MMJ study and me
 

I enrolled to be a MMJ lab rat. Getting registered took about an hour and I was approved same day. It will take some time to grow the plants but the program will start in September (unless Gov. Jan Brewer can stop it, she is trying and I hope she fails:mad:).

A caregiver will deliver 2 1/2 ounces every 2weeks, various varieties and I will sample and fill out a survey as to my reactions.

I am not going to smoke but I do have a vaporizer. I also plan to make cannabutter. The clinic will provide me with recipes too.

I am having trouble on the web finding a link to the variety used for Multiple Sclerosis. It is supposed to have more of a body affect rather than a heady feeling.

Does anyone know the name of the MS marijuana? If I can give the research lab a specific name, they will obtain the seeds and start growing the appropriate plant.

But I will try the other varieties. Some are good for headaches, spasms, nerve pain.

I will keep looking for the specific name. I saw it on a documentary but did not have the smarts to jot it down at the time.:(

i see "auntie em" listed as helping with mm. my compassionate care club had some strain that had chocolate in the name but i cant remember it. so far i have not found any pain relief in my experimentation with some mm edibles and tincture, and its quite expensive too. good luck, and i will let you know if i find a particular strain that helps or is purported to help. pm me for the webpage if you want it, its really nothing more than a contact form...

The MJ is being given to me for free in the study.

I will PM you for the link. I found a link that has a huge amount of information but it is almost in recreational form as opposed to medical.

Most pharma meds are not effective for me and MMJ might be a waste as well. So few states have it legal. The edibles in Denver are well developed in their dispensaries but the trick will be how much is the right amount.

I am excited to try though. I can drop out of the study anytime I wish.

There are many good resources online. This is just one of many:
http://ripatients.org/tips/strainguide/ Just Google "medical marijuana for ms" and you will find a lot of good resources.

However, MMJ is almost as individual as are MS patients. I prefer sativas, the headier strains, because a) I don't want to be stuck on the couch all day and b) they often give me relief via the nice high that distracts me from the pain/spasms/etc. Unless I am unable to get to sleep, I rarely reach for an indica first.

i found the strain i was thinking of. dont know where its available though

http://i56.tinypic.com/357py7l.jpg

Lots of information. I did not even know there were two different categories of MJ. Live and learn.

by the way, i od'd on a pot brownie a couple weeks ago. a night of hell, couldnt sleep, and it intensified the pain in my right arm & hand! :(

so be careful! :hug:

and this is the webpage for the magazine where i scanned the pic. i do not endorse this, its just another source of info! thegreenleafaz.com

Point well taken. Actually the same happened to me months ago when given brownies from Colorado. VERY unpleasant. I felt so stupid laying on the bed wondering if we (DH and me) should call 911...me, a 57 year old woman having eaten too much pot brownie.

Thanks for the AZ MMJ site. Good information.

I am in this study through a cancer center who is also looking at other problems where MJ may be helpful. After ten years in Colorado, I am surprised that I am having a difficult time getting more professional sites rather than pothead sites.

Gotta say, MJ has come a long way. So many varieties. Boggles my mind. I am just going to be conservative as to an approach and try to give this a try with a few "controls," i.e. taking same amount of different varieties at the same time of day, eating a certain amount then noting amount of time/any effect, does it make me feel high or just relaxed. Does it help my spasms.

@Lefty:) (by the way, DS is left handed)

Looks like the Indica variety may work best on the spasms. I may end up on the couch but more clear headed?

DH found some .org sites for me.:)

Found names of varieties to try.

MS Neuropathic Pain / Urinary Incontinence: Trainwreck, Super Silver Haze), NYCD and Sour Diesel. For severe pain, concentrates may be required.

When I say "on the couch" I mean like tonight, for example. No pain, immobilized, and sound asleep! That's fine for bedtime, but not for after dinner relaxing with my partner!

And Trainwreck is one of my standards. Sour Diesel is another good one. Right now I am enjoying Island Haze. But I always try to have a little Trainwreck on hand . . . right now it is in hash form.


