I always keep my ears and mind wide open when I read anything pertaining to pain control. It so happened the other day I mentioned to Suzy (she has RSD) would she consider trying marijuana to help with pain. She said she wouldn't unless it is prescribed. Me like the lazy guy I am said "who needs a prescription?" I don't smoke pot by the way, just saying. She responded that she will not do it unless it is dispensed by a doctor. It then dawned on me why. If she was tested for mis-taking her medications she would be in trouble with the doctors so it only took me a second to realize her thinking. I then said "well we live in Virginia and I'm very sure there's no medical marijuana laws here, not this conservative state. Well, it seems I'm wrong. I just read Virginia was one of the first states to pass medical marijuana way back in 1979, primarily for cancer and glocoma. Whether these conditions have expanded I'm not sure. I'm 53 and never realized VA had this on the books.

Anyway, has any NT members with RSD ever tried medical marijuana, and if so how well did it work for you? Pm me if you wish to keep it private.

Thanks
jim

I haven't tried it (I still have teenagers in the house). But a few other RSDers I know in RI use it often for their pain and spasms and think it works well. The ones I know grow it themselves (and say its a ton of work!).

In this state you are allowed to use it and grow it and we are in the process of approving several applications (out off many) for "compassion centers" that will sell it to patients with scripts. There are certain parameters that you need to fall under to qualify for a script, they will be much tighter here than in California where it seems that just about any and all qualify.

It is predicted that the RI compassion centers will be up and running by late spring. it will be real interesting to see what happens. Colorado passed a med marijuana law last year, there are reputedly something like 27,000 users. The RI compassion center applicants (who are supposed to be "non-profit) are positively drooling thinking about the business they are going to rake in. I am amazed when I hear about the prices they are suggesting they are going to charge!! The stuff is going to be really expensive, and insurance doesn't cover it - a one week's supply will be around $300 - $400. I wouldn't pay that unless I was TRULY desperate. WOW!! The members of the Boards of Directors listed their proposed "fees" for serving on the boards - $75K, $100K, etc. Many of these individuals have FT jobs and these are supposed to be philantraphic positions in nature. Yeah, sure... So what we are creating in RI is another gravy train for the politically connected...

Interesting topic. XOXOX Sandy

$300 - $400? I wonder what kind of volume this is? I'm assuming this will not be pill form but the plant itself-smoke form?

hey thanks for this thread. i have been very interested in mm, and i was speaking to a guy last night who said he would get me some maryjane to try for pain and i forgot if i'm tested i might not get my regular pain meds. although i hope to switch from narcotics if mm works for pain, until its legal i dont really want to jeopardize my regular meds.

I would try it in a nano second if it were legal in my state and I had a prescription.

My 16 yo, a junior in high school, has requested a trip to Amsterdam for his high school graduation so we can try it together......Yeah, that's what I get for trying to be open to discussions about drinking, drugs, and sex.........

Once upon a time, say when I was in high school and college, I thought it was an 'awful' drug and rated it with cocaine or heroin. I've definitely loosened up in my views on that, probably because I have friends now who smoke pot. I really consider it like alcohol now....aside from the fact that it also invloves smoking. I do currently smoke cigarettes....something I never would have imagined I'd do, so the smoking part of it would no longer be a hurdle for me to get over......although it is a big part of why I don't want my kids smoking it.

I've never been drug tested since I started with narcotics....about 5 years ago, but I would never try illegal pot now.....A) because it's illegal and B) because I wouldn't risk it incase my doc ever decided to start drug testing.

My wife was tested twice by her doctor. This really got under my skin because Suzy plays by the rules in every way, yet her doctor felt she was not taking her meds correctly and even told us this (I go with her at every doc visit.) The last urine test cost me out of pocket around $700 dollars.

Hi Jim - That's for a bag of the dried up plant stuff that you smoke by rolling into joints or by some other method. Perhaps the liquid derivatives (marinol I think it is called?) will be available also for people who don't want to smoke.

Colorado is the place to be if you want it for pain. They have passed it big time here. We have dispenseries all over the place. They all have a green cross in front of them, you can't miss them.

They are also setting aside places in the High Schools for kids to smoke it here that need it. Thankfully both of my grandson's are out of this high school. This area here seems to be the most open to it.

Colorado Springs is already seeing problems from letting this happen. It wasn't voted on by the people so it was just snuck in on us.

Now they make soda pot in Colorado Springs so I have warned my boys to not take drinks from anyone.

I think your wife is smart in not wanting to do it unless it was prescribed. I wouldn't even then.

Now we are going to have Mothers against drugged drivers as well as drunk.

I'm very conservative.

Ada

I'm against people getting involved with "non-profit" compassion centers for supposedly "altruistic" reasons and then raking in a fortune off of them by charging a whole lot of money for something that only a limited number of suppliers will be allowed to distribute in our state. And in RI, the ones that will be licensed will the ones that know the right people. That's the way it always works. The administrative fees that are projected to be paid to the board members and administrators are absurd.

As for as using medical marijuana for pain, I think its truly a personal choice. I suffered enormously from pain from my RSD for over 4 years. There were days I absolutely couldn't move from bed except when I had to vomit. Too many days to count...if pot works for someone and helps give them some of their life back, then so be it.

Just a personal observation - the RSDers I know that use pot on a regular basis for their pain tend to rarely go out and get little done. I think that it can space you out for really long periods of time and you might become one of the "wastecases" we all remember from highschool. I also quit smoking many years ago and wouldn't want to ever inhale anything ever again...

Since I have a signed contract with my doctor who I trust and who trusts me, I wouldn't do anything to alter this relationship yet I know if my state was ever progressive enough to actually allow pot to be used for whatever medical reason a doctor found necessary, I'd love adding this to my pain management arsenal. I have one doctor who's made it very clear that anytime I'm in CA visiting my family for an extended visit he'd have it waiting for me so clearly there are highly educated doctors who see this as being worth a consideration.

As long as drug companies can make $880 a month just so I can get one prescription for pain pills filled, they'll always fight tooth and nail against us growing a funny looking herb on our kitchen counter that literally grows like a weed. It's all about profits and nothing else.

Sure there are people who are positive that once a person smoke a joint they'll be doing cocaine and crack by weeks end, but most of these individuals are also the ones who preach they'd never take morphine either. Just let them live with our pain loads and they'd change their minds quick enough, but there's no winning against deep rooted ignorance and prejudice. Sadly enough their voices are being heard more than ours are it seems.

I don't care for the fuzzy headed feeling of pot and prefer morphine since I notice no blurry headed feelings, but I do know it should always be left up to the individual and the attending doctor. Of course we don't live in a free country anymore, so why dream we can actually pursue our own path of happiness when we've turned the USA into a land where our every action is monitored and controlled. That hurts worse then the physical pain if you ask me.