Canna Care for Herbalists
Presented by Cassandra Purdy & Friends
online class soming soon!
Course Overview
A four part introduction to the history and modern use of cannabis as an unparalleled healing plant. This training for herbalists has become an ongoing part of the Twin Star curriculum. This initial series is intended to give beginners and experienced plant practitioners alike a view into the cutting edge of modern cannabis research and preparations as well as a foundation in the long history of this powerful plant ally.
Class 1: HER-STORY /MYTHOLOGY/ TRADITIONS
The Divine Feminine: the significance of gender in cannabis, mythology of female healing plants, discussion around plant spirit acknowledgement of the impact of removing males and monoculture for producing flower in new industry. Traditional indigenous uses of cannabis as sacrament and medicine, ethnobotany and culture of Rastafarian, Shivite and shamanic usages of the plant.
Class 2: HEMP VS. CANNABIS
Special Guest Alyssa Cassidy, Hemp Farmer & Cannabis Activist
The new and old world of hemp cultivation including botanical information and classifications. An introduction to cultivation basics (seeds, clones, modern grow operations, indoor/outdoor). Alyssa will share stories and images from cannabis cultivation projects in both Vermont and California. An introduction to basic chemical constituents, hemp vs. cannabis (variations in CBD) and plant biology will also be shared.
Class 3: HEALING WITH CANNABIS
The history of prohibition and advent of compassionate care. Present day medical uses for Cancer patients – how far has cannabis medicine come since the AIDS crisis? How and why does cannabis work, an introduction to the endocannabinoid system. Proper dosing and lab testing and an introduction to basic cannabis preparations. Medicine making demo using hemp flowers.
Class 4: MODERN CANNABIS DEMYSTIFIED
Special Guest Ben Handwerger, Medical Cannabis Formulator, Consultant and Professional Cannabis Educator
Take a deep dive into the world of terpenes (cannabis essential oils) and their medicinal properties and uses. Advanced extraction and modern processing will also be covered. Explanation of forms of concentrate and extractions. Initiation to old school extraction and medicine making. Review forms of ingesting cannabis (oral, topical, smoke, vapor), and their applications.
Teacher Bio
Cassandra Purdy is local chef and cannabis expert who has a degree in Anthropology from Vassar College and another in Tibetan Studies. She has always been interested in sacred plants and ethnobotany, pursuing her education in these subjects through shamanism, travel, workshops with masters and research. In 2000 she helped found Mama Editions, a French publishing company based in Paris, specializing in these topics and has translated many important works and contributed to and edited many others including the bestseller “Mr. Nice ”. She translated cannabis activist/writer Michka’s seminal “Medical Cannabis” and “Healing with Cannabis” into English, as well as (for another publisher) “Homegrown Harvest.” She worked at her first High Times Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam in 1995 and has been a judge at many since, both for flower and edibles categories. In the intervening 23 years she has attended hundreds of trade shows, conventions and conferences all over the world in the cannabis space. She has also made almost a dozen trips to India starting in 1994 with a deep interest in the continent’s relationship with psychoactive plants and in particular the traditional uses of cannabis as sacrament and medicine.
Since 2014 she has been working in the new world of legal and medical marijuana consulting on edibles and creating product-lines for companies in CT and Oregon, drawing on her many years of experience collaborating with this powerful plant ally. Recently she has been developing CBD products, working on refining her skill at tincture and salve-making. Cassandra feels that the corporate take-over of the cannabis industry needs to be counterbalanced with open-source sharing of ancient plant knowledge that belongs to no one and everyone. As her friend Michka wrote, “Free access to plants is a birthright of all living creatures.” She plans to open a cannabis dispensary in Lee, MA in 2020.
Investment
Tuition for this program is $350