How Do I Take Medical Cannabis?

Each method of consuming cannabis medicine has its own effect, even when using the same strain of cannabis. Why? Well, different methods involve different physiological pathways.

There’s no best delivery method as each has its usefulness, drawbacks, and therapeutic effects in certain situations. Here are the most common methods for consuming cannabis medicine.

Inhalation: Onset 1-5 minutes; Duration 1-6 hours

  • Smoking it OR preferably, inhaling vaporized flower

Positives: fast onset creates ease in consuming your correct dosage and it’s convenient. It’s also ideal for people with nausea, vomiting or other conditions that make swallowing difficult.

One drawback is that inhaled cannabis is more likely to cause cardiovascular side effects, has a shorter duration, and a higher abuse potential.

Herbal vaporizers using cannabis flower are considered a healthier way to consume cannabis because it greatly reduces the number of harmful substances created compared to smoking. The vapor produced is warm and non-irritating, with little to no smell.

Ingestion by Mouth: Onset within 1-2 hours; Duration 4-12 hours

  • Edibles – Cannabis added to food or drink
  • Capsules
  • These are absorbed through your GI tract and then metabolized by your liver
  • Ingestion changes cannabinoids into a form with longer duration of action

Be very cautious when consuming edibles; start with an extremely small amount like 1 -2 milligrams. To avoid unpleasant after-effects, wait at least 2 hours before ingesting a second dose. If this small initial dose does what you want it to do, stick with it and don’t add another dose. If the effect isn’t strong enough, the next time you consume it, up the dose slightly by only 1 – 2 milligrams and continue to do so until you get a therapeutic effect. People new to cannabis should start SLOWLY with edibles.

Liquid Cannabis Extracts: Onset 10-45 minutes; Duration 2-8 hours

  • Taking liquid extracts; tinctures or oils absorbed through the mouth or swallowed
  • Measure carefully using the metered dropper provided with the bottle and place it in your mouth under your tongue; wait 60-90 seconds before swallowing

One of most versatile methods, this method works well for most people

  • Convenient, discreet and easy to dose correctly

Topicals (External; on skin):  Onset and Duration Variable

  • Applying cannabis lotions, salves or patches to the skin
  • Many can be made at home to alleviate pain, muscle spasms, inflammation, itching and various skin conditions
  • Topicals do not typically produce psychoactive effects
  • “Transdermals” – are a medicated patch you place on the painful body part, have better absorption and will have full body effect. However, they can cost more than other methods.

Raw Cannabis (THCA): Onset 2-45 minutes; Duration 2-8 hours

  • It does NOT produce psychoactive effects; it’s the raw (Acidic) plant material
  • It has a higher terpene content and a broad range of  therapeutic benefits for conditions such as arthritis, epilepsy, chronic pain, digestive disorders
  • Typically taken by mouth in a tincture or spray
  • Fresh raw cannabis flowers can be eaten directly, prepared into an oil, made into “canna cubes” or brewed into a tea

Rectal (Cannabis Suppositories): Variable Onset & Duration

  • These can be useful for treating pain in pelvis and low back
  • They can also be used for people unable or prefer not to inhale or swallow cannabis
  • Limited research shows a wide variability in absorption

Be sure to consult with a qualified Medical Cannabis healthcare provider as well as your personal healthcare provider for more information and assistance.

 

Taru Fisher, Certified NLP Health Practitioner & NLP Coach
Healer Certified Medical Cannabis Wellness Advisor

 

 

Copyright 2021 Jean Taru Fisher

Used with permission

 

Missouri Medical Refuge

Abby Rowe, medical refuge from Missouri could be in  good company as patient counts surpass 100k in her home state.

What does set Abby apart from many of the other patients is the rare connective tissue disorder she suffers from called Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes. The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of hereditary disorders of connective tissue that are varied in the ways they affect the body and in their genetic causes. The underlying concern is the abnormal structure or function of collagen and certain allied connective tissue proteins.  The disorder, among other ways it ravages its sufferers, causes progressive pain, fatigue, and skin problems.  

In an interview in May, Abby said, “In college, the physicality of going to class and studying in the library really started to take a toll on me. My doctors didn’t know how to treat me; it was a disease that they didn’t know much about.” She adds, “Now they know so much more, but at that point, they didn’t.” Abby clarifies that at this point in her early college experience, she was confused and suffering without guidance or understanding from many. 

After a mutual friend suggested that she talk with a medical cannabis advocate, she started to open up to the idea of cannabis as medicine.  It did benefit her. In fact, she eventually got off the other drugs that she says, “I didn’t need anyway,” and that were lowering her standard of living, causing her to live in a haze. She replaced those drugs with medical cannabis. But shortly after, a doctor told her she needed to seek alternative medicine and suggested she move to Colorado in order to legally medicate.  

Abby ultimately made the decision to move so that she could seek the medical care that she desperately needed. She recalls that people called her a “medical refugee” when she moved from Missouri to Colorado around 2013. After five years, she then moved to New Hampshire, where she has been for nearly two years, another state in which medical marijuana is legal.

