Suggestions Rethinking root value...

So listening to Trevor talk about gunpowder being made from hemp root sent me down a rabbit hole on cannabis roots and their uses and benefits.   What I found is pretty badass and kind of upsets me that I have wasted so many root balls now!  This plant is amazing, and I will be digging out, cleaning and drying some roots!  

The following is an article that I thought laid it out pretty well:

Cannabis Roots as Medicine 

• Cannabis roots are made up of lipids and sugars.
• The ethanol extract of hemp root contains terpenes that have many benefits:
• Friedelin: antioxidant and protects the liver
• Epifriedelanol: can prevent the growth of tumors
• Pentacyclic triterpene ketones: can kill cancer cells, reduce inflammation, act as a diuretic, and reduces bacteria

The alkaloids found in cannabis roots have the following benefits:

• Piperdine: is used by pharmaceutical companies as a chemical building block to create medicine used in psychiatry
•  Pyrroldine: also used by pharmaceuticals as a building block in the manufacture of stimulant medications

Small quantities of choline as well as atropine are found in cannabis roots. Choline is an essential nutrient that plays an important role in maintaining health cell membranes. Post-menopausal women are at high risk for a choline deficiency, so they can benefit from consuming cannabis root tea. Altopine on the other hand can be used to relax eye muscles, and can be used to increase heart rate during resuscitation, and it also has bronchodilatory properties.

Modern Day Uses

Many people who grow cannabis and use the root to relieve many ailments and disorders. It is easy to make home-brewed cannabis root tea, all you have to do is place dried, powdered hemp root in a slow cooker for 12 hours. Anise, cinnamon, and other aromatic herbs can also be added if you a huge fan of the taste of pure hemp. Once it is done, strain the tea and drink.

Cannabis root is also used in many tinctures and liniments which are applied directly to the skin. You can use a dry, powdered form of the root as a poultice to soothe skin disorders such as dermatitis, cuts, and burns. Cannabis root used in salves, oils, and balms can also be used to treat herpes, blisters, pimple, acne, arthritis, hemorrhoids, dysmenorrhea, asthma, sore throat, colds, headaches, tension pains, migraines, and chronic inflammation of the larynx.

If you are growing your own cannabis, be sure not to throw out the roots! Take advantage of the amazing plant and dry the roots for medicinal use.

For tea, once dried, break down the roots into chunks and use a mortar and pestle or blender to grind them finely into a powder. Add the ground roots to a slow cooker, add some oil or fat, and let simmer for 12 hours.