This years cold and flu season is particularly nasty.  If you haven’t noticed, the news lately is littered with health notices and stories about the “Super Crud” and it’s not a surprise, it’s flu and cold season. As a supplement or alternative to other flu/cold medicines, herbalists for years have recognized the Elder plant (Elderberry) as a terrific aid.  Tea made from the flowers possesses fantastic and well documented immuno-protective properties. Tea of elder flower tastes good too and is safe for children!

The plant itself can range from a large shrub to a 30 foot tree. Flowering white, flat-top blossoms and berries that turn from green to red to black when ripe, is an easy indicator that you have found the this sought after helper. Sambucus nigra, or Black Elder, is most commonly used for medicinal purposes.

So what does this Elder plant do for you? Orally, use the elder flower to treat colds and the flu. Topically, it is used to treat wounds. Some research shows that a chemical found in the flower and berry could help the reduction in mucous membrane swelling and relieve nasal congestion. Elderberry also holds anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer properties.

Here is a short list of peer reviewed journal articles on the antiviral property of Elderberry. There are many more studies out there on this amazing plant.  Enjoy!

It is important thing to note that this boy was given a non-psychoactive strain, one that does not give the child a head high because it is low in THC, though high in other cannabinoids such as CBD. I currently have many patients who are controlling their seizures extremely well using low doses of liquid cannabis tinctures.  Strain selection and delivery methods are critical information that physicians should be providing for patients to ensure that they get the full value and healing potential from medical cannabis.

Enter our herbal friend, peppermint. Peppermint, is a cross between Spearmint and Watermint. You might recognize the oval, toothed leaves similar to Lemon Balm. Small, violet flowers sprinkle the plant from July to September. Leaves and flowers give off a very aromatic fragrance.

Peppermint is used for the common cold, cough, inflammation of the mouth and throat, sinus infections, and respiratory infections. It is also used for digestive problems including heartburn, nausea, vomiting, morning sickness, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Peppermint oil has been used for hives, poison ivy, and poison oak. Oil applications can also be used form muscle pain relief, toothache, and even repelling mosquitoes. If you are pregnant, peppermint tea might be a good option for calming morning sickness. Some women also choose to use peppermint for menstrual cramps.

Peppermint is not restricted to medicinal use, in foods and beverages, peppermint is a common flavoring agent. At  the end of a delicious meal at your favorite restaurant, a check and peppermints find you at your table. Peppermint oil is also used in fragrances and soaps. Enjoy the refreshing aroma of peppermint, just as you enjoy the changes this season brings.

Cannabinoid acids have amazing properties including anti-inflammatory properties, nerve protecting properties, and pain relieving properties.  In raw preparations, the THC has not been heat-activated so there is not the intense sedation that is found in conventional edibles such as pot brownies.  This allows for patients to take much higher doses of cannabinoids without the overly sedating effects that would otherwise be a concern.  Raw cannabis shows promise for patients with neurological diseases such as MS, as well as for chronic pain suffers, cancer patients, and patients with autoimmune disease such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, Lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

My patients are having fabulous success with raw juiced cannabis.  The juice can be frozen to save preparation time.  The freezing is typically done in ice cube trays, though it can also be blended with other juices such as apple juice and made into popsicles.  Though it’s not yet being done, there is also potential to get the healing benefits of cannabinoid-acids from fresh freeze-dried preparations in capsule form.  Topical application of a raw cannabis poultice is also very effective for pain from neuropathy, as well as musculoskeletal pain including arthritis pain.

Plants with high CBD content are best for juicing as they contain more CBD-acids than non-CBD producing strains.

Because of Washington state’s medical cannabis law, patients are allowed to grow up to 15 cannabis plants for their medical use.  This means that patients in Seattle and throughout the state can have affordable, safe, and effective medicine for their own personal use without relying on more costly drugs with higher toxicity and side-effect profiles.

So why should you carefully plant dandelion around your home instead of doing everything to be rid of it?

To begin with, dandelion is a great medicinal food that is easy to integrate into your diet. Young, spring leaves are a delectable add in to your fresh salad. Autumn Dandelion root can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute. The entire plant can be brewed to make beer, while the flowers can be used to make wine. Doesn’t keeping Dandelion around sound better already?

