Step by step procedure for Silver Roots Salve

 

Wash Root

1.  PREPARE THE ROOT: 
1. Hose dirt off with strong stream of water.  
2. Dry root and then cut root into ½-1  inch segments and get desired weight using scale. 
3. Freeze what you don’t use in a freezer bag. Label with weight and date.
2. PREP FOR FIRST STEP
1. Slow cooker-I used an old one at first then bought a new one for cooking, saved my old one for salve. Probably okay to use for both, but I felt more comfortable with a dedicated one.
2. Organic jojoba oil.   It’s a matter of preference.  Other oil options are tamanu,  coconut, olive, avocado, peanut or sesame oil.
3. Timer
3. FIRST STEP:  Making the essential oil

   

   Essential Oil

   
   
1. 1 hour on high to heat the oil,  then 2 hours on low.
2. Place Pyrex bowl in slow cooker to keep roots submerged.
3. Check periodically to tip bowl to release gathered bubbles.
4. PREP FOR SECOND STEP 
1. 4 cup measuring cup
2. Measuring cups/spoons
3. Cheesecloth

4. 

   Gather equipment

   Strainer
5. Terpene(s) and/or Essential Oil(s)
6. beeswax
7. Sterilized containers with padding taken out of lid
8. Labels especially if experimenting with ratios, terpenes or essential oils--date and list ingredients.  Place labels on jars.
9. Hot pads, if necessary
5. SECOND STEP:  Making the salve



Terpenes

1. Line the measuring cup with strainer lined with cheesecloth.
2. Pour essential oil into measuring cup and strain roots from oil--caution:  HOT.
3. Wipe out slow cooker, don’t wash.
4. Pour mixture back in slow cooker, put on high
5. Add beeswax, shaved or cut up for faster melting, about 5 minutes 
6. While waiting, when wax is nearly melted, add terpene(s) and EO (if desired) to the measuring cup.
   
1. The root has little scent.  
2. The salve’s scent will depend on the oil, terpenes and EOs that are added.  I use no essential oils now, though I have in the past.
7. When all beeswax is melted, pour carrier oil in the measuring cup, using spatula to get it all.  Stir and pour into jars.  
8. Wait for the mixture to cool before placing lids.  Water is the enemy!
9. Store in fridge unless using regularly.

Final Product

SILVER ROOTS Ingredients and Proportions

Carrier Oil	Root in grams	Beeswax in ounces	Beta-caryophylene	Humulene
16 oz jojoba	10 g	2.25	2 oz = 1/4 c	.2 oz = 1.25 t
24 oz jojoba	15 g	3.33	3 oz = 1/4 c + 1/8 c	.3 oz = 1.75 t
32 oz jojoba	20 g	4.5	4 oz = 1/2 c	.4 oz - 2.45 t

1. The Silver Roots Salve: Concise listing of Ingredients and Equipment.

I have been tweaking with this salve recipe for several years now.  Here's an overview to start to multiple postings on what's in it and how to make it.

5 INGREDIENTS

• Cannabis root
• Oil—I use organic jojoba
• Terpenes
• Beta-Caryophyllene
• Humulene
• Organic Beeswax

 In addition to the 5 ingredients needed to make the salve, you will need some specific equipment and other things that are helpful!.

EQUIPMENT

• Pruning shears to cut the root
• Scale that measures grams and ounces
• Slow cooker
• Timer
• 4 cup Pyrex or similar brand measuring cup
• Pyrex bowl to place inside the crock pot to hold down the root
• Measuring cups/spoons
• Cheesecloth
• Strainer that fits in the top of the pyrex cup
• Sterilized containers for the final product.  
• (I use 2 ounce jars as well as .5 oz jars as samplers.)
• Pot holders

New Mexico Legalizes Possession and Cultivation as of 6/29/2021

New Mexico's marijuana legalization law took effect on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 with limited personal possession and cultivation officially becoming legal for adults 21 and older. Adults can now lawfully possess up to two ounces of cannabis, 16 grams of concentrates and grow as many as six mature plants for personal use.

There are lots of tricks and tips for how to grow marijuana on the internet, so I won't take up much space with it on this blog.  I have tried growing it in a greenhouse and in a more controlled light environment in my garage under artificial light.  Both methods yielded mediocre results. I have had my best success growing 12-15 inch starter plants outside in early June.  

