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Aunt Zelda’s, Inc., products contain medical cannabis. For medicinal use only in compliance with CA Health & Safety Code 11362.5 Please keep out of reach of children and pets
© 2012 Aunt Zelda's , Inc
It was the weekend to attend cannabis events celebrating the convergence of all things 420 (and psychoactive). April 20th is the date to Stand Up, Light Up, and be like the Grateful Dead’s kid, and smoke weed out back at 4:20. My clocks are on 24 hour time, so I seem to miss it each afternoon unless I’m on Twitter. Either I’m just going to bed in the wee morning, or it’s 16:20 here. Let’s not even get started on my kitchen clock, which runs backwards. Each day at 8:40, 4:20 appears on its analog face.
Like my clocks, I don’t have a 4:20 face. Of course, what does that even mean? A 4:20 face. Does that mean I look like Bob Marley with his flowing dreads and magical smile? Or, do I have jailhouse tattoos and piercings all over my body? How about this. Do I secretly rendezvous with a dealer in my cheap skirt and heels during lunch hour? There’s a popular Dove soap commercial floating around the Internet at the moment that illustrates how distorted images can be based upon bias. Fox News is unlikely to highlight the same stories coming out of Denver this weekend at the High Times Cannabis Cup as, say, Steve Elliot at Toke of the Town. Different viewpoint, different face.
Though cannabis consumes most of my waking hours as a volunteer with Aunt Zelda’s, when I’m at the grocer, you’d look right passed me on a good day. Without ingesting cannabis each day, I would have very few hours to be functional. I don’t look like the ‘face’ of the 420 movement. More like a yoga pant wearing, Prius driving former techie baby boomer. Yet, I am. So are you. So is everyone who has an endocannabinoid system in their body.
A member of Aunt Zelda’s received the best possible news yesterday. His MRI scans are clear. The glioblastoma that the oncologists warned him a year ago would claim his life by now, is still nowhere to be seen. We celebrated with dinner down in Cupertino at a steakhouse. Along with my simply prepared meal, I ate some of the table’s fried onion rings, and even had a Cadbury’s Fruit & Nut bar when I got home. Oh, and a bite of my husband’s banana cream pie with whipped creme.
When I awoke this morning, the first thought I had was, “God, please kill me. Anything but nausea”. After I returned to the bedroom, I ran through my head trying for the life of me to figure out WHAT had made me so sick. I’d had grilled, chicken (no sauce), steamed veggies, and a plain baked potato with sour cream. This is a lot of food for me, but not terrible. It must be food poisoning. I even called a volunteer RN. Then I remembered..
I have gallbladder disease. It had been so long since it had bothered me because of daily cannabis infused olive oil, combined with my healthy diet, that I’ve been symptom-free for over a year. I had forgotten to even include it in my checklist when I was troubleshooting. I heard hooves, and went looking for zebras. This time it was just an old nag.
A well stocked cannabis medicine cabinet has the following, and mine is no exception: an infused oil tincture of 1. high CBD, 2. high THC that doesn’t make you paranoid or uncomfortable (we’ve gotten fairly accurate at identifying which ones are which), and 3. A Mason jar (sealed tight) of raw flowers with high THC:CBD ratio. These should all be tested by a recognized lab to ensure quality, and to understand the cannabinoid and terpene profile of each medicine.
Once I had identified the source, it was just a matter of choosing a strain from what I keep on hand. In my case, Cannatonic (high CBD) infused olive oil, and William’s Wonder (high THC and Myrcene) infused olive oil. As a bonus, I also had on hand our infused coconut oil topical, which is filled with fabulous essential oils, like frankincense, rosemary, arnica, and lemongrass, to name a few.
I placed a dab of the topical under my nose, and immediately my nausea decreased considerably. A dropper of Cannatonic and WW each, had me feeling 75 percent better within an hour. While looking for something to eat during this time, hoping to hurry it along, I found a can of olives in the pantry, and ate several. A first, but it felt right, and it worked.
While all this was transpiring, several people were in need of cannabis and its miraculous medicine. A woman whose brother-in-law has metastatic skin cancer to the liver and bone called asking how she could get the extract for him. Another reached out from the East Coast to let me know how she dreams of one day having access to Aunt Zelda’s like we do in CA. Her pain can’t wait for the politics to open the first dispensary. Many others. It was a day that required many faces. However wearing the face of a cannabis patient, was número uno.
So, like my clocks, I have many 420 faces - Patient, advocate, caregiver, medicine maker. And today, on 4/20, I was diagnostician, chemist, patient, and volunteer in the life of someone because of cannabis. I’d say that’s worth celebrating. #PPP
Asthma is a debilitating ailment that many more adults than ever deal with on a daily basis. Mine had been under control, without pharmaceuticals, since I began using cannabis medicine. There have been a few instances where I’ve had to reach for my rescue inhaler since switching to a nature’s bronchial dilator - the cannabinoids and terpenes in cannabis, but they have been few and far between. This is one of #mmj’s many gifts. I ALWAYS HAVE A RESCUE INHALER WITH ME. The times I have reached for it, as many asthmatics know, can be very frightening moments.
