Cannabis-Infused Hummus Recipe

You can’t go wrong with a basic hummus recipe. Adding a little cannabis infusion kicks things up a notch.

When is the last time you dipped into brain health? Maybe you’re an avid Kwik Brain consumer and a true follower of Jim Kwik, so you frequently chew on the issue. If not, here’s a fresh filling of brain boosting medibles that will have cannabis consumers drooling. Hopefully, our cannabis-infused hummus recipe will do the same.

Few people realize that the brain is directly tied to the stomach. In fact, there’s a name for it: the brain-gut connection. The connection to the gut is so powerful that John Hopkins Medicine terms  it “your second brain”. They do have a more technical term for it: the enteric nervous system, or ENS.

The ENS is a double layer of nerve cells that line your gut from rectum to esophagus. In total, there are over 100 million cells that operate your “second brain”. In fact, the ENS has so much influence over the brain that their health outcomes are deeply intertwined. Inflammation in the gut can bring inflammation in the brain.

Brain health relies on what’s happening in the gut. Fortunately, cannabis has a positive medicinal benefit for both. So, feeding your gut with some healthy, cannabis-infused dips will let your body access these benefits.

A Delicious Cannabis-Infused Hummus Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound of chickpeas
• ¼ cup tahini
• Juice of ¼ a lemon
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup canna-oil
• 1 tbsp decarboxylated, ground cannabis buds
• ½ tsp cumin
• 4 tbsp water

Instructions

1. Blend lemon juice and tahini in a food processor for about 30 seconds.
2. Add chickpeas, garlic, canna-oil, cumin, and water to the processor.
3. Blend for about one minute or until the mixture becomes smooth.
4. Pour finished product into a serving bowl and garnish with ground cannabis buds.

This recipe is great for a few reasons. The first is that it’s easy to make. More importantly, it’s a super healthy way to consume cannabinoids. Hummus scooped up with cucumber slices or apple chunks is a delicious snack for the gut that also provides a healthy dose of cannabinoids and antioxidants. In that way, it’s good for your brain and your second brain.

Additionally, there are a few different variations to this preparation. For example, the canna-oil can be a full-spectrum blend with a hefty dose of THC, or it could be a CBD-isolate. So, what’s the difference?

THC vs. CBD-Infused Foods for Brain Health

There is thorough research into how cannabinoids effect brain health. Most interestingly, it’s been known for quite a long time that cannabinoids act as neuroprotectants. In fact, in 2003 a report was published in The American Journal of Pathology that suggests that both THC and CBD act as neuroprotectants.

Astonishingly, the research outlined that the cannabinoids boost brain health in a number of ways. First, they showed that THC, by means of CB₁ receptor activation, facilitates neuroprotectant actions in the retina. Likewise, they showed that CBD aids in neuroprotection in at least two ways:

• It blocks the formation of nitrotyrosine
• It inhibits the degradation of anandamide, a neuroprotectant, endogenous cannabinoid

So, a cannabis-infused hummus recipe might help with retinal neuroprotection. If you want to up the vision-protecting properties, consider switching out the chickpeas for carrots. Or if you like the chickpea flavor, you could use half chickpeas and half carrots. The carrot base will provide a potent dose of beta-carotene. According to a 2013 study published in Clinical Interventions in Aging, beta-carotene may help with age-related eye diseases. So, a carrot hummus may protect your eyes inside and out.

Beyond our vision, neurodegenerative diseases can ravage the brain. Sadly, it’s incredibly difficult to fend off diseases like Alzheimer’s. However, a recent report published in Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience may provide some hope. According to the report’s author, leading cannabis researcher Dr. Ethan B. Russo, “cannabis-based drugs portend to provide future safe and effective treatments for…neurological conditions [like Alzheimer’s].”

Interestingly, Russo’s paper mentioned how berries should be included in people’s diets to fight neurological degeneration. So, if you’re wanting to fight neurological conditions with a cannabis dip, try this fantastic salsa. Make both for a party and you’ve got a neuroprotective spread for your guests to enjoy.

A Tasty Triple Berry Salsa Infused with Cannabis

Ingredients

• 1 cup of each blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries
• 1 medium tomato, chopped and seeded
• ¼ red onion, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, chopped and seeded
• 1 small sweet yellow pepper, chopped and seeded
• ¼ bunch cilantro, minced
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp canna-oil
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 2 tsp orange juice
• 1 tsp honey
• Dash of salt
• Tortilla chips

Instructions

1. In one bowl, combine berries, tomato, peppers, onions, and cilantro.
2. In another bowl, whisk cider vinegar, canna-oil, juices, honey, and salt.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the fruit mixture and serve with tortilla chips.

Did you enjoy our cannabis-infused hummus and salsa recipes? Let us know in the comments!