Does medical marijuana work for chronic pain?

Posted by mmoss @mmoss, Mar 27, 2021

Does Medical marijuana work for chronic pain. Looking for alternatives to Vicodin.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Chronic Pain Support Group.

@mimiskip

I am very interested in getting and using CBD. I live in Texas. I am going thru having the nerve endings burned with laser In two days I am having a spinal block. I take Tylenol and when the pain is bad I take a hydrocodone and that puts me to sleep. Where would I go to get the CBD. Skip

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The best online company for all CBD products (in my opinion) is in Austin Texas. The name is HOMETOWN HERO. They have a lot of videos in which they show the entire process, from growing the evil weed to processing it into varied products.

I learned a lot from their website. I smoked marijuana from the late 1960s to the start of 1982. (I started a new job.) A lot has happened to me from then to now, with the biggest problem being my shot knees. During the winter I am in terrible pain and need a cane to get around. During warmer months I'm still in pain but able to walk short distances without the cane. I have no desire to smoke anything these days, but Dec of 2022 the pain sent me searching for a CBD product that was effective.

Nothing sold in smoke shops seemed to do anything. After blowing 1,000 dollars I started looking online. By March I had discovered HOMETOWN HERO and right from the start I knew that I'd be a regular customer. I prefer the gummies to the other items.

If you want to reach oblivion try the CBD Delta 9 with THC. I've learned that most customers cut each gummie into quarters. I don't. I only use it at night to go to sleep. I watch some tv as it is coming on, and at times (when taken on an empty stomach) my 32 " Samsung becomes 3-D. When I realize that I've reached that point I simply go to bed - and sleep comes quickly.

Rebecca. You are ingesting 2.5 mg? Last year I determined that most of the professional studies of CBD and pain considered 20mgs the starting dose. I take 25mg of Delta 9 with THC. But I weigh 230 pounds. Perhaps you should try CBD Delta 8. It is better than straight CBD for pain and you won't feel like you're on a psychedelic. No rainbows on white surfaces, no getting fixated on anything in the environment. Certainly you won't hear angels talking or see the face of God. (You see, a strong enough dose of THC mimics some of the effects of LSD)

Anyway, best wishes to everyone.

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@rebsue

I appreciate people who are sharing their experiences with cannabis--especially the specifics of how many mgs are effective. My physiatrist suggests that I just keep experimenting--my goals is to not get high but have the pain go into the background. I've been doing 2.5 mg of THC--often a 1:1 ratio with CBD and keep thinking I need to quit cutting that 5 mg gummy in half and move up in mgs. It seems different brands certainly work differently. Thanks for all the input here! Rebecca

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Hi Rebecca,
You are correct that different brands work differently. Indica is believed to be more calming and helps me sleep. Sativa is believed to be more uplifting. And a lot of edibles contain a hybrid (mix) of the two. Another factor is when you last had a meal. I find the effects more noticeable if I eat it on an empty stomach. If I eat a big meal and then have an edible I hardly notice anything. I like to buy chocolate bars because I can cut it into the size I want, usually 5 or 10 mg. It takes about an hour before I feel the effects, so an hour before bedtime works for me. Also, never drive while under the effects because it definitely changes your reaction time.

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@mimiskip

I am very interested in getting and using CBD. I live in Texas. I am going thru having the nerve endings burned with laser In two days I am having a spinal block. I take Tylenol and when the pain is bad I take a hydrocodone and that puts me to sleep. Where would I go to get the CBD. Skip

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Good afternoon Skip. I understand why you might want to see if medical cannabis might be helpful. Living in Texas is a problem because it is the most restricted state. Are you familiar with the legal restrictions? There may be an opportunity under a qualifying statement that folks with nerve-related conditions are eligible to receive medical use approval.

Usually, you find medical cannabis at a state-approved dispensary. In Texas, you are also limited to products based on the type and quantity of the plant. You can have the benefit of THC if it is Delta 8 THC in which CBD has been converted with specialized catalysts.

You probably already know the options available to you and the research that might be helpful.
Here is what I found online about how to select a by-mail company.

"You need to examine the third-party lab reports; check for the product’s potency and see if it’s not contaminated with pesticides, heavy metals, solvents, or bleaches; then you have hundreds of user reviews to read through, not to mention the company’s website to learn as much as possible about its manufacturing and testing practices."

Does this information help answer your question about where you get medical cannabis?
Let me know, please.