After traveling by crowded jet in mid-July, my weakened lungs succumbed to a upper respiratory infection that just would not go away. There are times when the human body doesn’t fit the car analogy I’ve been known to use. The air filter is clogged, we clean or replace it. We fill up with poor quality fuel (food), and the car (the body) performs poorly. Dead battery? Drop in a new one (transplant), and no more jumper cables required. My compromised immune system just couldn’t do the job alone, and cannabis is simply not a panacea.
I have been fortunate to find an MD to work with me who understands my resistance to pharmaceuticals, and my use of cannabis medicine. He has allowed me to educate him enough to be a better healer for me within the parameters he has been given, and together we are doing a pretty good job with my quality of life.
For over a month, my asthma had been at varying stages of crisis. We incorporated the best of traditional and non-traditional (you decide which is which) medicines. The antibiotic in week two, cleared up a big part of the initial culprit. Then, one by one, corticosteroid, a long-acting beta agonist, and a bronchial dilator via nebulizer, were added. I increased the cannabis infused oil I ingest - careful to use compounds that worked wonderfully for many of the side effects I experienced from this adrenal drug cocktail.
Another trick I discovered was that by taking one small puff of a high CBD strain in my vaporizer when I could not stop coughing, the spasms in my chest would relax enough for me to BREATHE. This worked best, for me, using ground flowers, rather than hash oil. It takes very little, and a small amount goes a long way. The goal is to stop the spasms (symptom), not to medicate.
The side effects from some of the pharmaceuticals are not comfortable, so making the decision to take them was not an easy one. Here’s what the Mayo Clinic lists for Corticosteroid:
- Elevated pressure in the eyes (glaucoma)
- Fluid retention, causing swelling in your lower legs
- Increased blood pressure
- Mood swings
- Weight gain, with fat deposits in your abdomen, face and the back of your neck
When taking oral corticosteroids longer term, you may experience:
- Cataracts
- High blood sugar, which can trigger or worsen diabetes
- Increased risk of infections
- Loss of calcium from bones, which can lead to osteoporosis and fractures
- Menstrual irregularities
- Suppressed adrenal gland hormone production
- Thin skin, easy bruising and slower wound healing
Not an attractive list of side effects for a drug, however, it has proven to be a life saver for millions of people each year, whether faced with organ transplants or asthma. Apparently, someone at the FDA had the wisdom to see this as well. When faced with the choice between life or death, it seems an obvious choice.
Because my body is the sum of all its parts (organs, muscles, vascular, brain chemistry), it is important to see the role cannabis would play in fitting in my present regimen. First, by taking an inventory of my health issues (it is important to focus on the core problems, not only the symptoms) and the side effects that are being caused by my health issues, as well as the pharmaceutical side effects. My health history includes a myriad of complications besides asthma that must be taken into account - thyroid, kidney, chronic pain, auto-immune to name a few.
Next, I look at whether cannabis is of known benefit for each issue. Which cannabinoids and terpenes, are best for it? Is CBD and myrcene the winning combination for side effect A and B, while THC and linalool looks like the winner for issue C. This is getting easier to do as testing becomes widespread, and more states legalize medical marijuana.
Once I’ve gathered this information, I look at the cornucopia of medications I have in front of me - much as a mechanic would look at his tool box. Which tool is best for the job that needs to be done. Then, I closely pay attention to my body’s response to different combinations of treatments. The best results with the least side effects makes the most sense. First, do no harm.
Unfortunately, some of my tools are still those of a much earlier century because of regulations limiting studies, and the type of funding and cooperation it takes to accumulate this sort of data. Governments, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, dispensaries, black markets, and the stigma associated with cannabis as medicine for many individuals makes accumulation and analysis challenging. The image of herding cats doesn’t come close to describing the anarchy. Competing agendas, distrust, lack of education, inconsistent and purposeful misinformation are rampant.
Yet, even in this environment, the medicine is defining itself to those of us who are paying attention. By working with test results, patient data feedback, and knowledgeable cannabis specialists, the legitimate field of cannabis medicine is forming. I am grateful to be a benefactor of its healing properties, and to in my own way, add to the knowledge base.
As I approach week seven, I am pleased to report that I have reduced my corticosteroid dosage in half, and I am no longer taking a beta agonist. My bronchial dilator is delivered far less via nebulizer, and more frequently by rescue inhaler twice per day). My previously increased cannabis oil dosage, is steady, and will remain at this level until my MD and I agree this asthma episode is over. I can rest easy knowing that I am an active participant in my health care, and that I am following the path of least resistance for my body’s well being.
