One thing is for sure: cannabis consumers are crafty. Many can make a bong out of an apple at the very least, and this ingenuity is mirrored in the innovative cannabis space. There are endless tech-forward devices and ways to enjoy the plant. One might think that the end of the road is near, but researchers are finding even more weird ways that cannabis could be used–and none involve getting high.
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Many are curious whether the cannabis plant might be helpful in food production, and a few applications are proving valuable.
Cannabis for quality chicken meat?
Chiang Mai University researchers sought to discover whether adding cannabis plants to chicken feed would improve meat quality. The study monitored four groups of eight chickens. There was another replication with four more groups mirroring the first. One group received regular chicken feed while the other three received a percentage of ground-up cannabis stems and leaves (0.5 percent, one percent, and two percent cannabis powder).
The chickens that ate cannabis feed had better meat quality compared to the control group. This quality increased the more cannabis was in their feed. The group that ate 0.5 percent cannabis feed created a higher volume of meat. The one to two percent groups showed a higher percentage of breast and intestinal meat. This meat was also more supple with better fluid retention compared to the control.
It turns out that when chickens are fed cannabis, they might taste more delicious. That is not the only way the plant has become useful for the cooks of the world.
Gluten-free but not weed-free
Those who eat gluten-free expect the sometimes gluey texture of the specialty bread goods. However, despite the difference, many are thankful for the option. Over in Italy, a research team at the University of Calabria learned how hemp oil might interact with gluten-free baking.
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The team replaced butter with hemp oil and added hemp flour, which was a combination of hemp flour and maize starch. Hemp oil negatively altered the consistency of the batter. This was worsened by the hemp flower. Researchers found that when hemp flour was used with the traditional butter, the consistency issues were resolved.
After this research, gluten-free bakers can rest easy knowing that hemp flour mixed at a one-to-one ratio with starch will not negatively impact the consistency of cakes and cupcakes. However, hemp oil may not be an ideal fat replacement in a bake.
Weird ways to use cannabis in the kitchen
Cannabis can be infused in many types of food, but few have researched how the plant impacts the food itself. Most are solely worried about the high. Now, the world knows more than ever about how cannabis feed may impact poultry livestock, and the optimal way to infuse gluten-free bakes. Moral of the story: the cannabis plant has endless uses.