Daily Dose: Building the Immune System with Plants, a Pandemic Primer

By Sharon Letts

*Disclaimer: This is Sharon’s personal account in treating her own Coronavirus symptoms using whole plant medicine.

When the entire world is talking about washing hands and staying home, I thought it might be a nice time to talk about strengthening our immune systems. Washing hands is good, but starting with the immune system seems to be the obvious place in combating this virus, or any other ailment that might come your way.

In researching the current pandemic of the Coronavirus, or CV-19, we see that there is no treatment, and anti-inflammatories are the only pharmaceutical given, besides using interferon – a liquid treatment for the lungs in dealing with pneumonia; and antibiotics in case of a bacterial infection. That’s it. 

We know that cannabis is an excellent anti-inflammatory, we also know that it fights infection. Though the plant has long been thought of as an antiviral medication, there is no evidence that it can actually treat a virus.

Besides the inflammation from this upper respiratory ailment, body aches have been common. Cannabis is a natural analgesic, and would be a good treatment in lieu of acetaminophen, which is the suggested over-the-counter treatment for symptoms of the virus.

When the caregiver gets sick

I’m known as the Florence Nightingale of Weed, the Mary Poppins of Marijuana. I make remedies at home, and also help friends and neighbors, when called to do so. This is common in the cannabis community. Those who have been helped and know, help others. 

What this means is, the helper can become the patient rather quickly. 

On Sunday, March 8th I presented with fever, chills, some body aches, and shortness of breath. I had a cough, but I’m a bong smoker and had both a dry cough, with my usual rattle.

In the more than seven years since I’ve been using cannabis and other beneficial plants to treat many ailments as they arise, I have not had a cold or flu lasting longer than a few days. And when I do present, I do not have all the symptoms, due to my cannabis use. Body aches, fevers and chills are non-existent. I typically just get fatigue and bronchial, maybe some tummy upset. But, this was different.

I began doing cannabis oil suppositories every three to four hours, through the night. By Monday morning, I still felt bad, but the symptoms were lessened. I continued to do the suppositories through the day. 

Taking cannabis oil via suppositories bypasses the digestive tract, bypassing the liver, and gives no head-high. While I still didn’t feel well, I was able to write a story for a magazine. By Tuesday morning, all symptoms were gone or reduced to mild. 

In the ten days or so since presenting, I’ve kept symptoms down to mild by continuing to take cannabis oil capsules every three to four hours, or as needed. If I forget to take the caps, I can feel the symptoms coming back. 

I liken my symptoms to how Tom Hanks described his wife, Rita’s, mild fever, chills, mild sniffles, some body aches and headaches if I don’t keep up on the oil.

The general consensus is to stay home if the symptoms are mild and ride it out, and that’s what I’m doing. But, rather than taking acetaminophen, I’m choosing to continue taking cannabis oil, tinctures, and smoke or vape, as needed.

I have vaped for lung maintenance off and on, if the coughing is bad; but, honestly, I can still hit my bong with little to no negative side effects. That said, carbon is bad, vaping is good, as it gets the beneficial compounds into the lungs for relief from inflammation and possible healing.

Following is the cannabis oil recipe I make at home. It’s an alcohol reduction, and can test upwards of 80 to 90 percent activated THC, with all the other beneficial compounds intact. This same recipe can be used with hemp high in CBD, if need be. I’m a whole-plant girl.

Cannabis Oil

4 cups ground plant material (small buds, stem and leaf – whole plant)

1 liter grain alcohol (high proof, 90 percentile)

Cover the ground plant material with the solvent, and let soak for up to five minutes*

Strain in a fine mesh or sheet and put into a rice cooker, set it to warm, leave the lid open

It should take between three to four hours to cook down

They may be plant matter in brown chunks, do not use this. Tilt the rice cooker insert to pool the oil, and carefully uptake from the clear liquid.

You will have a thick, brown resin remaining. These are the essential oils of the plant, where the medicine is. 

Just prior to the final reduction, add two tablespoons of coconut oil to the mix. This will keep it from burning (ruining the medicine). Adding coconut is also a good delivery into the bloodstream.

I take a whiff of the mixture, as you can smell the alcohol if it hasn’t cooked off. With the coconut in there, it can sit a bit to make sure the alcohol has completely evaporated. 

Using a measured pipette, using a capsule holder, fill caps with 1 milliliter of the mixture. If there is any alcohol (or water from weak solvent) in the mix, the capsule will melt. Test by filling one up and checking.

Keep in the refrigerator to solidify and keep fresh. This essential oil is precious, use it in a timely manner for freshness and efficacy.

Suppositories

This mixture can also be made into suppositories. The capsules will test in the 80 percentile or stronger for tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive compound. Using suppositories causes no head high, bypassing the liver, going directly to the bloodstream for healing.

Adding one tablespoon of coconut butter will make a stronger suppository, as the coconut oil on its own melts quickly. 

Hack

Sharon uses a silicone cake pan for the final reduction in the rice cooker, as the oil is sticky and there’s less oil wasted and remaining with the non-stick pan. 

At one cup or less, transfer the liquid to a glass measuring cup with a pour spout.  Wipe down the rice cooker insert, insert the silicone pan, and carefully pour the liquid back into the pan and cooker. Continue reducing until alcohol is gone.