Ganja & The Law (In Jamaica)

A new day has dawned in Jamaica… Since January 25th, 2015 the Jamaican government had started the proceedings in the decriminalization of the cannabis plant aka Ganja.

Now the amended law is in effect starting today…. see the below link from the Jamaican Gleaner website – http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20150415/ganja-amendment-law-comes-effect-today –

The main points of the amendment states that persons ‘found’ with 2 ounces or less of cannabis will not be charged but rather be ‘asked’ to pay a $500 ticket within 30 days from issue from the authorities. Quite similar to the proceedings of a traffic ticket – if the offender does not pay within the stipulated time, they will be asked to go to court (in this case of cannabis, The Petty Courts) and a $2,000 fine paid.

But get this…if you do not pay that $500 and you are convicted in the Petty Courts- you WILL get a criminal record for not paying your cannabis ticket. I have a serious question to ask my government – did we just go in a roundabout way to oppress yet again the smokers of cannabis? If I can afford to pay $500 for every ‘spliff’ then sure this draconian method does not apply since ‘I can put my money where my mouth is’, however the majority of offenders (which is the 80/20 rule in full effect) will be right back in the same waters of being penalised for their recreational use.

Now I can understand from a business purpose the ‘taxation’ of smoking a ‘spliff’… does this mean that we will have police officers dedicated to ‘spliff watching’ as a means of ensuring/securing possible revenue seemingly perceived as ‘lost under the table’ – one has to wonder aloud!

Minors who are found by the authorities (and in their esteemed professional opinion if they detect dependency..I wonder what psychometric tests will be done on spot) will be referred to the National Council on Drug Abuse – does the NCDA have space to welcome these new members??

I have not even touched the offensive bone for the Rastafarians… who are ‘allowed’ to smoke their sacramental cannabis in ‘designated religious locations’ – of course this would speak to the more than 2 ounces required, if you know any Rastafarian who is serious about the herbs…2 ounce is a joke ting!! So what about non-designated areas, do you now tell Rastafarians they are only allowed 2 ounces for their use?? Who determines the weight per use/per person? Was there a global benchmarking practice employed? Who gives? *hands up in the air*

So instead of looking at how you can profit from those who COME TO JAMAICA FOR THE HERBS (and they don’t mind saying this openly)…we want to profit from the CITIZENS OF JAMAICA WHO LOVE THE HERBS… this to me speaks of the destructive spiral in which our government is often prone to thinking.

Alas!! I await….for the day they see the cannabis for what it is – the healing of the nation. Let me leave you all with a picture worth a thousand words….

Ganja & Food

 

Email : allthingsganja@outlook.com

We are used to hearing about Ganja being steamed….rolled..and smoked. Probably baked if you find somebody into cakes & brownies. But how about stir-fry? sauteed with vegetables? with Vodka??

I embarked on a research journey to find recipes…some I am yet to try of course, with my mystikal main ingredient – Ganja. I hope you enjoy feel free to go onto the links for further details.

Now these were the ones (out of many, many) that really stuck out to me that I am WILLING to try!! Let me know if you come across anymore… ATG Peeps!!

Firstly, many if the dishes require that you change (cook) the form of the cannabis (ganja) from rough leaves to either oil, or a buttery form (cannabutter). So let us start with the Cannabutter bit then shall we…

               

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter

1/4 ounce cannabis buds, finely ground

Directions: 

1. Melt the butter on low heat in a saucepan. Add the ground buds, and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Strain the butter into a glass dish with a tight-fitting lid. Push the back of a spoon against the plant matter and smash it against the strainer to squeeze out every drop of butter available. When you’re done, discard the plant matter.
3. Use your cannabutter immediately, or refrigerate or freeze until it is time to use. You can easily scale this recipe up for larger batches of cannabutter. One pound of butter (4 sticks) can absorb 1 ounce of cannabis, but you may want to simmer for up to 60 minutes.

