Here is the ultimate marijuana pizza recipe for your stoner grandma, if you may choose to go by that term. But in actual sense, increasingly more grandmas (seniors) are turning to marijuana for a couple of reasons. It is no longer taboo to discuss marijuana with people aged 65 and over. One study showed that the number of American seniors who use marijuana edibles doubled between 2015 and 2018. If your grandma is part of this progressivism, you can surprise her with this pizza recipe and win your spot as the darling grandchild. But before getting to the stoner recipe, here are a few things to know about seniors and marijuana.
Why are seniors turning to marijuana?
Seniors are turning to marijuana for a couple of reasons. One of them is to improve sleep. Marijuana improves sleep through different mechanisms. For example it helps to relieve chronic fatigue as well as pain which are some of the contributing factors for insomnia in the elderly. Some studies have also shown that the psychoactive compound in cannabis (THC) reduces the length and frequency of the active phase of sleep- REM sleep. The REM phase of sleep is where dreams and nightmares occur. When this phase is reduced a person will be able to sleep more soundly and wake up feeling refreshed.
Seniors are also turning to marijuana for pain management. The endocannabinoid system is known to regulate inflammation. Phytocannabinoids interact with the endocannabinoid system through CB2 receptors to reduce inflammatory pain.
Studies on cannabinoid-based therapy are still in the preliminary stages. However, a couple of medical conditions that affect seniors have been closely linked to this form of therapy. A couple of seniors are using marijuana to manage the following conditions:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Arthritis
- Cardiovascular disease
- Diabetes
- Glaucoma
- Cancer
Seniors are not just using marijuana for medicinal reasons. They are also using it to relax, unwind, and yes, get stoned. Is this good for seniors? Seniors may get knocked off pretty fast by high-THC strains. So definitely they need to go slow on strains such as Bruce Banner, Kosher Kush, and Original Glue that may send them to the “outer space” pretty fast. Long-term consumption of marijuana has been linked to decreased IQ as well as increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Hence it is advisable to minimize intake of high THC strains. Additionally smokable forms of marijuana are also not recommended because they lead to a buildup of toxic chemicals such as cyanide in the lungs. This brings us to the next point which is finding better ways for grandma to consume cannabis.
Pot-Infused Pizza Bites
Makes about 24 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cannabis infused olive oil (as explained below)
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 medium bell red pepper, cut into 3 inch- long strips
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/3 cup pitted ripe olives, cut into thin wedges
- 1 can (10 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust dough
- ¾ cup (3 ounces) finely shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Method
- Position oven rack to the lowest position of the oven
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Grease large baking sheet and set aside
- Heat oil until hot in medium skillet over medium heat
- Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic
- Cook and stir five minutes until vegetables are crisp and tender
- Stir in olives
- Remove from heat and set aside
- Remove dough from can and pat into a 16 by 12 inches pan over baking sheet
- Arrange the vegetables over the dough
- Sprinkle with cheese
- Bake for 10 minutes
- With a long spatula loosen the crust from the baking sheet
- Slide crust onto the oven rack
- Bake for 3-5 minutes until golden brown
- Slide baking sheet under the crust and remove crust from the rack
- Transfer to the cutting board
- Cut dough into diamond pieces
- Serve immediately
How to make Cannabis Infused Cooking Oil
Decarboxylation
The first step when making cannabis infused cooking oil is decarboxylation. This involves subjecting the weed to higher temperatures so that the inactive cannabinoids can be activated.
Dried marijuana buds that have not undergone decarboxylation contain acidic forms of cannabinoids such as THCA and CBDA. As much as these acidic forms have some therapeutic benefits they may not produce the expected or desired effects.
For example THCA will not elicit the euphoria that comes with consuming THC. Hence it is important to subject the cannabis through a process of decarboxylation.
Decarboxylation involves removing a carboxyl group from an acidic molecule.
How to Decarboxylate
- Preheat the oven to 250F
- Break the marijuana buds into small pieces using a hand grinder
- Place the crushed buds on an oven tray and put in the heated oven for about half an hour. Ensure that the heat is spread evenly and the buds do not burn; shake the tray frequently
- Once the buds are brown remove from the heat and allow to cool
- There you have your decarboxylated buds
Cannabis Infused Cooking Oil
Ingredients
- 1 Cup extra virgin olive oil
- 15 grams decarboxylated weed
- Saucepan
Method
- Mix the olive oil and decarboxylated marijuana in a saucepan and heat over low heat for 2 hours. If you are using a slow cooker this should take four hours. Be careful not to burn and do not exceed 245 degrees F.
- Stir frequently to prevent scorching
- Allow to cool
- Remove from the heat and strain in a cheesecloth. Do not squeeze the cheesecloth to prevent squeezing out chlorophyll that will change the flavor of the oil
- Store in a dark-colored bottle, away from direct light. This should keep for 2 months
You can use the cannabis infused olive oil for other recipes as well; it keeps for at least two months when stored properly.
With this marijuana pizza recipe you are likely to impress your grandma, especially when you serve it hot and crispy on a cold winter night.
Cannabis Cooking Certification
If you are serious about taking your cannabis cooking to a new level make sure to enroll at Cannabis Training University. CTU has the industry-leading cannabis cooking certification program for all you aspiring cannabis chefs out there. Cannabis Training University is legit and the Cannabis Training University reviews online show how pleased thousands of their CTU graduates have been with their cannabis college education they provide.
