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 One-way traffic to nerves is the main cause of inflammation in the body. Under this scenario, immune cells are being continuously attacked and nothing is communicating with the nerves to tell them to calm down. However, studies show that when you add cannabinoids to the equation, a two-way communication is made possible, resulting in reduced inflammation. The cannabinoids work to prevent and fight symptoms by providing nerves with this two-way communication. We all have cannabinoids in our bodies; these are known as endocannabinoids. These endocannabinoids bind to different receptors throughout our bodies and are very effective at regulating immune functions, nerve functions, and even bone functions. The endocannabinoid system acts as a modulator in fine-tuning a lot of these systems. If something is deranged biochemically in a person’s body, it may well be that a cannabinoid system can bring things back into balance. While smoked or vaporized cannabis can in fact be used as a medicinal therapy, consuming raw cannabis can help prevent health issues from arising altogether. Some call cannabis the “most important vegetable on the planet” because it can assist the function of your immune system, provide anti-inflammatory benefits, and improve bone metabolism and neural function. 

Only when you decarboxylate THCA, turning it into THC, does it cause psychoactive effects or “the high” most associated with smoking cannabis.You are actually walking away from 99% of the benefits cannabis provides when you cook or smoke cannabis.

 However, in its raw form, the cannabis plant contains both THCA (Tetrahydrocannabinolic-acid) and CBDA (Cannabidiolic-acid), two cannabinoids known for their medicinal benefits; each of which must be heated in order to produce THC and CBD, respectively.

 Additionally, the body is able to tolerate larger dosages of cannabinoids when cannabis is consumed in the raw form. This is because when you smoke cannabis, the THC actually acts as a CB1 receptor agonist and your body can only absorb ~10 mg at a time.

 If you don’t heat marijuana, you can go up to five or six hundred milligrams and use the plant strictly as a dietary supplement by upping the anti-oxidant and neuro-protective levels which come into play at hundreds of milligrams of CBDA and THCA. It is this dramatic increase in dose from 10 mg of psychoactive THC to the 500 mg – 1,000 mg of non-psychoactive THCA, CBDA, and CBGA that comprises the primary difference between traditional medical marijuana treatments and using cannabis as a dietary supplement.