The Correct Way to Use Cannabis for Medical Purposes

Despite an ever-growing number of states with access to leisure laws , cannabis use is not just for entertainment. In fact, we only achieved this partial state of legalization because the plant inherited pain relief – if weed were only for good times and for replenishment, it would by no means be flirting with conventional wisdom. suggest that the use of cannabis as a medicine is the latest innovation. The practice spans different eras – the plant was an ancient medicine and even appeared frequently in pharmacies in the early 20th century before it became illegal in the 1930s (and that’s another story ).

However, even after cannabis became a staple of the counterculture, it was once again a balm for AIDS sufferers in 1980s San Francisco, long before the pharmaceutical industry developed viable HIV drugs. California Act 215, approved by voters in 1996, allowed people to experiment with the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, and eventually even children with recurring seizures were treated with extracts and tinctures. (These efforts ultimately spurred the creation of the first FDA-approved, federal-legal cannabis drug : Epidolex, used for seizures.)

Cannabis is still under scrutiny today by both the public and the scientific community. More current research than ever is showing how cannabis can not only soothe symptoms, but also treat physical conditions such as chronic pain, cancer, and possibly even psychological disorders such as anxiety and PTSD.

If you are dealing with a painful or stressful medical or psychological condition, you can potentially benefit from medical cannabis, and we’re going to shed some more light on what it looks like in the real world.

Why Medical Cannabis?

There are countless reasons why someone might turn to cannabis for medical purposes. First, it is considered to be fairly safe for most users. Of course, it carries a much lower and less serious risk than opioids and some other more modern pharmaceutical drugs for pain , including overdose, dependence, and gastrointestinal distress .

Pain is, of course, part of the human condition, but cannabis treatment can help mitigate its impact on your life. Cannabis interacts with pain receptors throughout the body, dulling these signals , and is even being studied for its anti-inflammatory effect that rivals OTC drugs (not to mention many other health benefits).

Likewise, mental health is complex, nuanced and dynamic, and can change incredibly depending on changes in your environment or due to the impact of things you take into your body – be it a prescribed mood stabilizer or a punch from a cannabis vape. Many people who were once considered “stoners” have actually self-medicated for common conditions such as ADHD, autism, OCD, PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

If this all sounds like a very imprecise science, it’s because federal drug laws have made it difficult to study cannabis for many years. As laws begin to weaken and scientific research becomes more feasible, researchers look forward to finding a complete breakdown of why and how cannabinoids and other chemicals in marijuana can be used to relieve suffering and treat disease. , cannabis is now very widely used in medicine. If this is an area of ​​treatment that you want to explore, here’s the right way to tackle it.

Consider three S

We spoke with Dr. Eric S. Smith of Veriheal , a portal that connects patients seeking access to healthcare with reputable doctors who are fluent in cannabis, about how patients can start incorporating medicinal cannabis into their treatment regimens (meaning which depends on the state you live in, so many of them require you to jump over a few legal hurdles first).

Dr. Smith uses what he calls the Three Ss — support, smart buying, and slowness — to get people on the right track. To get support, your first stop is to find a reputable dispensary. Let advocates or patient assistants share their knowledge with you and help you formulate a plan that suits your needs. Even if recreational cannabis is legal in your state, you may want to consider buying from a dispensary focused on drug users, many of which (again, depending on state law) may require the state to be licensed. pharmacist .

“I always recommend that patients sit down and discuss as many foods as possible with clinicians,” Smith says. “All cannabis products are sealed and the packaging is difficult to understand how to use the products or even open them.”

The next step, as Dr. Smith points out, is smart shopping: “Buy multiple products at a time. Everyone reacts differently to cannabis, and therefore buying multiple products allows most patients to better understand what is right for them. “

When you have cannabis in your hand, you may feel the urge to solve the problem with everything you have, but if you are not a regular user, you may not appreciate the powerful high that can be obtained from consuming too much marijuana. Smith advises you: “Act slowly and slowly … You can easily [start with] the lowest dose and then increase it over time to increase effectiveness.”