And I think people tend to "o.d." on edibles because their effects can be delayed as much as 90+ minutes, and people keep eating until they feel something. By then you are sunk! The first time I baked cookies I nibbled as I iced and decorated gingerbread shamrocks, about 2-2 1/2" in diameter, and I believe I had five before I was finished. Within about an hour I was advising my partner to keep an eye on me . . . . :eek: Two cookies became a dose, three for stubborn pain. When using edibles you must be prepared to wait for the benefits . . . and be prepared when they hit! You don't want to forget that brownie or those cookies when you decide to run a few errands . . . no, no, no!

I don't think I could be trusted with brownies. Especially if I was high.

Hey congrats on the study! Jim has found purple kush, its an indica, works best for him. Another strain that seems to be both indica and sativa is blue dream and he likes that for vaping. Good luck..excited to finally see some trials coming out.

thats what happened to me. i nibbled on the brownie, then 10 minutes later nibbled some more, and 30 minutes later it was gone... :Oops:

When Jim uses a vaporizer, how many "tokes" does he inhale at one time. DS said to do one toke and then wait fifteen minutes before deciding to need a second dose. How does Jim approach it and is it different for the strain he is using?

I have the vaporizer but of course nothing to put inside as of yet. Not even sure of the mechanics of the machine. Or what is an amount to put in and how long it takes for that amount to be used up, etc.

@Sandy. Thanks for the congrats. As you know, I have been interested in trying MMJ for a while since it has been discovered it may have a positive effect. Certainly can't hurt any more than taking Baclofen, Neurotin.

@lefty. Do you have a cannabutter recipe you like? Do you cook it for three hours?

@Clarkstar. Do you only use edibles?

@Kicker. Self restraint! As a little girl, I found Exlax in my mom's medicine cabinet and learned the meaning of edibles!:D

I've smoked several times via a Vape. It's truly the best way to administer marijuana to the body that I've found.

I take synthetic (pill form) THC daily. It's like a body buzz and it does help a LOT with the pain, but doesn't totally 'kill' it.

When I vape now on occasion with friends, I am pretty careful about how much I take since I don't vape or smoke regularly. I usually just take 2 big hits and leave it at that. I'm a bit chicken to go further than that normally, since I've too been victim to the dreaded "Overstoned" scenario of wondering if 911 may be required. Not fun (scary as heck!).

I think the issue of being overstoned is probably one of my bigger concerns. Then again when I over imbibed with tequila, heaving:D lessons were learned. I killed plenty of brain cells with my adventures in alcohol!

(yes, I said heaving and not heavy on purpose.)

To place in perspective, plenty of the DMD's cause physical problems that happen even though I am not aware of the damage, i.e. liver. And the side effects for DMD's can be just as bad as the overstoning.

I do like the idea of being a lab rat. I would be one for CCSVI if it were possible without the monetary expense that I cannot afford.:( CCSVI is the only other unknown treatment that I value to deal with my MS.

I contacted the cancer center with a few of the strains that might be helpful for spasms and urinary incontinence. The coordinator was planning to contact the caregiver (grower) and see if she could get the appropriate seeds.

I wish I could start this today rather than waiting. But it has taken this long, I guess I will deal with my issues. Not as if I have a choice.

I recently aquired my Drs. recommendation here in California. I smoke nightly after dinner and after washing the dishes (around 7:30).

I find I'm pretty high for about an hour and then I'm totally relaxed until bed (around 11). One big upside is the way I awake refreshed each morning and ready to go. Pain-killers from the past often made me feel groogy and kind of 'hung over'.

One downside is I can't medicate during the day and be a functioning member of society. I may do it during the day if it's the weekend and my wife is out (don't want to be a stoner around her).

Yes, Indicas are for Pain and Sativas are for brain. Hey, I just made that up! I do keep a sativa around in case I'm doing something physical, but am experiencing pain - yardwork, etc.

I'm a male, age 53.

@ Surfer. thanks for the input. BTW, welcome to NT and I have burning, numb, crampy, cold feet that hate shoes.

Since you are in CA, did you go to a local dispensary? And were there a lot of varieties? Did you cannabis have a particular name?

