Pot Pesto

Pot Pesto

3 cups chopped fresh basil
1 cup Ganja Olive Oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced garlic

Place the basil in a food processor. Pour in about 1 tablespoon of the oil, and blend basil into a paste. Gradually add pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic and remaining oil. Continue to blend until smooth. Store in refrigerator or freeze.

Do not cook pesto. For best taste, allow the pesto to be warmed by the meal it's prepared with.

You can freeze the pesto in ice cube trays, then put in a bag to store in the freezer. Each cube is about 1/4 cup.

Try pesto...

• On pizza in place of or in addition to the red sauce
• Added to a cream sauce or Alfredo sauce
• Mixed with mayonnaise as a sandwich spread or burger topping
• Stirred into mashed potatoes
• Stirred into risotto
• Dolloped on soup
• Spread on crostini and topped with chopped tomatoes, smoked salmon, roasted red peppers or goat cheese
• Whisked into scrambled eggs or folded into omelets
• In pasta salads, potato salads, or salad dressings
• Mixed with cream cheese and spread on a bagel

Ganja Olive Oil

I made a batch of cannabis-infused olive oil yesterday. Really easy and really yummy!

4 cups extra virgin olive oil
1/2 ounce marijuana shake (or as much as you like for potentcy)

Heat on low in a crockpot for 2 hours to allow the THC to infuse the oil. Cool and strain through cheesecloth. Pour into a glass bottle and store in a cool dry place.

This oil can be used in any recipe in place of regular olive oil including salad dressings. Pour a little in a dish, add some fresh ground pepper, and dip pieces of fresh French bread in it.

I grew a lot of basil in my garden over the summer, so it's time to make pesto. I'll make two batches: one medicated using the ganja oil, one using regular EVOO. I'll freeze what I don't use now.

Is it Fibro Fog?

A Little Something to Help You Get Started Thinking About Fibro Fog:

Many people with Fibromyalgia like to make jokes about Fibro Fog because it's often embarrassing and even frightening. A common scenario: You're having a conversation with someone when suddenly, in the middle of the sentence that's coming out of your mouth, your brain seems to turn itself off. Your mouth hangs open as you desperately search for what you were just saying two seconds ago. But it's no use. Where there once was a clear distinguishable thought in your head, there is nothing left but a vacuous black hole of nothingness. This kind of short-term memory loss is experienced by every Fibromyalgic.

"The wheel is turning, but the hamster left town," as Devin Starlanyl and Mary Ellen Copeland put it in their book, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain: A Survival Manual, which devotes an entire chapter to Fibro Fog and other cognitive deficits. "You may spend hours every day trying to find various items, like your keys. (After a while, you may feel as though your mind is one of those misplaced items.) You may not recognize things when they are right in front of you but are not in their accustomed place, or when it's in a different package or form.

"Research at the University of Michigan has validated the reality of fibro fog. The researchers observed a similarity between neuroendocrine dysfunction in patients with FM and older but otherwise healthy people. They compared three groups of people: First, a group of people with FM. Second, a control group of healthy people who were similar to those with FM in age and educational background. And third, a group of healthy people with similar educational backgrounds as the others, but who were 20 years older than the other two groups. Because cognitive function begins to decrease, even in healthy people, as soon as adulthood is reached, the three groups were given various age-sensitive neuropsychological testing to see the extent to which Fibromyalgia affected cognitive dysfunction as compared to the normal cognitive loss caused by aging.

Although this is such a good article that I'd love to claim it as my own, I just can't post it in its entirety here. However, I really recommend you read the entire thing. It's definitely worth it!Continue reading...

Cannabis fact #2

Did you know...

Hemp seed is nature's perfect food. The oil from hemp seeds has the highest percentage of essential fatty acids (EFAs) and the lowest percentage of saturated fats.

EFAs include Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs), Omega-3, Omega-6, Omega-9, Linoleic Acid and Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA).

Although it is very important in skin care and maintenance, GLAs are rarely found in natural oils. Other excellent sources are from the seeds of evening primrose and borage.

Hemp oil also provides an ample supply of carotene, phytosterols, and phospholipids, in addition to a large number of minerals including: calcium, sulfur, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. It is also a good source of chlorophyll.

Look for hemp oil, hemp milk and hemp protein powder at your local health food store.

