Jessica Catalano - The ganja kitchen revolution: the bible of cannabis cuisine

The Ganga Kitchen Revolution
Published by Green Candy Press
San Francisco, CA

Copyright 2013 Jessica Catalano

ISBN 978-1-937866-22-8

Photographs Tyler Kittock
Photographs on Page 6 Green Candy Press
Photographs on Pages 14 and 18 Jasper Potts

This book contains information about illegal substances, specifically the plant Cannabis Sativa and its derivative products. Green Candy Press would like to emphasize that Cannabis is a controlled substance in North America and throughout much of the world. As such, the use and cultivation of cannabis can carry heavy penalties that may threaten an individuals liberty and livelihood.

The aim of the Publisher is to educate and entertain. Whatever the Publishers view on the validity of current legislation, we do not in any way condone the use of prohibited substances.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without express written permission from the Publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review where appropriate credit is given. Nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the Publisher.

Sometimes Massively Distributed by P.G.W.

Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica, and Cannabis Ruderalis:
Thank you for being the Gateway drug to perpetual inspiration, compassion, benevolence, and medicinal miracles.

The Ganja Kitchen Revolution was born from the coming together of three passions: alternative medicine, healthy cooking and taking care of people in need. I have loved being in the kitchen ever since I can remember and have always been cooking or baking on a daily basis. When I was very young, I would beg my parents to let me cook or bake for them, but at the time I was so little that I wasnt allowed to cook or bake by myself in fear that I may accidently get hurt. So instead I was taught to cook and bake under the wing of my father, mother, older sister and grandmother until I reached the age where I could cook or bake unsupervised. This came so naturally to me that I would actively look for excuses to create dishes for myself or others. I found it immensely pleasurable, relaxing, centering and re-energizing. As I grew up, my cooking and baking skills grew with me as I was exposed to the many different cultural backgrounds of food.

I was first introduced to the fine art of making edibles in early 1997 when I was merely a teenager and have been enamored ever since. Of course, back then I did not know as much as I know now, but what I did know was that I had stumbled across a powerful herbal medicine that eradicated my painful chronic migraines. I learned classic, simple cannabis culture recipes at first, such as brownies, cakes and cookies, which were very inconspicuous in a non-compassionate state. Throughout my young years, I experimented with various recipes but was always limited to a minimal strain selection due to the legality situation of living in Upstate NY.

At 23, I went west and left Buffalo, NY for the majestic mountains of Colorado. Working in the health care field before and after my move, I learned a great deal about the detrimental and sometimes devastating effects of manufactured pharmaceutical drugs. Going to EMT school and then doing my clinicals before graduation only made me more acutely aware of how bad these manufactured drugs can be for you. Patients were given one pill to fix a specific problem yet ended up with six side effects that required even more pills to fix them in turn. Some of my patients ended up being on 8 different medications to fix not only their original problem, but also the side effects. To me this was absolute madness and I was immensely angered by the fact that doctors did this to people. While treating these patients I often thought to myself that most of these medical conditions would be alleviated or solved if only they ate a well-balanced clean diet paired with herbal remedies and supplements.

My move to Colorado brought with it the problem of finding a new doctor to monitor and take care of my migraines. I essentially became a guinea pig as I was being fed medication after medication because my migraines were not responding to any of the treatments. I was being prescribed pills that had sudden cardiac arrest, stroke, hardening of the internal organs and even death listed as possible side affects. I did not like the way the pills made me feel as most produced very strange sensations in my body; heart palpitations, increased respirations, sweating, high blood pressure, dizziness, nausea, anxiety, nervousness, lethargy and feelings of disconnect were all common feelings to me as a consequence of taking the pills. At this time I was going to Culinary Arts School and had transitioned into a bakery for work. I was told by a friend at the bakery, much to my surprise, that medical cannabis was legal in Colorado State and that I should look into it. That night I researched the laws surrounding medical cannabis and then made an appointment with a medical cannabis doctor the next day. After the long process of medical record checking, questions, conversations and paperwork I was granted my temporary medical cannabis paper license until my red card came in the mail from the state.

I was allowed to purchase my medication in the same visit and I was absolutely floored the moment I stepped into the medication room: an intoxicating aroma of freshly cured buds laced the air and smelled so sweet you could almost taste it. Big glass jars full of fluffy organic buds lined the shelves on the back wall while tinctures, edibles, and lotions were displayed in a large glass case.

The man who was behind the counter - known as a budtender picked out specific strains that would help combat my migraines. Because it was my first time, he explained the basic principles of the genetic makeup of the plants and how it would affect me. I was becoming overwhelmed just by the sheer fact that I would have normally never seen nor experienced such a moment like this back home. My anxiety then turned into thoughts that the cops were waiting outside in the parking lot for me which would result in some sort of sting operation once I purchased my medicine. As these thoughts began to flood my mind I realized I was experiencing a bit of a culture shock and told myself to relax before I gave myself an anxiety attack.