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.
stjohnh
Posts: 1284
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2016 3:13 pm
Location: Palo Alto, California

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by stjohnh »

My experience with medical marijuana is similar to Steve's, I am not yet on methadone, I am able to control my leg jumping with kratom and low-dose mirapex. I find that the marijuana definitely helps sleep, but doesn't help much for the leg jumping. I use edible marijuana every night.
Blessings,
Holland

tea4one
Posts: 59
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 6:43 pm

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by tea4one »

Thank you, Holland!

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

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by NatWest »

It was nice to see updates from several of you last week. It's good to hear that you’re finding some benefit from mm. I wish there was more clinical research available to help in selecting the things that will work for each of us.

I’ve been experimenting for 2 years now, and just recently, over the last 2 months, am feeling that I’ve finally found the right combination that will work for me day after day, and week after week. Ironically, the very first strain that was recommended to me, on my very first visit to the dispensary after getting my mm card, is the one that is working now. Last year in October it disappeared and wasn’t available at any of the 27 dispensaries in our area. Then, this last July it started showing up again and I’ve kept it on hand ever since. Critical Mass is the best thing I’ve found for making rls symptoms disappear. I’ve heard it’s not available in other states, but there is probably something close to it. The breakdown is:
THC: 9.12%, CBD: 15.06%, THCA: 9.46%, CBG: 0.21%

When I found it again last summer I bought all of it that the dispensary had in stock, and am now buying the flower by the ½ oz every month. I’ve been using it in 3 different ways: smoking (which I understand some of you do not want to do) from a water pipe, which makes the symptoms disappear almost immediately, and lasts about 60-90 minutes; edibles, which take a couple of hours to get into your system, then can last 3-5 hours; and oil, which takes 45 minutes to an hour to get into your system and lasts 2-3 hours.

I think the edibles are by far the best method, and I may end up just using them all of the time, unless I need immediate help. A friend gave me a cookie recipe recently that I love—it is so easy—and I wanted to share it since it sounds like edibles are working in some capacity for a few of you.

1 c peanut butter, 1 c brown sugar, and 1 egg, plus approximately ½ tsp of crushed mm per cookie. That’s it. You bake them by rounded tsp at 350 for 10 minutes. It makes about 2 dozen. You can add nuts or other things. I add Reese’s peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips. I keep them in the freezer and just get out 2-3 each night. I eat one about 2 hours before I go to bed, then another one a few minutes before I get into bed. I’ve found that if I do wake up in the middle of the night, it now has nothing to do with rls. The first time I just made ½ the recipe, just to test them out, and after only 2 nights I went to the store and bought more of the ingredients so I would not run out, and I’ve made 2 more full batches since.

I do take about 3 hits off the water pipe just before I get in bed, and 1-2 droppers full of oil (which I make in a crock pot) at the same time, just for extra coverage, but I’m thinking I will eventually just use the cookies. And, now I am just buying the flower. I’ve found that a ½ oz will last me for about a month when I use it in these 3 different ways.

I also noticed in some of the recent posts that someone had said “anxiety” had resulted from mm use. I have noticed that certain strains higher in THC have caused major anxiety for me in the past, starting about 15-30 minutes after consuming from a vapor pen and lasting for 1-2 hours, making it impossible to go to sleep, and filling my brain with all sorts of horrible things. But there are others, like Gorilla Glue, THC 21.20%, CBD .01%, which do not cause anxiety but do make you feel relaxed and happy, and as I’ve said before, like your legs are glued to the mattress, which is great. So, if you’re getting anxiety symptoms, you might try a different strain. Incidentally, Gorilla Glue is now being described as the #1 favorite in many areas of the country. I don't keep it on hand all the time, but I do not hesitate to use it, kind of as an add-on, or dessert. :)

I know rls seems to be different for everyone, but hopefully some of this info will be beneficial to someone. Take care.

yawny
Posts: 264
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2015 4:20 pm

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by yawny »

Thanks NatWest!...your detailed feedback has always been incredibly helpful to me. (Plus, you have a knack for making cookies sound delicious! )You are the main reason I was so open to trying MM. Having never tried it before and with all the propaganda, I was intimidated and scared. Your openness and descriptive details helped change my perspective. I am now finding relief with my own regime of MM every night. It's amazing how varied MM is and I've learned through experimentation that solutions may not happen right away (I gave up at one point but then tried again) so it helps to keep an open mind, ask questions, and keep trying.

yawny
Posts: 264
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2015 4:20 pm

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by yawny »

I wrote most of the following (there are some updates) in another non-MMJ thread and it was suggested to put a copy here for reference...