Plus, did you smoke or vape? Do your dispensaries have edibles?

so many questions...

Didn't we used to have a member of this site several years ago that used it regularly?

Probably! If you can find it, I would appreciate reading it (again).

I honestly don't remember if I had heard of all the actual crazy names of MJ until now and specific details.

BTW - I know I am thanking all the input but I want to repeat, thank you each for being so precise in your responses.

Hi,

I'm with you on the shoes thing. I have a pair in the back set of the car that I have to return. I had fooled myself into thinking I could wear them.

Yes, I've been to a few dispensaries and they have a ridiculously large variety. The average place has about 25 strains and a big place will exceed 50. There appears to be a low patient/stoner ratio, lol, but I really don't care. Everyone's nice and they try to be helpful.

Hmmm, names: Skywalker, Kush, Strawberry O.G., Herijuana -actually bought this once, sounded like a painkiller to me.

You know, my take on mj as a medicine comes back to - does it kill pain or does it just give your mind something different to do? And either way, does it matter, as long as it works?

And thank you for the welcome!

Jim takes about 1-2 really deep hits off his vaporizer and then leaves it alone. He truly uses like its medicine which I am happy about. He finally found a vaporizer he loves but was quite costly...$300, but it doesn't burn the mj and releases the cannabinoids as well as THC. THC tends to be the compound that makes you stoned, whereas cannabinoids go to source of pain. And score! It uses a tiny bit of mj which saves us big. :-)

I am very very interested in this study and if you don't mind can you ask the persons in charge if I may follow the study? I need studies to back up our claim trying to pass our bill here in Illinois. We go back in the fall to try again. :-)

I had to do some looking around. He was on Neurotalks parent form Brain talk. His name was GrassMan I don't know how to copy a URL but just google Brain Talk , go to the MS forum and do a search for Grass Man. The first post I found for him says he died a couple of years ago. If I remember he was quite disabled with his MS and most of his life was lived on his hospital bed and his lap top in his home. I do know that if he took a lot of his medicine his posts could get quite crazy.

@Sandy. I will definitely ask Pat about being able to follow the study in progress. The response has been small. I would not have known about it except a friend pharmacist told me about it. With our governor stepping in to stop it, I am not sure how everything will play out. The director assured me that this study will be conducted as planned.

I will not receive any cannabis until August/September.

One to two hits from a vaporizer appears to be a good starting number. My vaporizer is the same as yours, Sandy. DS said it was one of the best on the market, not even available anymore and it also uses a small amount.

Since I am legal, I just wish I could purchase "off the street." I have no clue how to do that. My DD has a friend that is a pothead. I cannot buy from him since his parents do not know he smokes and it would be unethical to buy MJ from him.

I need some grown-up cannabis friends!

@doydie. I googled like you suggested. He was growing his own. Thanks.:)

i am going to try vaporizing some i guess. i just dont want to blow a bunch more money on a vaporizer if it doesnt work for me. this is expensive. i was really unhappy that the brownie intensified my nerve pain in my hand, i was worried about that...

I wouldn't advise anyone eating their meds. I have never had a good experience. Either it does nothing, or I get way too high. I would think eating it would be the easiest way, but it's not. I recommend people take one hit (joint or pipe), hold for 10 seconds and then like someelse mentioned - wait 15 minutes and see if you need or want more.

Cyn - Apparently there are no open dispensaries in the state. And, naturally, dispensaries are having a hard time getting approved. I did find this site that says they will have it in July. I also have a friend who just got her MMJ card and I'll find out where she plans to get hers. Of course she is in the south eastern part of the state so my guess is that she is either going to grow it herself or travel to Tucson or Phx to get it.

http://www.azpatients.com/

I don't know how to buy it either. I would have to do some checking around and knowing my luck, if I bought it off the street I would so get busted. :o:p I can just see it now . . . a clean cut middle aged woman going to a seedy area of town to buy pot for the 1st time in her life gets busted. :p Of course, I don't even have a card yet so that would make it much worse.

@Trish. My caregiver will be ready to deliver in August/September. I have some really bad days and it would be nice not to wait. You and I would stick out like sore thumbs. What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this? Same with going on campus.

