A Guide to Cannabis: Part 1
After centuries of prohibition, cannabis is finally coming back into the mainstream. To help you navigate this brave new world we will be sharing A Guide to Cannabis over the next months.
Many countries around the globe have legalized or relaxed their cannabis laws over the last few years. As legalization and decriminalization have spread, so has knowledge. With knowledge comes power and the breaking of stigma. In South Africa, the plant that was once considered a drug can safely and legally be consumed in your own home. And every aunty and her friend are ready to try cannabis for the first time. Some people may have had some experience with cannabis in the past, some good, some bad. As one thinks about trying cannabis-infused products, it is important to note that cannabis has changed over the decades. Cannabis products are more diverse, varied and the potency has increased exponentially.
At The Green Easy, we aim to be your trusted partner in cannabis understanding and consumption. We want to provide you with a guide to cannabis and its many benefits. We believe that cannabis has a positive impact through the recreational, medicinal and economic benefits it provides. We have asked Tiffany Jordaan, founder of Grow With Us Club, to help guide you through the basics of cannabis and how to consume it. She has written a series of newsletters that will unlock the healing and enjoyment you will get from using this plant.
As we do with each delivery we make to you, we want to give you the best possible experience. Our platform continues to find the best products around South Africa, and as always we encourage you to consume safely, responsibly and healthily.
Please contact us with any questions and queries. We are here to help you email us your questions to hello@greeneasy.co.za
Let’s start with the Guide to Cannabis: Part 1
What is cannabis?
The plant from which all marijuana, hemp and cannabinoid related products come from. There are thousands of varieties of cannabis strains. Each is made unique by natural compounds called cannabinoids. Interestingly, our physiology seems to be built to consume cannabinoids. The human body has a receptor system for cannabinoids, called the endocannabinoid system. Cannabis can be traced all the way back to Assyrian and Babylonian cultures. The plant has been used for thousands of years for spiritual and medical practices.
What is hemp?
Hemp is a type of cannabis plant and has a low THC content (the psychoactive component) so it will not get you high. Hemp is used commercially to produce CBD products as well as fibres, biofuels and textiles.
What’s the difference between cannabis and hemp?
All cannabis is not hemp, but all hemp is cannabis. Cannabis is the broad term used to describe plants in the same family. Hemp, Sativa, Indica and Ruderalis are all types of cannabis. Each plant has a different composition of THC and CBD.
Recipe of the Month – Infused Lemon Meringue Pie
How to use cannabis butter
We recently added the High Chef’s delicious menu to our site. You can now get infused butter. It’s the easiest way to bake your own edibles. The butter is already portioned and dosed and can be substituted for any butter in a non-infused recipe. We’ve got a delicious infused lemon meringue pie. You can double infuse this pie by using infused butter as well as infused biscuits in the base (click here to order your infused cookies). Just make sure you don’t go overboard. It’s best to start slow than to have a hectic trip.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 300 g (approx 3 cups) Graham crackers/Digestive biscuits ( if you want to up the dosage you can use our infused biscuits for this )
- ½ cup the High Chef Infused Butter melted
For the filling
- 2x 400g cans sweetened condensed milk
- ½-¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (start with ½ cup and add more to taste)
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 6 extra-large egg yolks
For the Swiss Meringue
- 6 extra-large egg whites
- 1½ cups sugar
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Combine the cookies and butter in the bowl of a food processor and blend until fine.
- Transfer to a 23cm pie case and press into an even, thin layer up the sides of the dish.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- To make the filling, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
- Once the crust is baked, pour in the filling and return to the oven for 20-25 minutes until the edge of the filling has set and the middle is still jiggly.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before transferring to the fridge and chilling for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.
- When the pie is chilled and the filling set, make the Swiss meringue.
- Combine the egg whites and sugar in a large glass/metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk the mixture until the sugar has dissolved. To test, rub a little of the mixture between your fingers. If you feel sugar granules, continue stirring, if it’s smooth remove it from the heat.
- Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
- Dollop the egg whites on to the chilled pie and decorate to your preference.
- You can caramelize the egg whites with a kitchen blow torch and serve immediately.
- Alternatively, bake the meringue for a further 15-20 minutes at 160ºC until it is a pale golden colour and the meringue feels set and firm when touched.
- Remove from the oven and allow to chill before serving.