George: medical marijuana patient

At Peace in Medicine Center, we meet patients with various medical conditions who are trying to qualify to legally use medical marijuana according to Colorado law. These patients defy the image of the stereotypical "stoner" who just wants to smoke pot.

Last week a middle-aged man (I'll call him George) came to the Center hoping to see a doctor who could recommend medical marijuana for him. He was obviously ill, looking pale and thin. He shared with one of our staffers that he had terminal cancer and little money. He was told that we would have a doctor in the office that afternoon, but the cost to get his license would be $200, which included the visit with the doctor and the fee to the state registry. He dropped his head, acknowledging that he didn't have the money and headed out the door to his car. When our office manager heard his story, she ran out to his car to tell him that she would see what she could do and he should come back at 1:00 with his medical records.

After discussing his situation with the doctor, it was agreed that this man should be seen by the doctor at no charge. When this obviously needy patient was told that he would be seen by the doctor at no charge so he could use what little money he had to purchase quality medicine, George burst into tears.

"It's been a long time since anyone has done anything so nice for me," he sobbed. "You folks are so wonderful. I don't know how to thank you."

George had everyone in the office in tears. We were so sad for him but happy that we could do something to help relieve his suffering. He left the Center with medicine in his hand and a smile on his face.

Obviously, we can't offer free doctor visits to everyone who walks through our doors. However, we do what we can to help patients in need, like George. At Peace in Medicine Center, we care about our patients' health and well-being.

I hope to share more stories about the variety of patients we see, like a middle-aged gentleman who has had 5 back surgeries and can't function at home or at work on the pain medications that have been prescribed for him. Or the young woman who appears as active and well as any other 20-something, but suffers from seizures. Or another young woman in her 30s who suffers from essential tremors, the same illness that affected Katharine Hepburn. These, and so many others, are examples of the people who need medical marijuana and contact us every day hoping to get legal.

Say what?

Now that I've been around the marijuana industry for awhile, I find myself regularly using words that weren't even part of my knowledge base only a few months ago. Words like indica, sativa and clone pepper my everyday conversations.

The pharmacists at Peace in Medicine Center have been a wealth of information. When I asked what indica and sativa was, they didn't even laugh at me. "Indica and sativa are opposite ends of the spectrum," TJ told me. "All marijuana strains fall somewhere along the scale between indica and sativa," Ruben added. Then they pointed out two books in our office library: Pot Culture: The A-Z Guide to Stoner Language and Life, and The Cannabible. "You really need to look through these," they told me.

So I did what I was told and read everything I could get my hands and eyes on. Not only did I learn what indica and sativa meant, I learned a whole bunch of other new words like blunt, spliff, kif, kush and trichomes. I learned how to make pipes out of apples and empty pop cans. I learned that THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, one of 66 cannabinoids isolated in the cannabis plant so far.

So now, just a few months later, I am often surprised by the words coming out of my mouth. When you're a sponge in a new industry, you don't always realize what information you've absorbed until you have to repeat it to someone else. Discussing marijuana in all its forms and flavors is now part of my daily routine.

So what's the difference between indica and sativa? Indica is better for nighttime; sativa is better for daytime. Indica puts my husband in the snore zone; sativa makes him chatter incessantly. Indica makes my eyes redder and my mouth drier than sativa. Indica is short and fat; sativa is tall and slender.

Now I wonder what I was smoking back in the 70s and 80s when I didn't know (or didn't know enough to care) what I was smoking. Like most everyone else back then, I thought pot was pot; some was just better and more expensive than others. Now I'm better educated.

Somebody load up the vape and pass the Donkey Dick!

Grateful for medical cannabis

I've really pushed the last couple weeks, with a new job and all. (Oh, didn't I tell you? I've started working at a medical cannabis dispensary.) Now it's Sunday and I'm just finishing up a 3-day weekend off. Doesn't seem that I got to enjoy it much, since I've spent most of the time recuperating. Slept most of Friday and today. Yesterday I managed to get out and about, but must have overdid it. I'm paying for that today.

Most of my pain today is in my neck and back. It's been hard to get comfortable. I think I'll have Hubby rub some Biofreeze on my neck and upper back.

I always have a supply of prescription pain meds in the cabinet, but I hate taking any of them. My repertoire begins with Ibuprofen, then goes on to include Vicodin, Codeine, Ativan, and a muscle relaxer. Some make me itchy; they all make me sleepy. The drug hangover the next day is the worst. But sometimes the pain gets to a point where I have to take something just to break the cycle. Going easy on it seems to prolong the flare rather than allowing it to subside.