@clarkstar. I wish there was a way to "test drive" a vaporizer before a purchase or a way to return it if it does not work...or if MMJ is not a good choice for you.

There are a lot of choices in terms of variety, some stronger than others and effects appear to be different plus it is subjective. Then there is making butter for edibles.

So many variables to explore and few guidelines to follow.

I feel like this will be a lot like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Not even sure if I actually read the novel way back when.

If you really want to purchase some, it wouldn't be hard. You already have friends that smoke mj, but you don't know it. Yes you do. If I were in your position, I would think about asking anyone I deal with under the age of 30. Do you have a tattooed hairdresser or manicurist? Not that all people with tattoos smoke mj, but they are the type not to think twice about a middle-aged woman inquiring about mj to help with a medical condition. The younger the person, the more normal mj is. If you said something like "I wish I knew where to get some weed to help with my pain", most young people would jump at the chance to help you. It would also be kept confidential, as it's kind of an unspoken rule not to let non-users know who's doing what.

I have 2 sons, 30 and 28 y.o. One has a Drs. recommendation for pot and the other one doesn't smoke it. The one that does, doesn't have any medical condition, but since he smokes it anyway, he figures it's worth $50 to never have to worry about getting in trouble. The other one used to smoke it like a chimney in college, but doesn't touch it anymore since he got married. His wife doesn't care, he just doesnt like it anymore.

I used to smoke when I was younger and quit. My P.N. has taken me back to it because I know it gets my mind off my pain for a while and I sleep like a baby all night. It's kind of funny, my gp hates that I 'self-medicate' and I hate that I'm supposed to take expensive, toxic, habit-forming pharmacuticals to do the same job. I'm more comfortable smoking a joint than I am popping open a pill bottle - but that's beacuse I've always been around people smoking and it carries no stigma with me.

One last thing. You may not like it. If you take your thoughts too seriously while high, you can have a bad time. Women seem to like it less than men, but there are plenty of women that use it fine. Don't drive and don't have anything planned for later. I recommend smoking it at night, sit or lie down and watch a movie or tv. When it's bedtime, get up and go to bed. Push any thoughts out of your mind and fall asleep. You will wake up as if you didn't do a thing. Don't smoke and then head straight to bed. You won't be able to sleep for a couple of hours and you'll just get anxious.

Well, there you go. More information than you could ever want, lol. Good luck!

The official card with my picture came in the mail today. Good for one year as of June 3rd. Irony is that I do not know of anywhere to purchase and the study does not start until the end of the summer.

I sent an email to the cancer clinic director to see if there is a place to purchase a small amount in the interim.

Arizona Compassion Club

602-576-1906

thats where i bought mine. not cheap though, the brownie was $15. they even deliver.

perfect. thanks.:)

That was one he!! of a brownie!:eek: $15 for a brownie is a lot of money. Plus it didn't help you any with the pain. . . well, may it would have if you only had a bit of it and not the whole thing.;):p

Cyn - Surfer is right. Ask around and you may just find someone who can help you. Young kids are secretive and when it comes to stuff like that, they don't say a word. DD21 had a friend over a few years ago. She asked if I smoked it. She had just heard about people with MS smoking it for pain relief. She was even willing to find someone to buy it from to help me. Of course, DD21 told her no, I didn't smoke and no, thanks, my mom doesn't need to smoke it. :D

Since mmj is now legal, I keep hearing of all these people who have been smoking for pain for years (and even a few that are still smoking it just for fun). Everyone seems to be offering me advice and telling me to get my card. So yes, you probably know some grown-up cannabis users. Just mention that you now have your card and don't know where to buy it and people will start fessing up to smoking it occasionally or regularly themselves. One of DBF's friends just did that to me. I was so surprised as I had no idea and never would have guessed it.

@clarkstar. Thanks for the referral. I went in today and purchased a bud of Master Kush. The cannabis was one of two choices and the guy helping me recommended it when I said I wanted an Indica rather than a Sativa.

