Medical Marijuana

Here you can share your experiences with substances that are ingested, inhaled, or otherwise consumed for the purpose of relieving RLS, other than prescription medications. For example, herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, diet, kratom, and marijuana (for now) should be discussed here. Tell others of successes, failures, side effects, and any known research on these substances. [Posts on these subjects created prior to 2009 are in the Physical Treatments forum.]

Important: Posts and information in this section are based on personal experiences and recommendations; they should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a healthcare provider.
NatWest
Posts: 162
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:06 pm

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by NatWest »

Hi everyone!

I wanted to share with you what I've been using for the past 6-7 weeks (since July 12) that seems to be working really well. As I've said over the last couple of years, I've found that a combination of CBD/THC seemed to be the most effective treatment, but it was sometimes hard to get the correct ratio in a concentrate. On July 12, I decided to try some tinctures. I got one that was 100% CBD Indica, and one that was 99% THC Indica, and experimented with the ratios by counting drops into a spoon. I'd usually put about 10-11 drops of CBD and 7-9 drops of THC into a spoon. The ones I'm using now, which is my second purchase, activate in 15 minutes!!! Which is great. The first one took 45 minutes to get into my system. They taste terrible, but I'm okay with that! :)

I do this 2-3 times, once before I get in bed, and then again, whenever I wake up. On average, I've been sleeping 6-7 hours, and only waking up twice. So I'm very happy. When I wake up and look at the clock I sometimes do a double take, because I'm just not used to sleeping that long at a time, 2-3 hours, sometimes more.

So, I just wanted to share this. It eliminates a lot of the problems of smoking it, like smoke smell, coughing, not being able to find the right formula, etc. Hope it will help somebody!

Peggy

ViewsAskew
Moderator
Posts: 16570
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by ViewsAskew »

Whoo-hoo!
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

Rustsmith
Moderator
Posts: 6476
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by Rustsmith »

Now that you have an idea of how the tinctures work and their speed, you might give some thought to trying the edibles. They don't kick in as quickly, but last longer. I can get candies in the form of "pucks" that are disks of the same material they make gummy bears from and these disks are available with either CBD or THC (They used to come as gummy bears, but the state made them change the shape so that children didn't get confused). I have to cut them up to get the right dose. If you were to use both the tincture and an edible at bedtime, the combination might be enough to hold you through the night.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

NatWest
Posts: 162
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:06 pm

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by NatWest »

Hi Steve,

I actually have been trying edibles, along with everything else, and have tried the gummies, too. I like the watermelon flavored one, I cut it into 10 smaller pieces. I also found a really delicious chocolate bar that broke into 10 pieces. I've used them kind of as an addition to the droppers. I think for me, the pre-made edibles just haven't had quite the right ratio of CBD/THC to use alone, which is why I finally decided to go with the two tinctures, so that I could create my own ratio, and get it so that it was just right for me. I'm not sure why that makes so much of a difference, but for me at least, it seems to. I've been baking cookies for a couple of years, but it's a lot of work!!! And while they seemed to prolong the sleep a little, they didn't block the rls from breaking through. (and I always felt like I needed to go brush my teeth) I plan to continue to use the gummies and chocolate bars as supplements to the tinctures. And, I didn't mention it above, but I've had several nights where I slept for as many as 5 1/2 hours at one time, though it's not the norm for me, yet, but just the fact that it's happening is very encouraging.

I know you've talked about the edibles ever since you moved, and I've wanted to ask you which specific edibles were working for you, so now I know! :) Thanks for responding to my post. I'm really happy for you that you've found things that work well!

