Medical Marijuana

On February 16, 2015, in cannabis medicine, Edibles, Herbs, LIFE, Medical Marijuana, by Managed WordPress Migration User

Medical Marijuana

by Cheryl Boyles

Or you can call it cannabis, weed, pot, hemp, dope or one of the many names for it! What it’s called, how it’s grown and processed, how it’s taken and whether it’s really worth it – was so confusing for me when I first began looking into it.

I grew up not liking the “weed”. I saw it as bad, something to never do. I tried it a few times in high school and I hated how it made me feel. Having a “type A” personality, I always feel like I need to be in control of myself and the things around me (which does not make my husband happy at time!!! ha ha). When I was “stoned” I sure did not feel in control of my mind.

Now many years later, fighting brain cancer, I’m seeing the cannabis from a new view. My grade 4 GBM brain tumor keeps recurring and no longer responds to the standard chemotherapy treatment Temodar. My great neuro-oncologist Dr. Butowski at UCSF knows I’m hesitant to try other aggressive chemotherapies (because I want high quality of life while I am still alive!) but am more into mild “alternative” treatments, so he recommended I try the Medical Marijuana (MM).

He explained how there is more and more research showing that the THC and CBD in the cannabis can help fight cancer. I was very hesitant to delve into what I considered the bad weed, but at that point there was not much else for me to try. As a result, I officially became what I’ve always labeled as a “stoner”.

I was so overwhelmed when I first began looking into the medical marijuana. With questions like, where do I get it, what form should I consume it in, is it legal here in my state???? Since it has become known that I am taking the MM, I have been getting MANY emails / messages from people with the same questions I had when I started looking into it. Consequently I decided to update my web page and Facebook with what I do to share with others (otherwise my fingers get too tired typing the same thing over and over again!). So here it goes…….

I live part time in Oregon and California and found out it is legal in both states, so I got a legal “permit” in each. Here in the USA, to get it legally, you have to live in a state where it is legal and get it recommended by a doctor, then go through the process of getting a permit. I’m sorry I can’t be helpful for those in other states/countries. Probably the best web page to start gathering information is at www.unitedpatientsgroup.com or if you Google medical marijuana and the place you live, I bet you can find the info needed. That is where I started.

After reading as much as I could about the medical marijuana for fighting cancer and talking with some experts, I decided to take the MM this way…….. (but I am sure it will change over time as more research comes out)

I get my cannabis in California from Mara at: Aunt Zelda’s, Inc. - California 215 Patient Care - Cannabis for Chronic Medical Conditions – Tel 510-604-9550 web http://azcannaoil.com

I get syringes of 10 grams of what is often called “Rick Simpson’s hemp oil” or “Full Extract Cannabis Oil”, which does not really look like “oil” but seems more like tar. It is black, thick, and sticky like tar. The kind I take is full extract made from organic ethanol.

My neuro-oncologist recommended I take a 1:1 ratio between the THC:CBD cannabinoids. From what I read on the internet, often people try to take 1 gram of it a day. There is no way I could ever take that amount! Like I said, I like to feel in control, and if I took that amount I would be like a veggie on the couch staring off into space.

Over time I realized that I could not take more than about 0.10 grams a day (0.05g of each THC & CBD), so I could still keep active and productive in life. Each person is different and affects them differently, so each person needs to figure out what dose they can handle.

Mara at Aunt Zelda’s recommended I take it through the 24 hours each day, to keep it in my system and get the best results, but I could not handle that. Dr. Butowski at UCSF recommended I just take what I can handle, that any amount I can get into my system can be helpful.

I get two syringes, one 10 gram syringe that has mostly THC, and another syringe of 10 grams that has mostly CBD. This is the process that I found works best for me (again with a Type A personality!). I can only take it at night before I go to sleep, so I can sleep the “stoned” feeling off during the night and wake up the next morning feeling back to normal. Also Mara recommended I take a supplement called, Citicoline CDP Choline 250mg that helps take away the “stoned” feeling from the THC.

At 8:00pm I take the Citicoline (you need to take it one hour or more before you take the THC for it to help). The Citicoline really makes a difference for me! Then at 9:00pm I take the THC (about 0.05 grams or more). Then at 10:00pm I take the CBD (about 0.05 grams or more). Then go to bed and sleep like a ROCK! It really helps me sleep so well.

The THC and the CBD both work synergistically together to fight the cancer. Mara told me to take the THC one hour or more before taking the CBD, which helps them work better together. I can’t remember the details as to why, but since Mara said it, I do it! ha ha

The more THC I take, the harder it is to wake up in the morning. Some days, when I really want to get up early in the morning to do something active, I only take the CBD the night before.

I squeeze a tiny bit (about the size of a piece of rice or more) on my finger and rub it under my tongue. If you eat it or smoke it, it does not absorb into your brain / body as well. So rubbing it under your tongue is the best way to take it. It does not taste the best, so recently I have begun to squeeze it onto a little breath mint or something small that tastes good and can fit under my tongue. It helps take the yucky taste away.

As I said, I never thought I would become someone who consumes cannabis daily. However, the more searching and reading I do about the medical marijuana and the more personal experience I have with it, the more convinced I am about its benefits not only for fighting cancer but also helping me sleep better and also helps keep the seizures away!

One week I went backpacking into the wilderness and chose to not take the MM because I didn’t want to be under the influence while I was in the wilderness 10+ miles away from the trailhead. Then sure enough, at 3am in the middle of the night, I had a simple partial seizure in the tent, in my mummy sleeping bag. It was so SCARY. Looking back I wish I had not gone off the CBD for the trip. What I have found out for me personally, is that if I stay on the CBD daily I do not have seizures. If I go off, I have some. Medical research has even shown the CBD helps extreme epilepsy.

When I travel away from home I don’t want to carry the syringes full of MM with me, so I got some empty capsules to squeeze the hemp oil into. Then I swallow the capsules with some water to digest it. Taking the MM in the capsules is not the best way to absorb it into your system, but it sure helps makes traveling with the medical marijuana much easier.

Cannabis also stimulates your brain to release more melatonin (which is what makes you more tired in the day if you take it!). In the past I always took 20mg of the Melatonin at bedtime (which is known to help fight brain cancer). But now that I am on the medical marijuana which releases more melatonin, I cut back to only 10mg of the melatonin capsules each night.

OK, I think I covered all I can. I am no “pro” about the cannabis, but I hope my 2 cents provided enough information to help others investigate the possible use of Medical Marijuana to help fight brain cancer (and also help control seizures and lack of sleep!).

Tagged with: 215 • cancer • Cannabinoid • cannabinoids • cannabis • CBD • nausea • terpene • terpenes • tetrahydrocannabinol • THC

What’s In My Asthma Toolbox?

On August 26, 2012, in cannabis medicine, by Mara Gordon

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

Like my cannabis toolbox, it got the job done.

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.

Tagged with: asthma • aunt zeldas • beta agonist • cannabinoids • corticosteroid • drug • mmj • pharmaceutical • rescue inhaler • side effects • terpenes • vaporizer

Aunt Zelda's

Alleviating Patient Suffering Through Medical Cannabis