While she has found legal and safe access to medical cannabis in a different state, Abby looks forward to coming back to Missouri once marijuana is accessible. Given Missouri’s recently legalized medical cannabis program and slow-moving progress will soon ramp up as operators continue to come online and become fully operational. Abby hopes to come back to the state she loves once her needs can legally be met. 

GET YOUR MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD HERE

Cannabis Myths

Talking with Taru Blog & YouTube Video 

Here are some of the common myths about marijuana, many of which have been sponsored by industries that benefit from the prohibition of Marijuana (Cannabis), along with the facts.

Myth:   Marijuana is a “gateway” drug. 

Fact: Most people who use marijuana do not go on to become addicted to other drugs. Becoming dependent on Marijuana is not common. One study found that only 9% of those who try marijuana develop dependence compared to, for example, 24% of those that try heroin1.

That said, regular use may lead to tolerance and then higher doses of Cannabis are needed to achieve the same therapeutic effect. The research indicates that the physiological, behavioral, and cognitive effects of marijuana decrease over time. That’s easily solved by taking a tolerance break which will reset the endocannabinoid system that regulates this. We’ll talk about that amazing system in the next blog post.

Myth:   Marijuana kills brain cells and lowers IQ.

Fact: Numerous studies have proven Cannabis does just the opposite – it can promote the growth and development of new brain cells and boost other kinds of brain activity, for example, creative thinking. According to a program run by a Harvard Medical School Neuroscientist, the Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND), adults in their longitudinal study who used Cannabis for various conditions and symptoms actually performed better on cognitive tasks and had improved mood, energy, and sleep! However, brain development can be unfavorably affected if heavy cannabis use is begun during adolescence. 

Myth: Marijuana only makes you “stoned” or “high”.

Fact: Smoking or ingesting Cannabis can cause a psychoactive effect, the “high”, which most people describe as a pleasant euphoria and enhancement of the senses, and it can include less desirable features like sedation and paranoia. However, when using proper Medical Cannabis dosing, there is little chance of producing these ill effects and instead can provide extremely effective medicinal benefits.

Myth: Smoking marijuana causes cancer.

Fact: A large study by UCLA in 2006 showed heavy Cannabis users have an equal or lower rate of lung and respiratory cancers than non-users2. There was even a suggestion of some protective effects from using Cannabis.

Myth: Marijuana makes people hungry and fat.

Fact: A 2011 study of 52,000 participants in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed people who use Cannabis at least three times a week, compared with those who don’t use it at all, are one-third less likely to be obese.3

Myth: Marijuana makes people mentally unstable.

Fact: Science suggests is much more common for Cannabis to actually help mental illness such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and even schizophrenia, especially when used under the guidance of a healthcare professional.

Myth: Marijuana Kills!

Fact: Nope, and it’s extremely unlikely to kill you because so far, it seems that hasn’t happened. There are zero reported cases of marijuana-induced death! However, if you take too much, it can make you feel nauseous, dizzy, shaky, anxious, or even paranoid for a while. It doesn’t last but it can definitely feel unpleasant while it does. According to Dr. Dustin Sulak, to counteract these symptoms try taking some CBD as it can ameliorate the undesirable effects of too much THC. It’s also wise to increase your water intake, take deep and slow breaths, lie down and close your eyes, and maybe even take a warm shower.

Myth: Elders fear Cannabis and it provides little help for them.

Fact:  Research indicates that Elders make up the fastest-growing demographic of Medical Cannabis users.4 For example, they (and I) are opting for using Cannabis for insomnia, chronic pain, anxiety, helping reduce the effects of aging on one’s memory, and because it’s safer and more cost-effective than other commonly prescribed drugs.

So, beware of the myths and know that Cannabis taken with care and awareness can help with a myriad of health issues. My next blog post will explain the wondrous Endocannabinoid system (ECS) and how Cannabis helps it maintain the body’s homeostasis.

 

-Taru Fisher, Healer Certified Medical Cannabis Wellness Advisor & NLP Health Practitioner

 

References:

Anthony JC, Warner L, Kessler R. Comparative epidemiology
of dependence on tobacco, alcohol, controlled substances, and inhalants: basic findings from the National Comorbidity Survey. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 1994; 2: 244–68.

Hasibe, Mia, et al. “Marijuana use and the risk of lung and upper aerodigestive tract cancers; results of a population-based case-control study.” Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 15.10 (2006): 1829-1834

Le Strat, Yann, and Bernard Le Foll. “Obesity and cannabis use: results from 2 representative national surveys.” American journal of epidemiology (2011): kwr200.

Benjamin H. Han, MD, MPH1,2,3; Joseph J. Palamar, Ph.D., MPH2,3 JAMA Intern Med. 2020;180(4):609-611. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.7517

 

© 2021 Jean-Anne Taru Fisher

Used with Permission