The journey to completing a collegiate culinary degree nearly killed Jazmine Moore.
In 2007, Jazmine overcame a variety of health ailments to reach the finish line of a senior campaign at Baltimore International Culinary College. “My friends were pleading for me to go get help,” recalled the native of Washington D.C. “I was losing weight, I was fatigued and I couldn’t keep any food down. But I just kind of refused to accept it. I kept pushing through until the end of college.”
When an emaciated Jazmine finally sought medical help, she meagerly made her way through the doors of the hospital at a mere 84 pounds.
“I was really skinny,” the 37-year-old recollected.
Jazmine was given a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that impacts the gastrointestinal tract, often upending patients’ lives and forcing a regimented way of life.
Jazmine’s health was monitored closely over a five-week stay at the Washington Hospital Center – a place she credits with giving her the foundational keys to a new life at the ripe age of 21. Some of those lessons she took home, while others, she pooh-poohed.
“I knew that I had to live differently, but I refused to accept the lifestyle the doctor wanted me to live,” she said. “They wanted me to get a bag in my stomach, have a specific diet and take all these medications. I was 21! I just did all this work, and graduated from college. I wanted to celebrate, not do all that. So I started looking for alternative remedies that could help.”
Her mother, Trinna, was a raw food vegan chef – which certainly helped flavor an initial adherence to a starch-heavy diet consisting of rice, potatoes and white bread. However, Trinna had a surprising ingredient she was about to add to Jazmine’s sustenance: Cannabis.
Jazmine departed the hospital at 96 pounds, up a dozen from her entry. While she was leaving behind a medical picc line that delivered nutrients intravenously, her mother was encouraging her daughter to pick up a natural substance that could quell her inflammation and encourage a necessary appetite.
“People always laugh when I say my mother introduced me to Cannabis,” smiled Jazmine. “But she didn’t say, ‘Go get high.’ What she did was introduce me to a man named Dr. Patterson, who taught me about cannabinoids and cooking with Cannabis. He showed me that I could treat my condition by microdosing.”
Jazmine began making infused smoothies – “juicing” hemp leaves, or just “chucking a nug” into a blend that provided relief for daily inflammation. But she was just getting started. A harrowing health scare had inspired a foray into Cannabis cuisine, broadening the horizons of a young woman with a passion for the culinary and a degree to prove it. Her life has never been the same.
“Sixteen years later, I do not take any medications besides Cannabis and food,” she said.
Jazmine dives into her culinary creativity to microdose 25mg of CBD in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, sandwich toppings, honey, salads, or even drizzling infused spreads on tasty foods such as popcorn.
“Everyone has their own journey, so I don’t push my experience on another,” cautioned the graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School. “But if they do want to know, I try to teach the fundamentals about the Endocannabinoid System and just give the tools for those on their own journey.”
Jazmine has taken on the professional moniker of Green Panther Chef, combining her love of the cougar cat with a passion for living a sustainable and holistic lifestyle. The Green Panther Chef is now a published author, releasing an infused eating guide entitled “More than a Cannabis Cookbook.”
The book, which can be found on Amazon.com, provides readers insight into her background, a comprehensive understanding of the Endocannabinoid System, more than 75 infused recipes, and journal prompts to help track progress.
“There’s a whole section in the book where I talk about different terpene pairings and what they can do for you,” she said. “It’s something I really subscribe to because it’s helped me with GI symptoms, even down to improved sleep.”
Jazmine also runs the Green Panther Chef Cannabis Catering Company, hosting a storefront in Brentwood, Maryland, alongside her mother Trinna. The Moore mother and daughter combination can often be found working side-by-side in the kitchen, which Jazmine fondly refers to as “The Lab.”
“It means everything to me that she’s even a part of this journey,” Jazmine said. “She’s always been so supportive and encouraged the best out of me. I mean, at her age (67), to be with me through all the ups and downs of this business … she doesn’t have to do that. It just means the world to me.”
