Medical THC/CBD

People see marijuana as recreational because that’s what it has been in the past. Doctors used to prescribe cocaine cough syrup for children and that was seen as normal. There were cigarette machines in hospitals and doctors prescribed smoking cigarettes for many ailments. Now we’d be absolutely horrified.

Change can be physically done easier, it’s the mentality that takes awhile to catch up. For people like me, it’s so much more than just recreational. People are open to taking literal poison used in certain medications but not a plant that grows from the ground?

People take pills the doctor prescribes but not something natural? Doctors are people too and are going by what they are taught. My doctor believes in it and millions around the world do. How do people trust them enough to be responsible for their care and take whatever medication they give them but not trust them on this? A lot of doctors who disagree with the use are usually older and stuck in that old mentality that it’s just recreational. Doctors should be a guide to help you, not tell you what to do. Nobody knows your body as well as you do. You must be your own advocate!

Years ago I made the decision to wean myself off of so many powerful drugs and start taking THC/CBD instead. I don’t smoke it, I take gummies which takes significantly longer to take effect but it’s safer. Smoking is almost instant, gummies take 45 minutes to an hour for me but that won’t be the same for everyone. That’s why a lot of people don’t think edibles are working and they take more 😂

Certain conditions make it easier to enter your system and some make it harder. Trying to diolve edibles under the tongue ensures some goes directly into the blood stream. I have enough health issues and smoking would only add more.

I was taking some medications for years and many had to be stopped under a doctors supervision and slowly.
I was basically a zombie so even if a medication helped other issues, I wasn’t really living. I was also having violent thoughts. I’d never act on them willingly but it was scary to see how medication or chemical imbalances can make people think so differently and act in ways that they otherwise wouldn’t. Although I wasn’t physically violent, it did make me unreasonably angry and overreact often.

There was one medication that my doctor wanted me to stay on. Gabapentin (neurontin) but that was the medication that was causing the problems and caused me to gain so much weight. That makes my physical therapy so much harder so I said no. It took awhile tapering down because I was on it for years and it was a very high dosage. Gabapentin was created to treat epilepsy and seizures but so many doctors use it off label for nerve pain.
It’s used so often but the majority of people who have used it have all bad things to say about it so I really don’t understand why it is.

THC/CBD has honestly helped me so much more than the handful of very harmful pills did.

It’s not federally legal so insurance doesn’t cover it. I hope that happens some day. It’s very expensive so I take half of what I’m prescribed. I still have many issues because of this but even at half dose, it’s better than all of those pharmaceuticals I was taking.

A child once asked his father if that meant I was always high. When you experience some brain injuries, many substances don’t have the same effect anymore. I never really smoked pot growing up so I’m unsure of what my tolerance was. But I can take double what I do and still be fine.

I get upset when people act like it’s not so important or just “for fun” for everyone. I take these instead of medications so it is important for me. I don’t have any other options readily available and with nothing, unfortunately, I’d be in very bad shape. Even well meaning people say little things as jokes that convey the true feelings that they don’t say directly. Many people need to take this for medical reasons but from my experience, it seems to be ok legally but not ok in the mentality of many people.

Studies show that medical cannabis has possible benefits for several conditions. State laws vary in which conditions qualify people for treatment with medical marijuana. If you’re considering marijuana for medical use, check your state’s regulations.

Depending on the state, you may qualify for treatment with medical marijuana if you meet certain requirements and have a qualifying condition, such as:

Alzheimer’s disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
HIV/AIDS
Crohn’s disease
Epilepsy and seizures
Glaucoma
Multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms
Severe and chronic pain
Severe nausea or vomiting caused by cancer treatment
Etc…..

What research exists on using cannabis for chronic pain?
In 2017, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) determined that there’s evidence cannabis can drastically improve chronic pain symptoms. NASEM called for larger studies and long-term safety data to better understand it’s effects.

For non-cancer chronic pain, two review articles evaluating 2,000 patients found that cannabis had significant pain-relieving effects. It also helped improve other symptoms related to pain, such as:

Anxiety
Depression
Problems sleeping
Muscle stiffness
Quality-of-life issues

Clinical trials are ongoing worldwide to look more into the use of cannabis products for chronic pain. One medication, nabiximols, which has a 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC, has shown promise for its use in chronic cancer pain and pain related to multiple sclerosis. The medication is prescribed in more than 20 other countries and is currently in clinical trials in the U.S.

I was researching the existing available medications and here’s a link explaining each, it’s uses and possible side effects:

https://leafwell.com/blog/prescription-drugs-that-contain-thc-and-cbd

I just know that it has helped me and many others immensely. Hopefully it’s fully legal soon.

I was researching this as a whole but in talking with people, the biggest concern seems to be CBD use in children. I wanted to explain exactly what this is because many parents feel irresponsible giving their children “drugs”
Picture a pizza and half has pepperoni (THC). CBD is the other half that doesn’t have pepperoni or hallucination effects.
CBD is a chemical compound found in marijuana. Contrary to popular belief, CBD doesn’t contain tetrahydrocannabinol (thc) the psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana that produces a high.

CBD is all natural. Children inhale more chemicals at a gas station and none are helpful. All parts of CBD are helpful. I don’t understand how parents will give their children all kinds of vegetables and plants but forbid another type growing in the same soil and is probably more beneficial than all of those combined. As parents, isn’t one of our primary goals to make them as healthy as possible?

While research on CBD and autism is still in it’s early stages, some studies have shown promising results. One study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found that CBD oil improved behavioral symptoms in children with ASD, including anxiety and communication difficulties.

There is so much more research necessary and that’s a main reason so many organizations, that parents look up to, have yet to approve it. Such as the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics)
They aren’t against it, they just want to see more research and that’s difficult to obtain with children.

I’m definitely not a bully forcing my opinions and encourage everyone to do their own research. I feel that if you’re using your authority to deny something that important, you at least owe it to them to fully research everything and speak with your child’s doctor about it.

Currently it’s mostly over the counter but there is one CBD product approved by the food and drug administration. It’s a prescription oil called Epidiolex. It’s approved to treat two types of epilepsy.

CBD is being studied as a treatment for a lot of different conditions including Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, depression, etc….. Research is still so limited.

I like to stay informed about things I don’t always agree with because I like to be aware of every side. I don’t think anyone really has any right to disagree with something if they don’t take the time to be fully educated or at least trying and willing to learn.
Some CBD ingredients are already naturally in our bodies and many of it’s components are already used in other common medications.
CBD does carry rare risks of minor concern like reduced appetite or drowsiness. That’s nothing when you compare those risks with the risks of other medications. I think heart attack and death are listed as some medication side effects along with a myriad of other horrible side effects. Death or sleepy? Seems like a logical choice.

But, like many things, CBD can also have undesirable effects on other medications, such as blood thinners. So it’s very important to consult with a doctor if you’re taking other medications or have any other medical issues. Even if there are no existing problems, I just recommend consulting your doctor if using for medicinal purposes. I like medical THC or CBD. I could save so much money and very easily get it illegally but I don’t trust that with people lacing everything, a simple medication can land you in the hospital or morgue.
A recent study testing CBD products from 84 places showed that more than a quarter of them contained less CBD than was labeled and THC was found in 18 of them!
As a parent, I’d NEVER want that and this made me understand the trepidation. I’d suggest speaking with their doctor to see if it’s ok with anything else going on and any other medications taken. Then I’d go get them a card and obtain the CBD products from a certified dispensary.

Here’s A link explaining the history and science

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5473390/

Whatever your view of this is, the fact that it helps so many people makes it worthy of an open mind and some research.