BY RUTH HILL R.N.
St. Patrick’s Day, a global celebration of the Irish heritage, originated as a feast day commemorating the spread of Christianity in Ireland and Saint Patrick’s contributions. It’s a day where we indulge in all things green, and for us, that includes all things marijuana. Unfortunately, the Emerald Isle does not present the right growing conditions to have its landrace strains. Despite a lack of Irish origins, plenty of strains still acknowledge Éire by name.
St Patrick Day Strains
Rainbow Runtz, a hybrid, offers a cornucopia of fruit flavor, including pears, apricots, and berries, as well as notes of fresh florals and spicy lavender. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) percentages are above average (21-23%) range. Green Crack, a Sativa-Dominant Hybrid, ranges from 15-25% THC, depending on various factors, and has a sweet fruity flavor.
Lucky Charms creates a deliciously balanced hybrid named after the cereal it tastes like. It’s a sweet, sugary, and fruity taste, with a little nip of sourness at the end, much like a citrus fruit. Its high levels of THC (23-25%) can come on fast. Green Goblin, a Sativa-Dominant Hybrid, contains a small amount (around 1%) of Cannabidiol (CBD) and a more robust 24% THC.
Irish Cream contains moderate levels of THC (16-17%) and even a hint of CBD (1%), too, making this Indica-Dominant Strain popular both among recreational consumers and medical marijuana patients. Emerald Jack, an Indica-Dominant Hybrid, comes from the famous Jack Herer and Emerald OG. Emerald Jack offers a moderate 16% THC, along with classic cannabis aromas like earthy pine and slightly sour citrus.
Irish Moss 100MG Smoothie
Irish Moss, a Northern California sensation in the early part of the decade, took home best edible on the NorCal cup circuit when super potent edibles started to become significant. Like chia seeds and ancient grains, matcha is currently on menus nationwide. Combine matcha with cannabis, and you have a showstopper.
Matcha is finely ground green tea powder that is the basis for the Japanese tradition of the tea ceremony. The fine powder of the entire tea leaf becomes consumable when added to hot water to make tea. Matcha is, in essence, a full-spectrum drink.
Much like cannabis, matcha lowers cholesterol and regulates blood sugar levels. Matcha is rich in chlorophyll and is a natural detoxifying agent that helps to cleanse the body by removing toxins. Matcha powder also contains considerably more caffeine than standard green tea. However, the amino acid L-theanine, which matcha produces when grown in the shade, counteracts the negative results of ingesting too much caffeine, like jitters or caffeine crashes.
Given that cannabis has many of the same flexible qualities, it’s a natural pairing with matcha. Ingredients
1 tablespoon matcha powder
½ cup boiling water
1 ½ cups whole milk, or any dairy substitute, heated
2 – 3 teaspoons honey or agave
2 teaspoons (or less) canna-butter or canna-coconut oil, melted
Directions: Place the matcha powder in a heatproof measuring cup or bowl. In a tea kettle or pot, heat the water. Let it come to a boil, and then let it sit off the heat for two minutes. Pour the water over the matcha powder and stir, preferably with a bamboo matcha whisk. Heat the milk in a small pot and stir to ensure it doesn’t burn or boil. Next, emulsify your cannabis butter or oil with a quick spin in the blender. Place the matcha and water mixture in the blender and add the rest of the ingredients. Process in the blender for a minute and then pour into two mugs.
Dosage: Make sure you know the potency of your canna-oil or canna butter so that you give yourself an amount of THC you can tolerate. With edibles, it’s best to go low and slow. If you need to add less than the two teaspoons of canna oil the recipe above calls for, that’s OK.
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