Speaking of dosages …

When we looked at microdosing cannabis earlier , we talked about the main differences between high and low doses of THC, the main cannabinoid in medical cannabis and the one that has its intoxicating effect. Namely, what products you use and how you use them will affect that high. For the best results, you want to benefit from what the entire plant has to offer – its dozens of phytochemicals, including non-THC cannabinoids, terpenes, phenols, and others not yet quantified.

High CBD and low THC strains of cannabis are vital for anyone who just doesn’t want to be high but wants to test the therapeutic benefits of marijuana. According to Dr. Smith, “THC is important, but chemovars (what we call strains) with varying CBD: THC ratios are probably the most important component of the plant’s medicinal properties. Strains rich in CBD may have a greater therapeutic effect while minimizing the psychoactive effects of THC. I personally love the THC: CBD 1: 1 Hemovars as I can achieve great relief [with them] and soothe anxiety. “

Your route of administration is equally important to achieving the desired effect. Those looking for lighter doses can opt for vapes, topical products, and precision tinctures or edibles, while the need for higher doses requires burning with swabs, joints, tubes or bongs, but these users can also get hold of strong ones. products and more powerful vaporizers such as Vulcan or Pax .

Regardless of the dose size, consider using one of Dr. Smith’s excellent tips: “In most cases, use both inhalation and oral methods. I love topical treatments for skin conditions and chronic joint pain, but the perfect two-way delivery system. ”

A systemic oral dose, combined with a fast-acting inhalation dose, can provide a quick boost of relief for some people, no matter what cannabinoid is used or how many milligrams are consumed. This effect is due to the slower onset but longer duration of consumables that are processed by the digestive system, such as drinks and edibles, which will only begin when the fast-acting but more transient effects of vaping or smoking cannabis begin to fade away.

What you need to know about micro and macro dosing

The two main considerations for anyone with access to medical cannabis are availability and tolerance. As with many drugs, you can develop a tolerance to cannabis, which means that you will eventually need a higher dosage to get the relief you need. If you’re not careful, it could make it unavailable.

Avoiding this problem can be surprisingly easy, and Eric Leslie, chief marketing officer and co-owner of Cheeba Chews , a medical and recreational cannabis company with a 10-year history, believes it starts with accurate labeling. While the consumption of combustible cannabis can be approximate even after laboratory testing, properly tested edible products can improve accuracy slightly.

“Third-party test results, printed directly on the packaging, are critical to new medical patients in determining their optimal dose,” says Leslie Lifehacker. “Also, pay attention to the diversification of cannabinoids: THC is a powerful component of the cannabis plant, but the environmental effect is real – the effects of THC on the body and mind can be enhanced by the inclusion of other cannabinoids such as CBD, CBG, CBN and CBC, just to name a few. of them “.

Like many other products, Cheeba Chews products have a reputation for being incredibly strong in small packages, but this can be an advantage as the products can be precisely sliced ​​if the large dose is not right for you.

“ Patients with higher tolerance to cannabinoids seek medical cannabis for a variety of reasons, as do patients with lower tolerance,” says Leslie. “One of the unique qualities of Cheeba Chew is how consistently we can add both a small amount and a large amount of cannabis oil to a bite-sized piece of toffee. The toffee recipe we have developed can contain different dosages. “

Whether you’re ready to relieve pain or chew the same fruit juice for two weeks, medical cannabis can be an effective treatment for many conditions, as long as you live in a state that allows it. However, access to cannabis for medical reasons is becoming more common even in conservative areas of the United States. The door often opens first for people with one of a limited number of disabilities or severe conditions, and then opens a little wider to admit those with a wider range of health problems.

In the future, when cannabis cannot be federally classified as a Schedule 1 dangerous drug, personalized cannabis treatments may become widespread. For now, a little trial and error – and a medical use card – might be all you need to feel better every day.