This herb is particularly rich in vitamin A, but it also is a source of vitamins B, C, & E all located in those green leaves. As the plant matures, the leaves will become strong and bitter, hence a young spring leaf is best for your salad. Spring infusions of the leaf are good for blood, lymph, and liver cleanse. Dandelion greens and root are aide in dealing with skin eruptions such as acne. Be sure to be mindful of where you plant dandelion, away from areas where the family dog might not use it as marker. When foraging for Dandelion, be careful to not choose plants that have been doused with “weed-killing” chemicals.

The root is most commonly used for medicinal purposes. Dandelion root’s high inulin content is great for diabetics or other blood sugar imbalances. It also benefits chronic or acute liver problems, spleen, kidneys, and gall bladder functions. Dandelion is an excellent diuretic that is gentle and good for long term use. Tinctures make a good sedative. Women will find that dandelion root is good for their reproductive health. Dandelion root is usually harvested for tincturing or drying while the plant is in flower.

Dandelion’s medicinal properties are not the only reason why you should think about keeping dandelion around. Dandelions are an important bee flower and some countries, such as Canada, have fields dedicated to dandelions because of this. So whether it is because of the medicinal aid of the plant or your desire to help keep bees present on our planet, smile when you see those little yellow flowers, instead of wishing their existence from your lawn away.

Cannabis case study: How cannabis helps complex patients from DrJakeFelice on Vimeo.

The plant’s matured fruits called strobiles are small oval green cylinders that have been used medicinally for ailments such as relief from chronic insomnia, calming a nervous stomach, the restoration of appetite, as a diuretic, and as a painkiller. Hops are also used to help settle the “wired” feeling, whether it be from an excess of high energy or anxiousness. If you find yourself ready to stop taking  a prescription sedative, you may find hops useful. Hops are stronger than other herbs used as sedative such as red clover, catnip, or chamomile.

Hops are highly potent in tincture form. Be mindful and careful after taking hops, as they make your reflexes sluggish, it is not recommended to drive or operate heavy machinery after taking hops, remember it is used as sedative. If you prefer not to ingest hops, try stuffing a pillow with dried hops and add lavender or another soothing, fragrant herb to the pillow mix. Replace the stuffing every few months as they lose potency.

This slightly sour, slightly sweet herb has deeply wrinkled leaves that range from dark green to light yellow and smell and taste like lemons. The plant’s flowers are little and light yellow and can grow up to two feet high.  The leaves look very similar to mint leaves, as it is apart of the same family. Planted in your garden, you will notice an increase of bees as Lemon Balm attracts them.

Lemon Balm is a calming herb, is used widely as a hot tea. Use this herb to soothe anxiety, restlessness, headaches, depressions, hypertension, insomnia, and colds. Lemon Balm is often mixed with Valerian, Chamomile, and sometimes Hops to promote relaxation. Used as an essential oil, Lemon Balm is used topically to treat herpes. If you deal with hyperthyroidism, Lemon Balm can  a great addition to your daily diet, found right here in Seattle.

An edible plant, Burdock’s properties are so highly esteemed that it has been domesticated as a garden vegetable amongst the Japanese. Diabetics can benefit from the nutritive medicinal use of Burdock as it contains inulin and high protein within it’s roots. The best time to harvest Burdock for diabetic purposes is in the fall, when the roots have the highest amount of inulin stored for the winter.

Internally, Burdock root and seed tinctures are known to be quite potent and used for skin problems such as eczema, acne, boils, burns, joint pain, respiratory infections, bladder and kidney problems, and even herpes when combined with echinacea root. Burdock is also used to get your body fluid’s moving, it is a sweat and urine inducer that is non-disruptive and a non-addictive laxative. Externally, leaves, soaked briefly in boiled water can be directly applied to the skin or made into a poultice for relief from minor burns, low fevers, headaches, ringworm, and other fungal conditions.

Whether you need relief from a headache, a slight burn from cooking dinner, or you just need to flush out some toxins, Burdock is a great addition to any person’s herb collection.

I am excited to announce that I will be speaking again this year at Hempfest 2012 the weekend of August 17th at Myrtle Edwards Park in Seattle about the benefits of topical and raw applications of cannabis for chronic pain.

Hempfest is a free event, and speakers will be presenting the most up to date science and information on all things cannabis.  For medical, educational, industrial and other topics, check out all of the Hempfest speakers here.

I will be participating in the medical panel on Friday, August 17 at 3:10 PM at the Hemposium Music Stage, and on Saturday, August 18 at 1:45 PM at the Peter McWilliams Stage.

A full list of Hempfest events can be found here.