Now onto the Dishes

Butternut Soup

Ingredients:

3 lbs butternut squash

3 tablespoons of cannabis-infused oil or butter

1 large onion, diced

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped sage leaves

1.5 teaspoons of sea salt

5 cups of vegetable stock

1 ½ tablespoons of cannabutter to finish

 

Directions: 

1. Begin by peeling your squash, cutting it in half and scooping out the seeds. Then cut the squash into chunks. Place the chunks in a steamer basket and steam for 30 to 45 minutes, until fork-tender. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot and add the diced onion, celery and carrots, along with the herbs. Sauté the veggies over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are beginning to brown.
2. Add the steamed squash, salt, and the vegetable stock or water. Simmer the soup, covered, for about 20 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender in batches. Return to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a pat of cannabutter, or serve soup with fresh warm bread spread with cannabutter.

Strawberry Banana Pot Pancakes

Ingredients: 

3 1/3 tablespoons of melted marijuana butter (cannabutter)
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
2 large eggs
1 pint or basket of strawberries
3 ripe mashed bananas

Directions:

1. Prepare your strawberries by removing the stems, slicing, and lightly mashing them with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Set aside for an hour. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, make a dry mix by combining the flour, remaining 3 tbsp of sugar, salt and baking powder.
2. In another bowl, make a wet mix by mixing the melted marijuana butter or regular butter with the milk, mashed bananas, eggs and vanilla, then combine the wet and dry mixes.  This makes a batter that is slightly lumpy batter, ensuring fluffiness.
3. Heat a bit of oil in your pancake griddle or frying pan and pour desired amount of batter onto the frying pan. Cook each pancake until the top batter has bubbled and firmed up a bit. Then flip the pancake and cook until the other side is golden brown. Finally, serve your pancakes with butter, prepared strawberries, and syrup if you choose. Enjoy.

Ganja Jerk

Ingredients

Chicken legs, wings, thighs, breasts
Pre-made jerk chicken marinade
Hash oil and THC honey

Directions:

Well it’s quite simple, really. First fire up the grill to anywhere between 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit. You can substitute the olive oil for hash oil and the molasses for THC honey. Mix the packets of jerk chicken marinade, hash oil and THC honey in a big bowl, then transfer the chicken parts to the bowl, smothering them with marinade. Now toss ’em on the grill and cook to perfection. If you prefer an oven, then pre-heat one to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, place the chicken on a baking sheet, place in oven and cook for about 50-60 minutes.

Tasty Tilapia

Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons fresh lemon
2 tablespoons Cannabutter, melted
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon dried parsley
pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Rinse tilapia fillets under cool water, and pay dry with paper towels.
3. Place filets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and pepper.
4. Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 30 minutes.
5. Briefly remove the fillets, drizzle cannabutter on them, and stick them in the oven for another 2 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and serve warm!

And we could not eat without something to drink!!!

Cannabis Vodka

Ingredients:

8 grams cannabis
750 milliliters (a fifth) of vodka

Directions:

1. Grind the cannabis and add to vodka. Store in a cool, dark place for 4 days, shaking vigorously every day.
2. On the fourth day, boil a large pot. Once it’s boiling turn off the heat and sit the sealed bottle of vodka in the hot water for 30 minutes. The water level should not cover the top of the bottle. Psychoactive ingredients in the cannabis will activate and infuse the alcohol.
3. Strain the vegetable matter out of the vodka. Discard the leaves and use the vodka to make your favorite cocktail!

Creamy Cannabis Smoothie

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons cannabutter
2 cups milk
1/3 cup half-and-half
½ cup Greek vanilla yogurt
1 banana
½ cup frozen blueberries
½ cup frozen strawberries
2 teaspoons honey
3 ice cubes

Directions:

1. In a sauté pan, melt cannabutter over low heat.
2. Place the melted butter in the blender with the milk, half-and-half, Greek yogurt, banana, blueberries, strawberries and honey. Blend this mixture until smooth (at least 1 ½ minutes in a high-powered blender). Then stop the blender, add 3 ice cubes, and blend until the consistency is creamy and smooth.

 

Now should you want to cater to your mister or misses…this will definitely un-cloud all judgment!! Please ensure any meals tried above are in the privacy of your own home (until the laws state otherwise) and of course under supervision if you are a novice. Below are some helpful links that may assist;

The OLDEST Cannabis recipe (alleged) – http://goodandbaked.com/history/the-oldest-recorded-cannabis-recipe/

The Stoner’s Cookbook – http://www.thestonerscookbook.com/

Marijuana Threads (medically inclined) – http://marijuana.com/community/threads/1001-cannabis-recipes-the-only-guide-for-cooking-with-cannabis.156922/

Peace and love!!!