When I went into a "back room," there was a white board with choices of what was available. Edibles included chocolate rice crispies, some nut/caramel squares and brownies. Then there were lollipops of various flavors. And tinctures of different flavors.

All were on a donation basis due to how AZ laws are currently in effect. A patient to patient non profit situation.

Fridays are always hard on me. If I start my viscous spasms/jerks, I will use the vaporizer to test out how Master Kush works.

@Surfer. I will remember your wise advice and not take myself so seriously!

@Trish. NONE of my friends use marijuana. I have made no secret of wanting to try MMJ and all of them said to invite them over, ha ha. Considering my declining health, I know someone would have helped if he/she had any.

Let us know how it goes, Cyn! I hope it helps you out with the spasms and jerks. :hug::hug:

I have to take issue with the use of a medical marijuana recommendation/card w/o a qualifying medical condition. There is a reason that states pass medical marijuana laws, and that is so people (those with qualifying conditions) for whom other medical treatments/medications have proven inadequate or ineffective will have access to a medication that will provide relief from pain or other symptoms and provide a better quality of life.

It is this very abuse of the laws that jeopardizes the status of medical marijuana laws right now. Furthermore, a medical marijuana card, authorization, or whatever your state calls it, is really only operative as an affirmative legal defense if you are arrested for possession of marijuana by your state or local law enforcement. It does not offer any federal protection whatsoever.

I am deeply troubled that anyone would encourage this kind of abuse of the law. To me it is no different than faking pain to get a prescription for pain medication . . . it is fraud.

I tried Master Kush last night, two regular "draws" from the vaporizer. DH and I did it wrong in loading the vaporizer though. Turns out the cannabis needs to be put in a grinder. It will take less and that is a good thing considering the cost.

I got ready for bed, taking out my contacts, getting on PJ's. Everything ready in case I had an overstone.

It worked. At least I think it worked. Even if it was more mental than actually physical, it did work. I felt more relaxed - not as tight, usual burning pain in feet was not there and only two spasms as I got sleepy.

Tonight I will begin an elimination of prescription drugs starting with baclofen because the MMJ is to replace the pharmaceuticals.

A store opened up in Phoenix called WeGrow. It sells paraphenalia and supplies to home growers. DH and I wanted a grinder. Cost $16 with tax. This grinder has particular mechanisms that grind the cannabis into a fine powder than has a screen that "catches" a more potent part of the bud a higher THC content...not exactly sure how. It was explained, I just did not follow it.

WeGrow had only one guy who seemed to know what he was doing.

WeGrow had a stoner mentality. I encountered two workers that really did not know what they were talking about. To be fair, this type of worker can be found at plenty of retail stores as well.:)

And one guy buying equipment whose voice sounded just like the stereotypical dude in a MJ movie.

But for the most part, it was interesting. There was a service that would come to your home to assist in setting up a grow room, classes for instruction, etc. Cost was high but I do not recall the price because I am not interested in that part of the cannabis industry.

We had a few questions. And one we forgot to ask. We forgot to ask about storage. I purchased a mason jar from Cost Plus to seal the buds. Cost was about $3/jar. Michael's had cheaper jars, good size but the jars at Cost Plus were easier to hold and had an easier opening mechanism. Both places are good for us because if we need more jars, they are easy to obtain. DH and I do not know where to store the jar, in the freezer or in a dark place, i.e. the closet shelf?

I like the effects of Master Kush.

It eased the MS hug and stopped the leg jerks. The muscles wanted to spasm but remained calm. I used no Baclofen and I may just eliminate it altogether.

This cannabis feels like a body relaxation and there are no "mind" games. I can talk, I can enjoy TV and I can read with comprehension. No mood alterations other than happy to have a little relief.

Two draws at 7PM and two draws at 10:30PM.

I do make a bathroom trip in the early morning hours. This is when I noticed that the hug was virtually nonexistent. Only the bottom of my feet were numb. Upon returning to bed, I noticed I could flex my knees better, more limber.

Only difficulty was getting back to sleep. No Baclofen hangover to rely upon and the excitement of having no strong hug may have been a part of the problem. And DH's breathing!

In the morning, things back to the way it is, strong hug. Stiff walk.