Medical cannabis keeps the pain at bay without the nasty side effects. Sure, I can get a little ditsy, high, stoned, but at least I'm still awake. So what if I giggle and laugh a little more. Laughter is like a massage for all my internal organs, especially my heart. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all laughed more?

With cannabis I don't find myself scratching my head, my nose, my ears, my face, like I do with opiates. I can wake up feeling refreshed, which anyone with fibro knows is unusual. How many nights I longed for one, just one, really good night's sleep. I had come to accept feeling groggy in the morning as normal. Funny how your view of normal changes when you have a chronic condition.

I'm not complaining. You live with the cards you're dealt. I have fibro, but it's not who I am; it's not my identity. And I'm really grateful that Colorado voters approved an amendment to the Constitution allowing for the medical use of marijuana. I'm a novice, still learning and experimenting with various strains. I prefer vaporizing over smoking. I'm fascinated by edibles.

I'm also grateful that I've found a place where I can learn on the job. I'm like a sponge, absorbing new information every day. And the people I work with are so kind, answering any question I have without making me feel like an idiot. I guess I've learned a lot over the last few weeks, because I'm surpirsed and some of the things I hear coming out of my mouth when I'm talking with patients; things I didn't realize I knew because I didn't know them a couple of months ago.

The Biofreeze seems to be doing its job. The cannabis cookies are starting to kick in. I think I'll take a couple hits off the SSV Silver Surfer Vaporizer. Maybe I'll get a good night's sleep and feel better in the morning. As Scarlet said at the end of Gone with the Wind, "After all... tomorrow is another day."

Sleeping on Blackberry Kush

Blackberry Kush seems to be good for sleep. Trying it again tonight. Slept long and hard last night, which I really needed. We'll see how it does tonight. So far, I'm still awake and typing, which isn't a good sign. But I know I'm very good at fighting drugs, particularly when it comes to sleep. Guess I should go to bed.

I found out why people recommend edibles for medicinal use. More on that later....

Letter to the Editor on behalf of Illinois MMJ Patients

This letter to the editor appeared in the Chicago Tribune. This letter could have been written about people in any state that has not yet approved the use of medical marijuana. In my opinion, it is very well written and accurately represents my sentiments and those of many others like me. On behalf of all of us, thanks Dan!

Legalize cannabis for patient use

On Election Day last year, Michigan voters made their state the 13th to allow seriously ill patients to use medical cannabis upon the recommendation of a physician. Now, 71 million people -- about 24 percent of Americans -- live in one of the 13 states that allow the doctor-advised, medical use of cannabis.

Suffering patients in Illinois, however, still face arrest for relieving their symptoms with an effective treatment option.

Such a measure enjoys massive support in Illinois. A 2008 poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research shows Illinois residents favor allowing seriously and terminally ill patients to use marijuana for medical purposes by a 68 percent to 27 percent margin.

There are already patients in Illinois using cannabis to treat a serious disease or debilitating condition, and they should not have to turn to the criminal market for relief. Most people do not want send a cancer patient to jail for using a treatment his or her doctor has recommended. A 1990 survey of cancer specialists that appeared in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that 54 percent of those surveyed favored the controlled medical availability of marijuana, and 44 percent had already suggested at least once that a patient use marijuana.

Illinois legislators have a responsibility to ensure seriously ill patients are exempt from state-level prosecution for using a medicine recommended by a physician. Cannabis can improve the quality of life for many patients, and it doesn't have the side effects of some addictive pharmaceutical drugs.

Opponents of medical cannabis often claim laws permitting its use are a step towards legalizing cannabis for everyone or it would send the wrong message to children. None of the states that have passed medical cannabis laws have legalized cannabis for recreational use, and reports on youth cannabis usage rates, where data is available, have shown a decline in teen use after the passage of those laws.

Illinois should not delay in protecting these patients -- for some it is truly a matter of life or death. Moreover, cannabis is a safe, natural medicine and doctors in Illinois should be able to recommend that patients use it if the situation dictates.

-Dan Linn, Illinois Cannabis Patients Association

AK-47 gave me the giggles

Reminder to self... do not vaporize AK-47 and try to go to sleep! It will make you giggle. It makes others overly chatty. Save this one for parties or for chasing the blues.