When I began to experiment with cannabis as a teen back in the 1970’s, I couldn’t help but notice the abundance of cannabis seeds that came with the bag I bought. Sometimes I would miss one when I rolled a joint. After the sizzle and pop, I would be frantically searching to locate the burning ember. It usually ended up in the front pocket of my aloha shirt, or worse, between my surf shorts and the car seat. Ouch!
After 4 years of working in the evolving cannabis industry in Hawaii, nearly every day I get a call from a patient asking where they can buy cannabis seeds cheaper than $20 a pop. Some ask how to acquire hemp seeds to eat. It always makes me wish I had kept some of my seeds. All nutritious, fiber destined hemp seeds are cannabis seeds however, only certain cannabis seeds possess the cannabinoid potential to produce medicinal grade cannabis. I would like to try both.
For some reason, I always thought of sticky seeded cannabis buds as being like wheat or rice, and the seeds like pine nuts. Only years later, when access to credible cannabis information became more available, did I begin to understand the many uses of the plant.
Beginning with a Chinese pharmacopeia text known as the Pen Tsao Ching, that dates its contents back to Emperor Sheng-Nung, 2000 B.C., to the writings of the Greek physician Galen of the Roman Empire, there are records of people continents apart growing and eating hemp/cannabis seeds for thousands of years.
Keeping in balance with today’s healthy, active lifestyle, people can obtain hulled, hemp seed hearts online or from most health food stores. As a vegetarian source of a complete protein, hemp seeds contain all 9 essential amino acids. They are a good source of fiber, healthy fats (mono-, poly-unsaturated), Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, several important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Included in a healthy diet, hemp seed hearts may help reduce chronic inflammation, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels and benefit overall cardiovascular health.
Please keep in mind that when you are eating hemp/cannabis seeds, you are eating a concentrated food source from a plant that is a bio-accumulator. It pulls everything out of the soil it is grown in, including anything left in the soil from the previous crop. I suggest using tested products that are organically grown.