Do you grow your own cannabis? Have you heard that the roots of the cannabis plant have their own health benefits? That’s right – cannabis roots have many potential health benefits. Read on to learn more about these benefits and how you can make your own cannabis root tincture at home.
Table of Contents
Features
- Just 2 ingredients needed: cannabis roots & high-proof alcohol
- No special equipment required
- Dietary Features: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, fat-free
Why You Will Love This Method
Although the cannabis plant has been around for 28 million years, the healing properties of the cannabis roots are only just now being recognized by science.
For a long time, they have been largely ignored in modern medical practices and research.
Fortunately, today, with studies showing significant therapeutic and medical benefits, their use has been growing significantly.
Recently my Well With Cannabis Community has been asking me about the latest science and endless benefits of cannabis roots.
That is why I have prepared this guide to discuss everything you need to know about the amazing cannabis root and how to make a cannabis root tincture at home.
Should You Save Your Cannabis Roots?
The cannabis plant has always been known for its multiple uses.
In fact, the flowers, leaves, seeds, resin glands, and stalks have been used for fuel, fiber, medicine, food, and many other uses.Â
When it comes to the cannabis root, it has been used in teas, salves, tinctures, and other preparations mainly for medicinal purposes for thousands of years.
Yet, unlike the flowering tops of the cannabis plant, the roots will not cause a high because they do not contain cannabinoids like THC.
So, what are they good for?
Potential Benefits of Cannabis Roots
As mentioned above, cannabis roots are one of the least-studied parts of the cannabis plant, even though the roots have a long history of medical uses, including everything from pain relief to a fever reducer.Â
According to an article published in Cannabis Cannabinoid Research, cannabis roots have been used throughout history to treat:
- Fever
- Inflammation
- Gout
- Arthritis
- Joint pain
- Skin burns
- Hard tumors
- Postpartum hemorrhage
- Difficult child labor
- Sexually transmitted disease
- Gastrointestinal activity and infection
Pain Relief
Cannabis root is often used to treat skin abrasions, used on ailments like hemorrhoids or rashes as a sedative and painkiller, and commonly incorporated as a folk medicine for joint pain and arthritis.
Fever
The 12th-century medical encyclopedia Canon of Medicine, written by the Persian philosopher Ibn Sina, acknowledged that boiled cannabis roots had been known to decrease fevers.
Today, studies continue to find that these roots contain a high concentration of friedlin, an anti-inflammatory compound known for its fever-reducing properties.
Gastrointestinal Issues
Cannabis roots have also been used to protect against vomiting and other stomach issues.
In Argentina, it is recommended that the roots be collected in early spring and used to help ease stomach pain.
They are also a great way to tone the entire digestive system by removing infections and toxins caused by weaknesses in the body.
Childbirth
The juice of the cannabis roots has even been known to assist with preventing hemorrhage after childbirth.
These roots have also been used to treat spotting, vaginal discharge, difficult deliveries, and the retention of the placenta.
Generally, to get these benefits, the cannabis root has been administered orally by either extracting the juice or through decoction.
Ways to Use The Roots
The best part about the cannabis root is it can be used in several different ways.
For one, it can be dried, ground, and saved for later use, or turned into a cannabis root tincture as outlined below.
It can also be mashed while fresh and applied or ingested right away.
Generally, these roots tend to be used in:
- Tinctures: tinctures are made by combining the roots with high-proof alcohol
- Teas: The cannabis roots can be boiled to create a potent tea
- Powders: The root is dried and ground into a fine powder, and then the powder is used as a supplement that is added in beverages, foods or used in capsules
- Topicals: Topical preparations are applied directly to the skin to treat inflammation, abrasions, pain, and rashes
As you can see, the cannabis root is an amazing part of the plant to incorporate into one’s life.
As with all things cannabis, you will want to experiment with these roots to see how they can provide you the benefits your body has been waiting for.
Cannabis Root Tincture Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 grams dried, ground cannabis roots
- 8 ounces high-proof grain alcohol
Instructions
- If you haven't already, wash your cannabis roots well, chop them into 1/2" pieces and set them aside to dry. Dry at room temperature or in a food dehydrator. Once dried, grind them up into a fine powder.
- Place the ground cannabis roots in a pint-sized mason jar.
- Pour the alcohol over the cannabis roots. You only need to add enough alcohol to completely cover the plant matter. Screw the lid on tightly and shake gently.
- Place the jar in a cool, dark location like a cupboard or the freezer, and leave it to infuse for anywhere from 24-hours to 6 months. See notes for timing. Shake occasionally.
- After your desired soak time, strain the tincture through your preferred straining system, separating the plant matter from the alcohol, into a clean mason jar. A coffee filter works well here.
- You now have a cannabis root tincture. You can choose to evaporate off some of the alcohol if desired.
- Store your final tincture in a dark bottle in a cool, dark space.
Notes
- You do not need to use the total 14 grams of cannabis roots called for in this recipe. You can use as much or as little as you want. For a small starter batch, start with just 3.5 grams.
- Only use high-proof alcohol; the higher, the better. Lower-proof alcohol, like vodka, is not ideal. Use this guide to finding high-proof alcohol, if needed.
- *You do not need to use the total 8 ounces of alcohol; you need enough to cover all cannabis in the container you are using. Anything more is a waste.
- *How long to soak? I’ve seen traditional, long-soak tinctures steep anywhere between a few hours to up to 6 months, or longer, in some cases.Â
- If you want to evaporate some alcohol, follow this guide to evaporate the alcohol from the tincture safely.Â
Thank you I will follow your directions
Hi Carol. Be sure to reach out with any questions that may about during the process. We’re here to support you!
Wonderful information, thank. you!
Would the cannabis root tincture help with sleeping?
Hi Anne. The potential health benefits of cannabis roots include various therapeutic uses, but I haven’t seen much research on the effectiveness as a sleep aid. It’s definitely worth experimenting since cannabis affects everyone differently. You may be pleasantly surprised with the results. CBN is considered the sleepy-cannabinoid and works wonders for those struggling sleep issues. Let us know what you try! Thank you for your kind words.
Is there a difference/ benefit of decarbing the root?
Hi Virginia. Decarbing isn’t necessary as cannabis roots do not contain cannabinoids, which are what require the decarboxylation to become active. I hope this helps!