Personally, I use the bud to make an alcohol-based tincture which I take in a capsule and I use the root for the salve.  More on that in later posts.

Q & A's that NM consumers need to know

Possession and use of recreational cannabis has become legal in New Mexico for adults 21 and over as of June 2021. But a legal market for producing and selling cannabis and cannabis products is months away.

Question: When does it start?  Answer: Personal recreational use becomes legal June 29. 2021. Licenses to sell cannabis are expected to be issued by April 1 2022.

Question: As a recreational user, where do I buy legal cannabis in the.  meantime?  Answer: You can’t. No types of recreational cannabis transactions are legal. It also is illegal to transport cannabis across states lines, so although you can legally purchase products at licensed stores in other states, you cannot legally bring it home.

Question: Can I grow at home for personal use?  Answer: Yes — up to six plants for an individual or 12 plants for a household with two or more adults over 21.

Question: Do I need a permit to grow at home?  Answer: No. All you need are seeds.

Question: Is it easy to grow cannabis at home?  Answer: Experts, farmers and grow-at-home people say no. There are a number of online sources, including YouTube videos, with tips on how to grow.

Question: Can I use in public?  Answer: No. But plans are in place to create approved cannabis consumption areas in the future.

Question: How much will recreational cannabis cost?  Answer: State officials say the market will determine that price down the line. The state Department of Health says the price of a gram of medical cannabis ranged from $9.25 to $11.64 in fiscal year 2020.

Question: What role do local governments play in all this?  Answer: Cities, towns and counties can create restrictions for cannabis businesses when it comes to the location of shops and hours of operation. But officials cannot outright prohibit cannabis businesses.

Question: Can anyone apply for a license to produce, sell or transfer cannabis?  Answer: Anyone 21 or older who does not have a criminal conviction for a workplace offense, such as fraud or embezzlement, is eligible to apply. Other criminal convictions also may affect eligibility.

Question: How much will a license cost?  Answer: The rules are still being developed, but a proposal suggests licenses will cost $2,500 per year for larger cannabis producers, manufacturers, retailers, and those who want to run cannabis testing and research laboratories, with an additional fee of $1,000 for each location. Smaller businesses would pay as little as $500 annually or up to $2,500 for a license including several operations.

Question: What do I need to have in place to apply for a business license?  Answer: Growers will need legal proof of water rights. All businesses will need a facility to grow, manufacture or sell cannabis and a security system, including a vault and security cameras.

Question: When can I apply for a license to produce, manufacture or sell cannabis?  Answer: The opening date for applications is Sept. 1, but state officials are hoping for an earlier date, perhaps as soon as mid-July.

Question: Will there be a cap on plant production for producers and manufacturers?  Answer: Yes, at least until the end of 2025. The proposed rules for larger businesses include plant count ranges for several levels of production, with a maximum plant count of 4,500. Microgrowers can get licenses to grow up to 100 or up to 200 plants.

Question: How will the new recreational cannabis laws work with the current Medical Cannabis Program?  Answer: Current medical cannabis businesses can apply for a dual license to produce and sell recreational cannabis. In addition, proposed rules would require recreational cannabis retailers to set aside at least 25 percent of their products for medical cannabis patients to offset concerns about supply shortages.

Question: If I’m a medical cannabis patient, should I hold on to my card and remain in the program?  Answer: Yes. Under the new law, a certain amount of cannabis for patients in the medical program will not be taxed, while all recreational cannabis will be taxed.

Question: Even though using recreational cannabis in New Mexico and some other states is legal, isn’t it still prohibited by federal law?  Answer: Yes. FBI spokesman Frank Fisher wrote in an email: “Marijuana is illegal by federal law, regardless if a state decriminalizes it. Marijuana-related incidents are investigated by the FBI as resources allow.”

Question: Does that mean federal law enforcement agencies might increase enforcement of federal laws prohibiting cannabis?  Answer: Carlos Briano, a spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration, wrote in an email: “The DEA does not target drug users, of any drug, simply for being a drug user. We focus our efforts on criminal organizations, violent offenders, and serious drug traffickers.” Still, he said, anyone in possession of a controlled substance or marketing it could face federal prosecution. Those transferring cannabis across state lines face the greatest risk, he added.