Hit us up @ allthingsganja@outlook.com for any further details.

The Definition & History of Ganja

Let me begin this wonderful journey by introducing you to something I love passionately for various reasons. Before we can form ‘sensible’ opinions, we ought to educate ourselves, or at least be familiarized with some presented facts. Armed with a natural thirst for knowledge. This is my public effort in becoming an expert on this endeared subject matter.

Disclaimer: Source data was within reach of my fingertips and eyes, simultaneously, so please feel free to share other ‘credible’ sources.

The word Ganja is of Saskrit origin and referred to as ‘the herb’. Modern day terminology, perpetuated by all types of researchers, however refer to it as the name Cannabis originating from the dictionary of plant species; Cannabis Sativa which was further divided into ‘Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Ruderalis. The word marijuana, another popular alias, is a Mexican-Spanish bundle of unknown origin.

The term ganja/cannabis/marijuana is commonly known to represent the dried flowers, leaves and stems of the female cannabis plant. Once the plant is not being used for industrial or medicinal purposes it is referred to as marijuana (the illegal/illicit Schedule 1 classified narcotics). Ganja is toted as being used for psychoactive and physiological effects which may include; heightened mood or euphoria, relaxation, and an increase in appetite. Negative side effects may include; decrease in short term memory, dry mouth, impaired motor skills, reddening of the eyes, and feelings of paranoia or anxiety.

The components of ganja, scientifically documented, have been alleged to have over 483 compounds under three main active ingredients; Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol(CBD), cannabinol (CBN), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV). THC is the psychoactive (hallucinatory, get mad,) agent and cannabis potency is measure by the THC:CBD ratio, as the cannabinol acts as an anti-agent for THC. The more THC in ganja, the greater the ‘high, happy feeling’ and stimulation of hunger whilst the greater the CBD the more ‘meditative or stoned’ feeling. Cannabis sativa strain are well known for their cerebral high, hence its daytime use as medical cannabis, while cannabis indica is well known for its sedative effects and preferred night time use as medical cannabis

The plant itself can be broken down into various parts for industrial, medicinal, recreational or sacramental usage. Ganja has been used for fibre (hemp), seeds, and oils along with a slew of by-products as a result of processing.

Ganja Timeline: Western version

Whilst most sources reveal that there is no accuracy in the exact time ganja ‘originated’ we therefore have to rely on the documented versions provided by the preserved historical archives, mostly in favour of the Western hemisphere.

The chronological synopsis takes us from Egypt —-> China —-> India—> Europe—->Americas—->Greece  and the list goes on extensively as new regions and countries emerge.

See full timeline by selecting any of these links;

http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/marijuana-timeline.html

http://brainz.org/420-milestones-history-marijuana/

Glossary of Terms (Wikipedia)

Sinsemilla : Spanish for ‘without seed’ female cannabis plant- dried, seedless inflorescences

Kief:  A powder, rich in trichomes,which can be sifted from the leaves and flowers of cannabis plants and either consumed in powder form or compressed to produce cakes of hashish. The word “kif” derives from Arabic: كيف kayf, meaning well-being or pleasure.

Hashish:  A concentrated resin cake or ball produced from pressed kief, the detached trichomes and fine material that falls off of cannabis flowers and leaves.It varies in color from black to golden brown depending upon purity and variety of cultivar it was obtained from.  It can be consumed orally or smoked.

Tincture: Cannabinoids can be extracted from cannabis plant matter using high-proof spirits (often grain alcohol) to create a tincture, often referred to as “green dragon”.Nabiximols is a branded product name from a tincture manufacturing pharmaceutical company.

Hash Oil: Obtained by solvent extraction, and contains the cannabinoids present in the natural oils of cannabis flowers and leaves.The solvents are evaporated to leave behind a very concentrated oil. Hemp oil is very different from both hemp seed oil and cannabis flower essential oil  Owing to its purity, these products are consumed by smoking, vaporizing, eating, or topical application.

Infusions: There are many varieties of cannabis infusions owing to the variety of non-volatile solvents used. The plant material is mixed with the solvent and then pressed and filtered to express the oils of the plant into the solvent. Examples of solvents used in this process are cocoa butter, dairy butter, cooking oil, glycerine, and skin moisturizers. Depending on the solvent, these may be used in cannabis foods or applied topically.