I can't use THC, because it activates my mind and keeps me awake, so I convert all my cannabis to CBN. This explains CBN well:

‪What is CBN‬...

https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-10 ... annabinoid

The oven is too unpredictable for me, so I use UV light for a week, stirring every day, to turn my THC into CBN. I used to make it on a sunny windowsill for a month, but just discovered the UV light, because of the Pacific Northwest winters. Really, any way to turn fresh weed into stale, old weed that no self-respecting stoner would touch, will do the job. (Urban legend is that a stoner found a very old bag of weed and thought why not? And then proceeded to have the best sleep of his life). I got a UV flashlight off Amazon and constructed a dark box out of an Amazon box.

UV BOX
cardboard box
aluminum foil
masking tape
UV flashlight (e.g. http://amzn.to/2pDFycn ...but this one uses a lot of batteries)
batteries

Directions:
1. Remove all cats from the room.
2. Line a cardboard box with aluminum foil (to reflect the UV light).
3. Notch the four flaps that close the box, so when they close, they leave a hole the size of your UV flashlight’s handle.
4. Make aluminum foil trays to hold your cannabis. Size them so you can fit multiple trays on the bottom of your box…but make them large enough that you can spread your cannabis out…then spread your cannabis out. (Label what strain is in each tray. I put a label (with masking tape) on the underside of the tray.)
5. Put aluminum trays in box. Close box so the UV flashlight is inside the box and the handle extends up, from the top. If your flashlight’s handle does not have ridges (and therefore your light would slide down), make ridges from rubber bands. Just wrap rubber bands around the handle until it doesn’t slide down anymore.
6. Turn on flashlight. Check batteries daily. Stir cannabis at least daily. Remove your CBN marijuana in 7 days...vape it, or make an oil tincture, or a cannabutter for an edible like muffins, cookies, brownies.

Here's the recipe I use for my edibles which are gluten free mini muffins, but you can make bars. It doesn't have any caffeine from cocoa/chocolate, or refined sugar, and it's the best of all the recipes I've tried. I'm not even gluten free anymore but I think they taste delicious. For ease of use, you could use any recipe that calls for a stick of butter. I like this one because it has a sticky crumb that stays together so it's easy to cut up into portions, unlike a dry cookie. For determining portions, you might use a scale. I did in the beginning, but found that unlike THC, slight differences in portions of CBN cause no problems. In any recipe, change the oven temperature to no higher than 300 degrees F so you don't cook away the medicinal properties. You'll just need to bake the edible longer than the recipe suggests.

Cannabutter
1 stick salted butter (= 1/2 cup)
1/4 ounce (or 7 grams) ground up (herb grinder or scissors) CBN cannabis
Glass container
Crockpot (cheap $15 one on Amazon)
Cheesecloth

Directions: (You might consider making this in your garage, in the backyard, or near an open window due to the strong smell.) Put butter and CBN cannabis in a glass container (mason jar or Pyrex). Put water into the crockpot to make a water bath. Place glass container in water bath (as high as you can go without floating the jar) and cook for 8+ hours, stirring every couple of hours. Then strain through cheesecloth, before it cools, twist and squeeze to get every drop. You can store this Cannabutter indefinitely in the freezer until you are ready to bake.

Options: This Cannabutter recipe was originally for regular THC MMJ and I adapted it for CBN MMJ. It's a good starter recipe using 7 grams of anything, but I've heard of people using larger amounts of MMJ. You can also switch out the butter for oil and Coconut Oil is ideal. Some recipes do call for oil rather than butter. Or your end product can simply be oil. Follow the same directions, then bottle the oil in a colored glass dropper bottle and use as a tincture. I always store all preparations in the refrigerator or freezer.

Gluten Free Coconut Flour Bars or Muffins
1/2 cup melted Cannabutter (heat up in oven at 100-125', or on kitchen counter -- but never the microwave)
2/3 cup Honey, Agave Nectar, or Maple Syrup (I use honey)
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
4 Eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup Milk or Water (I use water)
1 cup Coconut Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Butter or Coconut Oil for greasing pan
Ziplock Twist N Loc Storage Containers (protects from crushing)

Directions: Grease your pan (standard 8 x 8 but I use a mini muffin pan) with regular Butter or Coconut Oil. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together Cannabutter, Honey, Vanilla, Eggs, and Water. (I actually warm this mixture into a 110-degree oven, before adding dry ingredients, for a while to ensure the butter stays melted and is evenly distributed.) In a medium bowl, whisk together Coconut Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until batter is smooth. Bake until golden brown. (For mini muffins, bake time is 20-22 minutes). Cool and then freeze in Ziploc Twist N Loc containers. Test to find your dosage.

