-09-24
I have restless leg syndrome and read that raw juiced cannabis is helpful for RLS. Do you know how long it takes to start working?I do not have any experience with cannabis but my brother provided some leaves and small buds today due to trimming his plants. I have washed and frozen everything. I have a blender, not a juicer. I plan to blend the leaves and small buds I have with a small bit of water or juice, strain it thru cheesecloth...or not, I guess I'll see how liquid it gets...and freeze in small amounts, maybe 1/3 C each. I'll drink it in smoothies. Hopefully I can start a regimen tomorrow. I'll check back in when I get some results!

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2017-09-25
Hi Cheryl, Unfortunately, I can not tell you how long will it take to start working, but I guess it may take a few weeks. We hope you'll find some relief, please do not forget to tell us your experience! Thanks a lot, and best of luck! ;)

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Kathleen Lane 2017-09-11
Where to buy plant leaves? Pls contact me Thelightlane@gmail.com Thx?

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PETER OLSON 2017-08-25
Where can we buy the juice?

Alchimia Staff

Tim Alchimia 2017-08-28
Hi Peter, we haven't seen raw cannabis juice on sale anywhere yet, I'm afraid. In fact, due to the fresh nature of this cannabis juice, it's definitely something that is better if made at home every day rather than stored for long periods, which would mean it losing some of the beneficial properties through oxidisation. We recommend you try and find find a source of clean, organically grown cannabis leaves to make the juice for yourself to get the full benefit. All the best!

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JENNIE MARTIN 2017-07-23
How many cups is 250-500mg? The blog suggest a daily use of 250-500mg.

Alchimia Staff

Tim 2017-07-24
Hi Jennie, one U.S. cup is equivalent to 236.588ml, I hope that helps!

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JENNIE MARTIN 2017-07-10
WHere do I get the cannabis collective juicer in the picture on this blog?

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JENNIE MARTIN 2017-07-10
I froze my cannabis leaves. Am I still able to juice them? And will freezing them make any THC?

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2017-07-11
Hi Jennie, There's no problem about freezing the leaves, it is actually the best way to store them. Freezing them will not make THC. Best!

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JENNIE MARTIN 2017-07-09
Where do I get the cannabis collective juicer that is in this blog? Or what juicer do I use?

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2017-07-10
Hi Jennie, Any type of juicer for vegetables/fruits will work. Best!

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Aisha 2017-06-28
My mother has Alzymers ' can u plzz tell in what quantity should I giver her the juice and that will it help revive some of her memory

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2017-06-30
Hi Aisha, Dr. Courtney recommeds using 120-240ml of raw juice every day. I think this article on Cannabis and Alzheimer will definitely interest you. Hope it helped!

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tom 2017-02-03
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVlFKD4gK3I

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gary wirfs Is an Alchimia client 2017-02-02
i starting daily morning juicing on empty stomach, after brain tumor surgery, and suggested by inhome health care nurse--7 veggies, 1 fruit. Now i want to add cannabis juice--to treat ptsd, and prostate lesion. I presently living in playa del carmen mexico, but cannot get fresh cannabis plants for juicing. After reading Dr Courtney about the huge benefits of cannabis juicing i am desperately seeking what foreign country to move to, where i can buy raw fresh cannabis plants for juicing to treat these conditions, and get off the medicines. Help, Help--i cannot find foreign countries to move to?? and if not best place in usa ciao gary

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2017-02-06
Hi gary, I'm affraid the US or Canada would be the best places. You can get weed and hash in coffee shops in Holland and in clubs in Spain, but growing cannabis is not legal in none of these countries, so getting fresh cannabis is difficult. Also, check South America, Chile and some other countries are taking huge steps forward. Hope you'll find a place where you can have your medicine without being harassed! All our best wishes.

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Mark jindrick 2017-01-27
Hi dani, I back. I would like to know about the addiction of using juice for a long time?

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Alexandra Childe 2017-01-25
Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon every day. It will always be exciting to read through content from other authors and use a little something from other websites.

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Charla Politte 2017-01-25
Excellent pieces. Keep posting such kind of information on your blog. Im really impressed by your site. Hey there, You've done an incredible job. I will definitely digg it and in my opinion suggest to my friends. I am sure they will be benefited from this website.

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Roseanna Reeves 2017-01-24
I usually do not drop a lot of responses, however after reading some of the responses on Dr. Courtney's raw cannabis juice. I do have some questions for you if you do not mind. Is it just me or does it appear like a few of the remarks look as if they are left by brain dead visitors? :-P And, if you are writing at additional online sites, I would like to follow everything new you have to post. Could you make a list of all of your shared sites like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?