Take care ......... Peggy

Rustsmith
Moderator
Posts: 6476
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by Rustsmith »

Peggy, the first thing that I tried when we visited here 2 yrs ago were the chocolates. I liked them and obviously they worked well since we decided to move. However, they were so crumbly that they could not be split from their 10mg dose. I have seen large chocolate bars at the dispensaries since then that could probably be divided into the 5mg doses that I need, but I have stayed with the gummies since they are easy to cut. I tried the watermelon flavor, but it was too subtle for me. I have almost no sense of smell anymore, so I need something with a stronger taste. As a result, we have stayed with the fruit flavors. I say we since my wife uses the THC as well to help for her MS sleep issues (maybe mild RLS). She also uses a CBD tincture for spasticity associated with MS and I occasionally steal some when I have RLS induced anxiety.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

pinkynose
Posts: 77
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2015 10:58 pm

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by pinkynose »

Peggy, I am so happy you found what works. I love your scientific studies! I am on a journey now and am hopeful that I will have my remedy soon. I'm not sure if my dispensary carries those proportions you mentioned in tinctures but I am going to find out! What is available in Florida has been so disappointing but we're new so hopefully more products will come on line. Backup plans are so comforting. Take care.
Carol

NatWest
Posts: 162
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:06 pm

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by NatWest »

Hi Steve,

I'm happy that your wife is also able to find some benefits from the mm. And I'm happy that you have found good results with fairly simple solutions. That's always a good thing! I mostly use the chocolate bars and gummies during the day, when my rls makes it impossible to sit down, but also just add them sometimes before I get in bed at night. The chocolate bars are called GRON Bars. They are made from dark chocolate and are delicious, there's not a hint of mj flavor. And the sections, which are about 1 1/2 in x 1/2 in, break off very easily, kind of like a Hershey bar, but a little thicker and darker.

Here's one more thing I do, which probably won't make any sense to 99% of people, but I've found that black coffee makes the rls symptoms go completely away almost instantly. And occasionally, if I wake up around 3:00 or 4:00 am, and don't want to put anymore THC into my system so close to getting up, I will get up and make a small cup of coffee. It makes the rls go away quickly, and I can actually go back and get in bed and sleep another 1-3 hours, and then get up at a more reasonable time. I discovered that quite a few years ago, but hadn't tried getting back in bed and going back to sleep until the last couple of months. I know this probably wouldn't work for most people, and most people wouldn't even want to try it, but thought I'd throw it out there just in case. I was actually still using Mirapex when I discovered this, so it was probably about 2012.

Anyway, thanks for checking in, I love hearing about things that are working for others.

Take care, Peggy

legsbestill
Posts: 561
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2016 7:22 pm
Location: Dublin Ireland

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by legsbestill »

I am definitely going to try black coffee. I had given it up completely in the hope that not having caffeine would help with symptoms but it doesn't seem to have made any difference and much vaunted improvement in caffeine spiked highs and lows also failed to materialise in any meaningful way so I was considering reintroducing it anyway. It would be fantastic if it worked and if not ... well I'll only be where I was anyway but more awake!

To update on my growing experiment: I have now harvested all five of my sensi skunk plants. I dried them for a week and then cured them for three weeks. I then decarboxylated them in the oven and made them into coco-butter overnight in the slow-cooker (crockpot). I also made the leaves that I trimmed off in harvesting into coco-butter. The effect is more subtle than the 'street' cannabis I had previously and still has no impact on RLS symptoms (I didn't really expect that it would). It does help with sleep however, which is the reason I took it in the first place, and I am really pleased not to be reliant on dealers and, worse, my daughters finding dealers for me. I now have loads of cannabis - five plants was too many to grow at one time - and I would like to try a different strain but am not sure where I will store it all, especially as we are in the process of moving to a much smaller house.

NatWest
Posts: 162
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:06 pm

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by NatWest »

I hope it will work for you. I did it again this morning. I woke up about 3:30 am and after walking around for about 15 minutes the rls was still there, so I went out to the kitchen, fixed a 6 oz cup in the Keurig, and went into the office, got on my computer, read my emails, and did a few other things, then about 20 minutes later went back and got in bed. Slept until 7:20!

Your experiment sounds really interesting. I've never made coco-butter before, I think that could be very useful! But too bad it didn't impact your rls at all. I have found, in my experiments, that it takes a combination of things for me for the rls to go away. So far my experiments with the tinctures is going pretty well. I'm wondering if you could do something similar to the coco-butter with a strain that's higher in THC or CBD, and then use them in a similar manner, combining small amounts of each, to get a dosage with a new formula. I've found CBD gets rid of my rls only if I have some THC in close to equal amounts.

