marijuana for pain management?

[June]

I've been using marijuana for about a year now for pain management. I have SM, and the pain is quite debilitating. In Colorado, mj is legal as long as the patient is on the state's marijuana registry--which I am. We all have very official-looking certificates which we present in the shops to buy our mj--very neat and tidy.

I use indica, usually in a tincture form, although I have tried the little chocolate squares, which taste gross and don't work for me. Sativa is supposed to actually give both pain relief and an energy boost, according to my "caretaker" shop, but it didn't do anything for me. Indica, however, helps me to sleep when nothing else will. I don't smoke, so I don't use it that way. And side-effects? Well, I'm asleep, so I don't notice any. BTW, I did smoke it back in 2000 when I was going through chemo for breast cancer. It was the only thing that would stop the nausea. And it was NOT legal back then, but thankfully I had a friend who was willing to get some for me.

Hopefully the day will come when we will get over the brain-washing we've been through regarding hemp/marijuana and related products. It is a very useful plant--so many uses--and it is such a shame that we have these ridiculous laws which keep us from getting the best and highest use from it. Ok, enough preaching--you get the idea. I'm not suggesting that anyone break the law; having CM/SM is bad enough. You don't want to be in jail as well! But if you can get away with it and need help with pain, give it a try. It just might help you.

[karenb]

Hi All,

This is an interesting discussion. Personally, I find the smell of smoking MJ to be nauseating, so I'd have to find a different way of ingesting it, but it sounds like there are lots of options.

I live in NM, where medical marijuana is legal. I'm in the southern part of the state, close to the border with Mexico & Juarez. There are no doctors (not even pain management) willing to prescribe it, nor are there suppliers, for hundreds of miles - they're too afraid of the cartels.

Karen

[reedy]

Interesting information (though I am sorry its effect for you, Karen, is not very good). The NM gov't has realized that the medical use is legitimate and should be offered ...but you can't actually get it because of the understandable knock-on effect of having it highly criminalized elsewhere. Why can't we just regulate and tax the stuff like we do with alcohol?

[Graybo]

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[toport20]

I've seen alot of shows where they are trying to put it into 'Pill" form or some other way. The problem is when you get it from "whoever" you don't know what strength it is and growers have worked very hard to get THC levels high. Not like in the older days. I wish science would step in on this and regulate it somehow where you know exactly what your getting and what dose. Don't do it myself but would be willing if it was legally regulated somehow.

[KarenAnn]

I've read that marijuana slows down the csf pressure by 26%. If this is true than doesn't it stand to reason that by using mmj we could possibly slow the progression of our syrinx down. Allowing us to lead the best life possible for as long as possible? I'm not a surgical candidate and I hate the thought of just letting it grow and grow and do nothing to try to slow it down except follow the never ending list of rules...

[Graybo]

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[vframe]

i live in a state where medical marijuana is not legal, nor in any other form, being in the medical profession i do see the benefits, and now that i live in pain daily i am at the point i would try anything, but, how do i approach my NS about this, if i do it ilegally it will show up in the urine screens that i have to have by my pain specialist. so any suggestions how i would approach my NS about this, i too have a supposedly inoperable syrinx.

thanks

[Graybo]

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[vframe]

Graham,
wow, you know, that hit home, my husband has been making comments about how "catty" i have been lately, (he is nice about it, he has a different sense of humor, if he is not picking at me i worry lol), anyway, i didn't realize i get grouchy, and have a different appearance when my pain is severe and i don't remember the last time i laughed, seriously. it is very tempting to try this but i could loose my nursing license if i get caught. even though i may never get to use it again anyway.

[Graybo]

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[Graybo]

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[vframe]

vframe

When you said it hit home, I hope I didn't offend you at all. I don't mean to upset anyone, and I know I get carried away just saying what I think all the time, that's just the way I am.

These messages seem to have been read a lot compared to the amount of posts. I suppose its one of the subjects that you might want to know about but are worried about the consequences of getting involved. I wrote a message on this when I first tried this in november last year then got worried and deleted it. You can see the empty space from november 18 the day after I first used it. I couldn't wait to tell you all about it. See how they keep us in line Maybe that's just my medicine talking

no, you did not offend me. and yes, i do worry about the consequences right now because i am in an unkown zone so to speak, i don't know if i will be able to return to work right now, i don't know if i have surgery if it will make me better or just some better, but i know i am tired of hurting, we all are. and lately my pain meds are not easing my pain. so this is an option i didnn't know was out there that may be in my future to explore and i thank you!

[reedy]

The big leafy bunches of marijuana in the film made me laugh. Where can you get such nice looking greens, as big as a cabbage?!

The biochemical explanation of how its different when you don't heat it, avoiding making it psychoactive, sounded plausible. They do slip into saying something about it being 'more natural and therefore better for you' in an unprocessed state. That kind of thinking is palpable nonsense. Marijuana did not evolve to help humans, so whether its better processed or unprocessed is not determined from how it grows. And obviously, some people consider the psychoactive state far preferable, so there is a value judgement in there that we also don't need to address. I expect most people on this site, who would be interested in using medical marijuana to help them return to a more normal life, would be most interested in the non-psychoactive form.

[Graybo]

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