Marijuana has no effect

Hello @coolrufus, thank you for posing this question about medical marijuana. I am tagging @jimhd, @goodtime376, @medic7054, and @tonyc55 in this conversation as they have all discussed experience with marijuana and may be able to offer you some insight.

<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>Thanks and thank you for supporting the site so far this has been very informative and if nothing else finding support in others who have similar experiences.<br><br>

I have tried to respond to your post 3 times prior to this time, and each time it suddenly disappeared. I hope I get this posted this time. I have tried marijuana over the years but mostly not for pain. Now that I'm 68 years old, I am considering using only marijuana to deal with my chronic pain. I have only 2 times when I had no effect from smoking marijuana. The very first time, I smoked I felt nothing. The only other times were when it was very low grade marijuana. So, despite your being told or thinking you had high grade marijuana, you probably didn't. Also I took your saying you "consumed" it to mean you had some edible that had pot in it. My experience with eating a chocolate that contained marijuana was that I got so high it scared me. Edibles seem to be much more powerful than tincture, or smoke.

I am currently working on weaning off all my prescribed pain medications because of their powerful side effects. Just the fact that I'm having to withdraw slowly tells me I shouldn't be taking the meds. My pain doctor seems unhappy with me since I told him I wanted to stop taking them. He has been no help in my efforts, not giving me any information about how to withdraw. I am relying on my pharmacist and this Mayo Connect site to learn how slowly I need to withdraw from each medication. I'm already off the Gabapentin, and I'm currently working on the Baclofen withdrawal which I should be free of by the end of this week. Then I'll start on withdrawing from Tramadol. At that time I plan to switch to marijuana, which is legal in California where I live. I know I won't have to withdraw from it, and I will be taking the kind that doesn't make me high. I just want the pain relief, and I know it works for my pain.

Good luck with your use,and with hearing back from some other people on here who have much more knowledge of marijuana than I do. Gail B

I use a combination of 50/50 CBD and THC daily orally twice a day and it takes away about 75% of my pain. If I do something stupid (I'm a guy you know) I also have an atomizer of 100% THC taken sub-lingual for breakthrough pain. It really helps. Unfortunately, if you are seeing a pain doctor you will have to suffer his wrath and possibly lose him as a doctor. My primary physician is the one that helped me get to the right people who prescribe medical quality marijuana. It is always consistent in quality and its effects on my pain. I do have a pain doctor that I have seen over the years and he supports my marijuana use, but then he is an "interventionist" rather than a pill pusher.
The ONLY issue I have taking marijuana is that it makes my feet numb......completely numb. The only downside is that I now need a cane to assist me in balancing. A very small price to pay after 13 years of increasing pain.

I live in Minnesota where medical marijuana is legal. Other states vary greatly in quality and availability. Good luck all.

My initial experience with MM was disappointing. The pain Doc prescribed a very low dose, which probably is a safe way to start. Got a new script was upped the dosage but taking it at the prescribed dose was still not doing the job. Staff at the dispensary where it's purchased told me in no uncertain terms that I should take more.I did and it is doing a better job in reducing the pain. I am also taking prednisone now but that is for short time only. The two meds are more helpful than just the MM. Be very careful in the weaning process from the opiods etc.This can really do a number on you. But you seem to have a good handle on the drug regimen.

I have never had any experience with street drugs. Until a short time ago.

I have idiopathic peripheral neuropathy, with chronic burning pain, numbness, and pins and needles from knees to toes. I've tried every medication available for neuropathy, and none of them have helped. In addition to the meds I take for various other things, I'm taking Cymbalta and Morphine sulfate contin. Once in awhile, I take Percocet.

I bought an ounce of trim - in case you don't know, trim is what's leftover after removing the buds (and it's a lot cheaper). I ground it and made cannabutter with it, then used a cup of the butter to make a double batch of chocolate chip cookies with mint chips in to hide the flavor of the weed. I figured out that 2 cookies gives pain relief. 3 makes me loopy. I guess it takes a fair amount of trial and error to find what works. I'm not trying to get high from it because I want to stay in control of my thoughts and actions. I'm glad that for now, it's legal here.

Jim

You have a twin! I feel nothing! First I tried vaping, then I spent another $100 on edibles. Didn't even cure a headache. Meds like Fentynal, Versed, & Dilaudid have no effect. I scream through my outpatient procedures. I also can't get drunk. I'm so glad I found you! My doc won't believe me that I can't get high. So why can't I? I need pain relief!

Honestly, opioids will only make headaches worse. In my case, the ED at the time in Yuma AZ gave me a migraine cocktail in the form of injections. I believe it was a combination of Benadryl to “knock me out”, prednisone and something else. It worked the first time but not the 2nd time. A Neurologist from Tucson AZ would come to Yuma for 2 weeks each month and he said to try caffeine bcuz most of the migraine medication have caffeine in them.
I’ve been having caffeine in the form of coffee with extra shots and an energy drink called BANG. The results = Rarely do I have headaches anymore.

I also have tried vaping & edibles with absolutely no effect. Didn't even cure a headache. Didn't make me sleepy. Nothing. Why is this happening?

@monikamouse Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! We're glad you joined us here. We are not Dr's, we are patients, and cannot offer medical advice. It's certainly difficult when you cannot find relief. Has this been a problem for all your life, or is it recent? Your body may be changing, and the assistance of a pain specialist may be needed. There are also many alternative pain relief remedies, including meditation, yoga, massage, Reiki, and mindfulness. Have any of these been tried?
We hope you will continue to post and tell us a bit about yourself and the pain/discomfort issues.
Ginger