She's a self-proclaimed cannabis cook who believes pot is just the ticket for cancer patients who have lost their appetite or are nauseous due to chemotherapy treatments.
It's personal for the San Diego-based schwag chef. When Twolan was 19, she suffered ovarian cancer and turned to marijuana to help keep up her appetite. Now in her mid-40s, she recently survived a bout with breast cancer as well.
"[Marijuana] helped me with the radiation and helped me more than pharmaceutical drugs," she said.
Twolan, who is a columnist for a pot-oriented publication called Nug Mag, says foods flavored or spiced with marijuana are more beneficial for patients than having them get their medicine by smoking.
"If you're nauseous, smoking can make you more sick," she said. "Eating it is a better delivery system."
Although some patients like their medicinal pot to be given in the form of brownies, Twolan has found a way to turn Thanksgiving into a real hemp holiday by adding marijuana to traditional turkey day grub like mashed potatoes, yams and even stuffing.
For instance, Twolan's recipe for "Bird Stuffing a La Motta" combines five cups of breadcrumbs with five cloves of garlic, two tablespoons of poultry seasoning and four tablespoons of melted cannabutter -- a sinsimilla spread made by cooking an ounce of bud with a pound of butter or coconut oil in a crock pot for a few hours -- along with raisins, almonds, celery and onion (and some dry white wine).
She says the result is not only tasty but can improve the appetite of a very sick person -- but with a caveat.
"From a taste standpoint, the stuffing is best when cooked in a bird, but you have to follow strict safety guidelines to prevent food poisoning," Twolan said, adding that it's not good when a person who is having trouble eating gets food poisoning as well.
Twolan prefers using cannabutter in recipes to actual weed, but says ground-up marijuana works well in spicy cuisines like Thai or Indian food, while cannabutter is best suited for cuisines with rich tastes, like French food.
In addition, she says the rule about cooking with wine applies to marijuana as well: If it doesn't taste or smell good, don't cook with it.
"Also, it's important to cook cannabis over a low heat," Twolan warned. "If it gets above 350 degrees, it loses its properties."
Twolan says her recipes will help lower the pain levels of patients who are having trouble sleeping. However, she suggests serving only one pot-laced dish at Thanksgiving -- and to limit who actually gets to eat them.
"Otherwise, you're going to have a very dull after-dinner conversation," she said.
If you do plan on making a cannabis dish for Thanksgiving, Twolan says it's important to plan a long dinner.
"The effect of 'edibles' isn't instantaneous," she said. "You should try a small amount and then wait an hour before sampling more. Also, put a warning label on the container so people know what's in the bowl and so children don't get near it."
Source: AOL News
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