Mood Food

The beginning of the 21st century has seen remarkable progress in de-criminalizing small amounts of recreational and/or medicinal marijuana in a growing number of states. With the west coast paving the way, a movement spread eastward, and New Jersey recently legalized recreational marijuana after having a medicinal process in place. The number of dispensaries is relatively small for a dense, high-population state, and you won’t find the same variety of products as you would in say Seattle, but marijuana is now a state-sanctioned product that was once heavily, absurdly demonized for decades. 

The Devil’s Lettuce? 

Marijuana is a natural plant that grows wild or cultivated. Its non-psychoactive version, hemp, has been used historically around the world for a number of uses. Psychoactive marijuana comes in three types: sativa, indica, and a hybrid of the two. American workers have long been on the caffeine-alcohol cycle – caffeine during the day, alcohol after work – but marijuana provides the same thing: sativa is a “day” kind of experience, and indicas are heavier: good for the evening, sleep, and unwinding. Hybrids fuse both together. And marijuana, whether legalized or not, has long been used in cooking. 

Edibles 

Edible marijuana provides a very different experience than smoking it. It is often felt more in the body when eaten, with more powerful and lasting effects. The human body has a cannabinoid system, related to our immune system, that for most people responds positively to marijuana as a health aid. The challenge of cooking with and eating marijuana is that one has to wait patiently for the stomach to process the edible, and portion sizes are not the same as with non-psychoactive foods. Many people learn this the hard way, even though the packaging explains to not overdose on THC-containing foods. 

Cooking with Marijuana 

You cannot eat marijuana raw and get high. It must be heated to a certain degree first and binded with a fat. Melted butter infused with marijuana is a time-honored way to activate the plant in cooking. Basic cooking skills come in handy. You can take the marijuana butter to a point of brownness but do not burn it. Use approximately as much marijuana in cooking as you would smoking it, plus a little extra. Baked goods are popular, from Rice Krispie Treats to brownies, but marijuana can be a wonderful ingredient in all kinds of dishes. You can ramp up the taste of the marijuana in the dish, or make it more subtle. There are also liquid tinctures, gummies, vape cartridges, crumble, kif, hashish, Rick Simpson Oil, and new variations on an old theme emerging nearly daily. Rick Simpson Oil is a powerful, pure, activated marijuana oil that holds promise for helping folks with skin problems, including cancer. As an oil, it’s ready-made for cooking! 

Hemp Seed 

Chef Becky has cooked with non-psychoactive hemp before as an ingredient. It has a nutty, pleasant taste and is similar to sesame seeds or chia. Hemp/marijuana is nutritious and is used to treat glaucoma, lack of appetite, sleep and anxiety disorders, PTSD, and a variety of ailments. No longer demonized unfairly, give marijuana a try and see if it works for you. If you have any questions, Bex Kitchen has a staff member who is knowledgeable in culinary marijuana. (Ask for Matt.) Happy health and happy cooking to you. 

Cheech & Chong Image Source: https://www.dairyreporter.com/Article/2014/06/27/Hemp-infused-Cheech-Chong-relaxation-ice-cream-set-for-US-launch