How to use cannabis roots

Regular users of the plant know that all parts can be used. But what to do with cannabis roots once the trunk has been cut and dried? Ancient herbalists and amateur gardeners have given us plenty of clues.

A use with distant roots

Chinese pharmacopoeia mentions the use of cannabis roots around 2700 BC. Ancient Chinese healers would form a paste from the dried, ground roots. This paste was used to alleviate pain and was sometimes placed on broken bones. Antihemorrhagic, this paste was also used for deflate bruises and make it easier urination. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder, in his book Naturalis Historia also alludes to it. The roots, immersed in boiling water, were used as a treatment against cramps, gout and acute pain. The roots could be applied to burns.

At 18^ème In the 19th century, the English physicist William Salmon used a mixture of cannabis root and barley to treat sciatica and joint pain. In 1971, a study showed that ethanol extracted from cannabis roots contained friedeline, a powerful antioxidant with hepatoprotective (liver-protecting) properties.

There is little research on the subject, but root-based decoctions could combat apoptosis, the programmed death of cells in cancer.

A cannabis root balm?

To make this balm, leave the roots to dry. Grind them in a blender to a fine, well-ground powder. Mix with oil and simmer over low heat. The oil will absorb the little cannabinoids present in the residue. After a few hours, filter the result to remove the solid parts. Placed in the freezer, the liquid will take on a waxy appearance. Here, essential oils are added for fragrance and therapeutic benefits. The texture may seem a little off-putting at first.

If the roots are not used as an ointment, they can be used to feed the compost for the next growing session.