Thanks for checking in. Hope your move goes well! :) PS, I have a small fridge in the garage where I can store things, and I keep a small cooler by the bed where I store my tinctures.

legsbestill
Posts: 561
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2016 7:22 pm
Location: Dublin Ireland

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by legsbestill »

Thanks, NatWest, I often think of you when I am researching about growing the cannabis. It would be so optimal to find a strain that actually helps the RLS - at present it is only effective for insomnia. I can purchase CBD as an oil here in Ireland and have taken it in the past with my dose of oral cannabis. I used a lot of the information on this thread when I was ordering my seeds. I selected strains that were supposedly high in CBD as well as THC. Of course it is impossible to know what the actual content is without sending the buds off to a lab which would not be feasible here. I am determined to have a go at growing Critical Mass as it has been so helpful for you but it is slightly problematic to grow apparently (being prone to mould) and I wanted to start with easy strains. My next plant is Medical Mass which is related to it. It is ready to put into flower but I am going to wait until after the move ...

NatWest
Posts: 162
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:06 pm

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by NatWest »

I'll look forward to hearing updates from you after you get moved. I know that much of what I've had success with resulted from the suggestions, ideas, and experiences of others on this board. Your ideas sound very interesting to me. :) RLS is complicated!!!!!

badnights
Moderator
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Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
Location: Northwest Territories, Canada

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by badnights »

You guys are such pioneers! I admire your determination and hope to profit from it someday by using a concoction you've come up with to rid myself of symptoms !
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
Click for info on WED/RLS AUGMENTATION & IRON
I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.

legsbestill
Posts: 561
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2016 7:22 pm
Location: Dublin Ireland

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by legsbestill »

Beth!!! If I see further (which I'm not claiming I do, but for the purposes of the quote I'll say it ...), it is because I am standing on the shoulders of giants - such as yourself, Ann, Betty, Steve, Holland, Peggy and all the others who so kindly give their time and RLS-sapped energy to guide and encourage the rest of us.

pinkynose
Posts: 77
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2015 10:58 pm

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by pinkynose »

Hi folks! This is my MMJ update:.

After trying just about everything that was available at the dispensary (my state just recently approved MMJ so we have a ways to go,) I decided to attempt Yawny's posted recipe for CBN. CBD turns me into a couch potato, but doesn't help me sleep and any amount of THC, whether Indica or Sativa seems to keep me up, so converting THC to CBN seemed like the way to go.

I used sleepy Indica buds as my starter. After the conversion process I made the cannabutter and then the mini muffins. The 1st night I ate 2 and had a very strange night of sleep. I felt like I was asleep but awake at the same time. I was so hung over the next day. A friend suggested it might have been because I have been taking 2mg of Ativan every night for a year to sleep and you can't just stop that drug. So, the next night I took 1mg Ativan 2 hours before eating just 1 mini muffin. It didn't work very well and I had a really hard time falling asleep. SO, the next night I took the 1mg Ativan with the 2 muffins and I slept for 7 hours straight! I felt that I was still too hung over so last night 1 took 1mg Ativan with 1 1/2 mini muffins and it was the perfect amount!

My plan is to slowly wean off the Ativan and continue with the CBN muffins. I realize that, as with all experiments, different factors effect the outcome and I will have to roll with it. However, just for today I feel I was successful and hope it will continue! :)
carol

NatWest
Posts: 162
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:06 pm

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by NatWest »

Hi Carol,

Wow! I'm so happy you are finding some success from this. I'm wondering, if you have time, if you could share the recipe for the CBN cannabutter, and the mini-muffins? I think a lot of us here could be helped by this. Yawny had given me the instructions for making the CBN, but I don't know how to make the cannabutter, which could be used in cookies and other edibles fairly easily once it's made. Thanks so much for sharing this!!!

One thing I've learned about THC is that there are strains that do help you sleep and make you very relaxed, and others that have your brain going in all kinds of crazy directions, which can keep you up all night even with no rls! My favorite go-to THC is Gorilla Glue, but the Trainwreck variety is also relaxing. At least for me, they do not keep me awake but help me sleep soundly.

Thanks for your post, I'll look forward to hearing more soon!

Peggy

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