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

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by legsbestill »

Thank you so much for this yawny. I am going to order my uv torch and then just have to wait for my plants to reach maturity!

yawny
Posts: 264
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2015 4:20 pm

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by yawny »

legsbestill wrote:Thank you so much for this yawny. I am going to order my uv torch and then just have to wait for my plants to reach maturity!


Legs, have you named your plants yet? It might help them grow!

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

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by legsbestill »

Yawny, I am afraid that would be a bit like naming chickens that one was raising for the pot (Cooking pot I mean!). I am trying not to get too attached to them! I have moved many of them outside as our weather is warming up and it feels a bit like they are flying the nest. Some of them have proper buds on them now and are looking like the many images available on google. I am actually enjoying growing them quite a lot.

yawny
Posts: 264
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2015 4:20 pm

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by yawny »

LOL, good point...my mother grew up raising bunnies and then eating them. They were the family's pets as all the kids played with them. She said after she got older, the realization hit her hard. She got me a bunny when I was young and it was my doll as I carried it everywhere in the hood on my coat. I'm pretty sure we never ate him and he's enjoying sunny days on the farm where all the other pets go.

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

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by Rustsmith »

legs, your comment about the plants flying the nest really hit home. My wife bought me some heritage tomato plant seeds as a present last winter. She got them from a university in Florida that is trying to rescue old gene lines of plants that did well, but could not be commercialized. We started the seeds inside and were only recently able to set them out on our balcony due to size and weather. I still have to protect them from springtime thunderstorms (and hail) in Colorado, but they are starting to approach the size where I will start looking for blossoms sometime soon.

But the reason your comment hit home was that went I moved them outside, my wife made the comment that it was if they had "grown up enough to leave home". She has a brown thumb and has never taken an interest in my gardening activities, but this time she is as interested in their progress as I am.
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.

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

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by legsbestill »

Will be interested to hear of the progress of your tomatoes, Steve. I never had much success with raising tomatoes from seed. I was thinking if the mmj doesn't work out I now feel I have sufficient expertise to have another go with tomatoes. The weather is poor here and I am anxiously watching my lot being buffeted by wind and rain - they look a bit miserable. But I will remain strong and refrain from bringing them back in.

Polar Bear
Moderator
Posts: 8797
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:34 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by Polar Bear »

I took the easy way out and bought a hanging basket with Tumbler Cherry Tomatoes. (£5) They are already flowering and will grow about 18" tall and spread/hang about 18". It's hanging from a branch of the plum tree and requires no maintenance apart from feeding/watering. I buy one each summer and it fruits sufficiently for myself and my husband.
Betty
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

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

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by Rustsmith »

I have been growing things to eat since I was a child. But after buying our first house and planting a large garden, I realized it made no sense to grow things that matured at the same time as the local farmers produce hit the market and prices dropped below what I had paid for seeds or plants. So, I now only grow things that are either too expensive in the stores (I used to raise premium blackberries) or else where I can beat them in quality, hence tomatoes. My wife buys cherry tomatoes at the store year round now, so I go after ones that taste better than the commercial varieties.

Back on topic, I could legally grow a number of marijuana plants, but I'm not sure how that would be received by my neighbors. I'm also not sure what I would do with the "produce" since smoking is out of the question. Besides, I keep coming back to my policy on vegetables, buy it at the store if you cannot improve on price or quality. DIY has its place, but MMJ doesn't seem to be one of them when I can simply drop by the store for it.
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.

Polar Bear
Moderator
Posts: 8797
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:34 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by Polar Bear »

:thumbup:
Yes, a good policy to follow.
Betty
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

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

Re: Medical Marijuana

Post by legsbestill »

I would certainly not be growing mmj if I could buy it at the store. How I wish I could buy it at the store.

I agree with your policy regarding growing produce, Steve. The two common products I think really reward the effort of growing are tomatoes and potatoes. I find the potatoes I grow myself are vastly more delicious than those in the shops. And it is enjoyable to grow heritage varieties that are not available commonly.

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