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jack c 2017-01-23
Curious if you've had any experience with eating pollinated flowers? As a Vegan I Iove the EFA's that come in MJ seeds. In Nature we'd come across seeded flowerheads of the female plant. In practice the males are taken away to create sinsimelia, no seeds. Does seed production cost in cannabanoid production? any ideas about the nutrition and medical benefits of munching on mature seeded flowers? tnx jack

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2017-01-25
Hi jack, Seeded plants focus on producing seeds, so they normally contain less cannabinoids than sinsemilla. About munching seeded flowers, I assume you'll get the benefits from raw cannabis plus those from cannabis seeds, which are known for being an excellent nutritional supplement for centuries. All the best!

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Mark jindrick 2017-01-18
Hi dani, In my country, it does not have cannabis test for allergy. Á u know, RA disease is very hard to treat, but only cannabis juice can help like Kisten's story. The dose of raw canna which i use is very low, it is about 3 g/ day divide 3 -4 times. I wonder ask if i change the strain, is it better?

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2017-01-19
Hi mark, Sure, every cannabis strain is unique, so it can be possible that you don't find relief with one and find it with another. Normally, cannabis patients are using medical strains with 1:1 THC:CBD ratio. Best!

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mark Jindrick 2017-01-17
Hi Dani, I had allergic symptom such as itching a little bit, so i will continue using juice or stop or change the strain? Tks,

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2017-01-17
Hi mark, You mean that you had another allergic reaction after trying the juice? If that's correct, I'd really try to have an allergy test on cannabis, you don't want to treat your conditions with a medicine that causes other problems! ;)

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mark Jindrick 2017-01-11
Hi Dani, you said 250 ml of raw juice, it means pure of raw canna juice or total juice (raw cannabis juice mix with other fruits)? Tks,

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2017-01-11
Hi mark, I'd start with pure raw cannabis juice to find the best dose for me. Once found, I'd probably add some fruits to improve the flavor. Hope you'll find some relief, please keep us updated! ;) Best!

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mark Jindrick 2017-01-10
Hi Dani, i have used RSO suppository for 18 days without any allergy symptom. After that, i change the bud to make RSO and was allergy. so that, i must stop any RSO to treat allergy. it is free after 6 week now i dont want to use RSO, i want to try juicing for healing. what dose should i make? and have any notices? Tks,

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2017-01-10
Hi mark, Finding the correct dose can be a bit tricky. First of all, it will depend on the amount of cannabinoids contained in your green material (it is not the same to juice buds than leaves). Once you have your material juiced, I'd start with very little doses and gradually increase them. According to Dr. Courtney, if you have 250ml of raw juice, 5 intakes of 50ml each would be ideal, better than just one intake of 250ml. Since you have no experience with juiced cannabis, I'd start with 2-3 daily intakes of 10-20ml and see what happens. If you tolerate the dose but don't feel any relief, gradually raise it until you feel the effect. Hope it helped!

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mark Jindrick 2017-01-07
hi, i saw the article is very great for me. i was rheumatoid arthritis for 4 years, and i saw Kristen's story in my own life. I have tried RSO but it made me high and allergy without reasons. i wonder ask Dr how can i use cannabis juice? And in Kristen's situation, how long does it take her to use canna juice to cure her life? Thanks so much,

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2017-01-09
Hi mark, If RSO caused some allergic reaction you should make sure that you're not allergic to cannabis. Have you tried it in any other form (smoked, vaped...) without allergic reactions? The best method is using cannabis several times a day: if you have 250ml of raw juice, 5 intakes of 50ml each would be ideal. Of course, it also depends on the amount of cannabis available for you. If we look at the testimonies, you should notice some improvement within a few weeks. Hope it helped!

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Lynn 2016-12-30
Anyone out there with any experience using cannabis leaves for Follicular Lymphoma ?

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Emmanuela Raquelle 2016-07-29
Another method for ingesting the raw plant: I first grind up the leaves (or bud if I have it) and then mix with dates in a little Cuisinart, shape into little patties, put them on a plate in the freezer, and then tell my husband that they're cookies. ..which makes them immediately palatable. Much good information in NIH abstracts about the benefits of CBDA.

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2016-08-01
Well, I think we all want to try those cookies now! Thanks again Emmanuela. ;)

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Emmanuela Raquelle 2016-07-29
Ariana, once fan leaves are developed, I use them, even if the plant has not yet begun to flower. We grow outdoors also - and the effect on me has been remarkable. When the plants are ready to harvest, I also take all the fan leaves and use them. So far I haven't been able to tell the difference in the effect between the non-flowered and flowered. You can look back on this thread to January 10 2016 to read more details.

Alchimia Staff

Dani Alchimia 2016-07-29
Hi Emmanuela, Thanks a lot for your reply, I'm pretty sure you've got more experience than I do on juicing plants... All the best! ;)

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