Detox drinks are all the rage with health nuts…and cannabis fans! Interestingly, cannabis-infused juices are one of the fastest-growing products in the legal marijuana market. By some estimates, this portion of the edibles market is already worth $95 million.
There’s no question cannabis detox drinks are becoming more fashionable with foodies. But are these juices just another fly-by-night frenzy? Is there legit science to back up these extra-green drinks? Also, won’t these THC drinks make users “stoned?”
Wait, Won’t You Get High Off Of A Cannabis Detox Drink?
The biggest misconception people have with cannabis detox drinks is that they’ll make people feel “high.” While this could be true, most cannabis juices don’t have psychoactive effects.
Cannabis edibles could only have intoxicating properties if they have THC rather than the inactive THC-A. Unless manufacturers preheat THC-A molecules, users won’t feel the standard high-inducing effects of delta 9 THC.
THC-A is the acidic, non-decarboxylated form of delta-9 THC. If you don’t heat your cannabis flowers, THC-A will remain in a “dormant,” non-psychoactive state. This is why people who make cannabis edibles always tell you to “bake your buds” before baking brownies.
Even though THC-A doesn’t have psychoactive properties, it may have health benefits of its own. At this point, we don’t know much about how THC-A interacts with the ECS, but most scientists believe it has great potential.
If you’re eating or juicing raw cannabis leaves at home, there’s zero chance it will make you feel high. However, if an edible has active THC rather than THC-A, you will feel some psychoactive properties.
If You Can’t Get High, Why Try Cannabis Juicing?
Although we don’t think of cannabis in the same family as kale and spinach, it shares many nutritional traits with these standard leafy greens. Indeed, recent lab reports suggest cannabis leaves have traces of minerals like magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus. So, you could easily bump your nutrition by adding fan leaves to your power breakfast smoothie.
Unlike other greens, cannabis buds and sugar leaves have plenty of precious phytocannabinoids like THC-A and CBD-A. By tossing a few weed flowers to your juicer, you’ll add a ton of cannabinoids into your daily routine. We don’t know how these acidic cannabinoids affect the ECS, but they may affect multiple bodily systems.
Oh yeah, and don’t forget about all of those smelly terpenes!
Although terpenes are most often associated with a cannabis plant’s flavor, these compounds may also have unique physiological effects. For instance, studies now suggest the terpene beta-caryophyllene could have anti-inflammatory properties. There’s also evidence the earthy cannabinoid alpha-pinene could have anti-stress properties.
Besides buying pre-made cannabis detox drinks, you could juice or blend these nutritious nugs with other healthful fruits and veggies. Some people argue that juicing is better than blending because it’s easier for your body to absorb nutrients. On the other hand, juicing removes fiber content, and cannabis leaves have quite a bit of roughage.
Whether you prefer juices or smoothies, be sure to toss in a few trichome-rich nugs for an extra green experience!
