My experience with medical marijuana and CBD hemp oil

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.
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Eweforia
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My experience with medical marijuana and CBD hemp oil

Post by Eweforia »

I just wanted to contribute to the growing body of knowledge here concerning the use of MM and CBD hemp oil for treating RLS symptoms. When I first posted my question back in Feb 2015 asking if anyone had experience with hemp oil, there was little response. So it is good to know that more people are now experimenting with these substances.

I live in Colorado, which legalized MM and recreational M awhile ago. But my first (and continuing) experiment was to purchase CBD hemp oil from a local Colorado grower (see http://cbdoil.life/) who I was already familiar with. (I'm not endorsing her product, just reporting that I believe her to be ethical and educated, which are hard characteristics to measure when starting to do business with ANY company.) I took 1/2 dropper of CDB oil every evening for 30 days at bedtime. My quality of sleep improved dramatically and the RLS seemed to disappear. However, I noticed a rather alarming decrease of strength in my legs; they seemed wobbly, like one would experience after prolonged jogging. I reviewed what variables had changed recently and determined that the CBD oil was the only new thing I had introduced in my life for the previous 30 days. Note that I also have COPD and am on oxygen at night, so leg weakness is not altogether unfamiliar; but this was more severe than I'd previously experienced. So I stopped taking CBD oil and purged my system of it for 30 days. Leg strength got better.

So believing that CBD oil was not an option, I applied for and received my medical marijuana card (even though MM is legal here, I didn't know if products specifically for medical use could be sold in recM outlets). After talking to the knowledgeable staff at a dispensary specifically licensed for medical MM, I purchased an edible Tootsie-roll-like candy. It contained the Indica strain of marijuana which is considered best for promoting sleep, but consequently had THC compounds that would get me high, which I preferred not to do. There is a marijuana-derived CBD oil, but it is considerably more expensive than the candy, so I opted to try the candy first. I divided the little 100-mg candy into eighths, so that each piece had about 12.5 mg of THC, which is what the doctor at the MM clinic recommended.

That experiment ended badly. I might have been able to sleep through being high, but the RLS was significantly exacerbated, resulting in a sleepless night. I repeated the experiment two weeks later with the same result. So no MM for me.

I currently have returned to the CBD hemp oil that I purchased and am trying to titrate a minimal dose/frequency in hopes of retaining the desired effects of promoting sleep while reducing the undesired effects of the muscle weakness in my legs. As a fall-back plan after that, I will try the MM-derived CBD oil available at the MM dispensary, but I do not look forward to trying to sleep stoned.

ViewsAskew
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Re: My experience with medical marijuana and CBD hemp oil

Post by ViewsAskew »

Thanks for sharing your detailed experience. Very helpful.
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.

badnights
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Re: My experience with medical marijuana and CBD hemp oil

Post by badnights »

I don't actually use MM or any marijuana, but I experimented a few years ago with using it to relieve WED/RLS. This was recreational stuff that I used. The first time, it worked, the next two times it backfired and made my symptoms go nuts. I tracked the difference to the strain I was using - it was largely sativa the first time, indica-dominant the next two times. So I tried a sativa-dominant strain again, and again it worked.

I have no idea what the difference is - more CBD and less THC in the sativa? - and I stopped trying to get hold of it because it was so darn hard to find a pure sativa or even to find out what was in a strain.
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.

Rustsmith
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Re: My experience with medical marijuana and CBD hemp oil

Post by Rustsmith »

Sativa's tend to have higher CBD and indica's tend to have higher THC. But there has been so much hybridizing these days you are placing a lot of trust in the supplier to provide you with the correct pedigree. There are a few companies that are starting to process CBD from hemp, which is very low in THC (and is still illegal in many US states). If we as a community can determine that CBD is the beneficial part, then perhaps this "pure" CBD might become the standard for treating RLS/WED. Personally, I made a purchase of a 50/50 tincture today, which was the highest CBD available at that non-medical store. More later on how well it works.
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.

badnights
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Re: My experience with medical marijuana and CBD hemp oil

Post by badnights »

That was my problem; I was buying non-medical and could rarely find out what the relative proportions of Sativa to Indica were in any strain's heritage. It didn't help that these strains were being developed for very different effects than I was looking for. I hope your experiment works - are you not able to get medical varieties yet?
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.

Rustsmith
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Re: My experience with medical marijuana and CBD hemp oil

Post by Rustsmith »

badnights, in order to get a medical card I first have to establish Colorado residency. I just got a piece of paper yesterday that I hope will allow us to get Colorado drivers licenses. Once we have that, I will need to visit a Colorado doctor who can handle the paper work for an application. Only after I get my medical mj card will I be able to visit one of the medical stores rather than having to go recreational. Not only do the recreational stores have limited selection for high CBC, but their products also carry a lot higher taxes on their products.

As for the experiment, I took a half dose last night and got 7 hrs sleep, an improvement of 2 hrs over "normal", and I wasn't even very tired when I went to bed.
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.

badnights
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Re: My experience with medical marijuana and CBD hemp oil

Post by badnights »

Ah, I didn't realize you had only just completed your move to CO. I thought you had already been there a while.
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.

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