May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris

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@mikeswims

Hi Rebecca,
You are correct that different brands work differently. Indica is believed to be more calming and helps me sleep. Sativa is believed to be more uplifting. And a lot of edibles contain a hybrid (mix) of the two. Another factor is when you last had a meal. I find the effects more noticeable if I eat it on an empty stomach. If I eat a big meal and then have an edible I hardly notice anything. I like to buy chocolate bars because I can cut it into the size I want, usually 5 or 10 mg. It takes about an hour before I feel the effects, so an hour before bedtime works for me. Also, never drive while under the effects because it definitely changes your reaction time.

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Thanks so much for the specifics! Since all this is a big experimentation, I appreciate everyone's experience and suggestions.

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@mikeswims

For me, medical marijuana has been a lifesaver. I have osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis and scoliosis. I had a laminectomy on L2-L5. I take Tramadol and acetaminophen 4 times a day. I take 5 or 10 milligrams of THC every evening in the form of an edible (either a gummy or piece of chocolate bar). Recreational Marijuana is legal in the state I live in, but I have a medical marijuana card which I recommend because the prices are cheaper since you pay less tax and at the dispensary you get to move to the front of the line. I don’t recommend smoking marijuana.
The edible decreases my pain, make me happier, and helps me fall asleep. It also makes music sound better and food taste better. The only negative is that it makes me thirsty, but that’s no big deal, I just drink more water. Before I started taking a edible every day I was frequently feeling despair. Now it’s not as bad. I highly recommend marijuana for chronic pain.

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I also have a medical marijuana card. The only thing that has brought me relief from pain are RSO capsules.

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@rebsue

Thanks so much for the specifics! Since all this is a big experimentation, I appreciate everyone's experience and suggestions.

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It makes me tired so it's good for sleep. It does not help me with pain.

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I have been with the Minnesota medical cannabis program since its inception. When the drug czars decided to restrict oxycodone, cannabis was a life-saver. Because of chronic kidney disease most of the normally prescribed and over-the-counter pain meds are verboten. In fact the kidney disease was in part caused by NSAIDs back before they knew about the impact of chronic use, much as they did for basketball player Dikembe Motumbo. I also have athletic asthma so I take my cannabis in pill and liquid form. The liquid was suggested because it enters your system faster. I use it for breakthrough pain at night. The one downside I have experienced is that the dose levels on the pills seem to vary. That is why I would not use anything bought through the mail or Internet because you do not know what you are getting. My one fear of legalization. is that it will put a lot of product out there that varies greatly in quality. I know it will soon be legal in Minnesota, which maybe will reduce the monopolistic pricing of the current vendor, but for medical use I would take cannabis only under a doctor's supervision as they can adjust dosage, etc.

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@oldguide

I have been with the Minnesota medical cannabis program since its inception. When the drug czars decided to restrict oxycodone, cannabis was a life-saver. Because of chronic kidney disease most of the normally prescribed and over-the-counter pain meds are verboten. In fact the kidney disease was in part caused by NSAIDs back before they knew about the impact of chronic use, much as they did for basketball player Dikembe Motumbo. I also have athletic asthma so I take my cannabis in pill and liquid form. The liquid was suggested because it enters your system faster. I use it for breakthrough pain at night. The one downside I have experienced is that the dose levels on the pills seem to vary. That is why I would not use anything bought through the mail or Internet because you do not know what you are getting. My one fear of legalization. is that it will put a lot of product out there that varies greatly in quality. I know it will soon be legal in Minnesota, which maybe will reduce the monopolistic pricing of the current vendor, but for medical use I would take cannabis only under a doctor's supervision as they can adjust dosage, etc.

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Good afternoon @oldguide. Welcome to Connect. Thanks for your description of medical cannabis in Minnesota. I concur with much of what you relayed about your experience with medical cannabis. Shortly after I started using this for my SFN (small fiber neuropathy) I met the owner of one of the dispensaries. He was close to my age and knew a lot about the products and how they were processed. He helped me make appropriate selections and opened some doors I wouldn't have addressed.

He also taught me how to adjust dosages for different times and situations. I now use only tinctures and topicals and have been with the same companies for years. I hope to see more posts from you that will be helpful to those who have not been introduced to medical cannabis. My pain and other symptoms are kept under control now.

May you have happiness and the causes of happiness.
Chris

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When I lived in California I was able to buy cannabis salve that helps with arthritis pain in my hand so I can go to sleep at night. Now I live in Louisiana where I doubt I will be able to purchase it.

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