Question: How many states have legalized recreational cannabis?  Answer: Currently, 18 states and the District of Columbia — though not all of them have started sales yet. Just this year, five — Connecticut, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Virginia — approved legalization.

Question: Where can I find out more about the proposed rules for businesses?  Answer: Visit the state Regulation and Licensing Department’s Cannabis Control Division at ccd.rld.state.nm.us.

Source

Possession, growth and adult-use now legal in New Mexico

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD) Superintendent Linda Trujillo on Tuesday heralded the official effective date of the Cannabis Regulation Act, which now provides for the personal possession and growth of cannabis in New Mexico, and officially establishes the Cannabis Control Division within RLD.”

The Cannabis Regulation Act, signed into law by the governor after she called a special legislative session to secure its final approval earlier this year, legalized adult-use cannabis sales in New Mexico no later than April 1, 2022. However, several provisions of the law go into effect on June 29, 2021.

Possession:  In New Mexico, people age 21 and older can legally possess up to two ounces of cannabis, 16 grams of cannabis extract and 800 milligrams of edible cannabis outside their private residence. They may have a larger supply in their home.

Growth:  They can also grow up to six cannabis plants per person at their home, with a household limit of 12 plants.

Adult use:  Though it is legal to possess the amounts above in public, it is not legal to use it in public at this time.

Moving forward, the newly created Cannabis Control Division will oversee both medical and adult-use cannabis in New Mexico. The division is already working with the public to draft rules for the production of adult-use cannabis and has advised local governments of their obligations under the law.

Me and marijuana

As a college student in the late 1960’s, I was exposed to a variety of pills, alcohol, psychedelics such as LSD, and marijuana.  The Vietnam war protests were a regular occurrence, and distrust of the government was high among my generation.  In spite of all that, I did not partake in any of it!  I had been raised to trust the establishment and to follow the law..  As a mother, teacher and then guidance counselor, I believed in the “experts” who proclaimed marijuana as a “gateway drug” and I held firm in my conviction that there would be no place for drugs in my life!

Decades later, as states were beginning to allow medical and then recreational use,  I slowly began to reconsider my position.  When I moved to New Mexico in May 2016, I acquired both my medical marijuana and personal production licenses.  My first attempts to grow from seed were not very successful, but I kept at it and learned many tips and tricks along the way.  I was not willing to smoke it, in large part because my dad had died of lung cancer, though there is no proven link between smoking marijuana and lung cancer.  

My very first use was with tincture made from bud.  Having had five major joints replaced due to degenerative arthritis, I had constant inflammation and joint pain.  While the tincture helped alleviate some of the pain, I still had inflammation which caused pain in my back, shoulders, hands and knees.  Masking the pain by taking tincture was helping, but I wanted to dig deeper and see if there was a way to address the root cause of the pain.

My son encouraged me to follow Shango Los’ YouTube channel, “Shaping Fire.”   The September 6, 2017, 26th episode changed my life.  The guest for that episode was Dr. Natasha Ryz and she shared her knowledge on the topic of “Cannabis Root Ball Medicine.”  Here’s the summary:  The cannabis root ball is usually discarded in modern cultivation, but that was not always the case. Healers throughout history have used the root ball for preparations, relieving a wide range of ailments. Podcast host Shango Los talked with health researcher Dr. Natasha Ryz. about her new paper, co-authored by renowned cannabis neurologists Dr. Ethan Russo and David Remillard. It illustrated the remarkable healing abilities of the cannabis root ball beyond phytocannabinoids.  Link to Dr. Ryz's paper

I was fascinated by the idea that marijuana was not the evil temptation leading to drug abuse and the gutter as I had been led to believe.   It had been used for centuries as medicine, particularly for inflammation and as an analgesic.  Although Dr. Ryz did not have specific recipes or instructions on how to extract and apply the medicinal parts of the root, she encouraged listeners to experiment with different methods.  My various attempts with the salve are documented in this blog for you to read. You can purchase her products and read more about her on her website.  You can also try my salve recipe to make your own!