Cannabis Basics
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Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge on this topic! I just began chemo treatment 11/30/21 for TNBC and given my history of GI issues, managing my side effects have not been easy. Zofran and Compazine cause more issues rather than relief. So cannabis has been my savior! I primarily use it for all the GI issues, pain, and sleep.
Before breast cancer, I would only consume edibles (I'm asthmatic) and use tinctures but given the fact that I often need immediate relief after chemo, I have began to experiment with smoking. What I have found is that certain strains seem to be less potent in terms of lung irritation. I will microdose during the day only if needed with maybe 2-3 puffs and immediately my side effects are gone. By microdosing, I am still able to function without feeling completely blown out of my mind. Honestly, it helps me focus. At night, I will consume an edible to sleep. I still try to microdose with this as well but typically, due to the body high, I don't carry out tasks well.
Funny story..I purchased full spectrum medical grade edibles a couple weeks ago 1:1 ratio of CBD/THC 10mg (which I typically consume around 8-10mg of recreational grade edibles) and I was high for 3 days. I thought it was fogginess from the chemo until I finally put two and two together. I have not touched those since that night..
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Thanks Exbrnxgrl,
I never thought about it being stronger than weed from long, long ago. I think I am going to apply for a card and give it a try again, slow and low.
Thanks for sharing!
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b2b,
You are welcome. I have really noticed the trend toward high THC over the last year or so. Agriculture specialists who once worked for Del Monte or Green Giant now work for cannabis growers. Your comment brings me back to something PRbonita said. In addition to understanding the CBD:THC ratio you really need to look at how much THC you're consuming. 1:1 could mean anything from 2.5 CBD and 2.5 THC (not very psychoactive) to 25 CBD and 25 THC. Those numbers are mgs.
Micro dosing is a good way for many who want lasting symptom relief without a noticeable high. Edibles make accurate dosing easy. Microdosing when smoking/inhaling is less precise. There are vape pens that dispense metered doses so those can be helpful as you learn.
PR bonita, i once ate a 100 mg chocolate bar because the chocolate was so delicious! I crawled up the stairs after barely being able to walk my dogs and slept for 13 hours. I have never made that mistake again! Edibles metabolize much more slowly than smoking so you may feel prolonged psychoactive effects from higher THC edibles. Remember too that if you use consistently you will develop a THC tolerance and may need to increase the mgs. of THC in your product.
I also want to say that I am not by any means an expert on cannabis. I just think I have a few more years under my belt 😊. I encourage everyone to contribute anything they learn!
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thanks for your input. For the first time in four years I’m sleeping through the night. That’s not nothing!
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Here is a good article about starting edibles and finding a dose that works for you.
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I took some last night before bed. I’ve been sleeping better. I take a 10 mg edible and get about five to six times out if it. I just pull off a little piece. Last night I kept having vivid dreams. I dreamt I went to my CT today in my pajamas and no bra. Lol. I woke up and thought that was funny. I then went back to sleep and dreamt I was hunting down a bathroom because I had to pee really bad. I woke up, and that one was true. I had to pee realllly bad. Haha.
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Exbrnxgrl - thank you so much for the information and for starting this thread! I've been trying to follow the research on cannabinoids for awhile now, but I only just started experimenting after I was diagnosed. Currently I use full-spectrum CBD every evening for stress and sleep - I use the drops so I can control how much I take (most nights I only use 20mg and others I'll go up to 40). I'm one of the weirdos who don't have great luck with THC, but I'm loving CBD! Thankfully my MO is on board with it. For those who are interested, I found a really good discussion on cannabinoids and cancer on Clubhouse.com. It summarizes the science nicely and talks about the implications for treatment.
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odyssey305,
Thank you for your contribution. Apologies for not responding earlier but the issues with posting lately made things difficult.
I had someone ask me about medical marijuana recently. It seems that there is a popular misconception that medical cannabis is somehow different from recreational cannabis. In a nutshell, it's not. Here's a very quick guide :
Prescription drug- Marinol is synthetic cannabis (THC). It is available by prescription (and has been for decades) from your doctor and filled by a conventional pharmacy. It tries to mimic the appetite stimulating and anti-nausea properties of THC. I have no experience with Marinol (I believe there is another synthetic cannabis drug but can't remember the name) but I’ve heard from both patients and medical professionals that it is not too effective. Estimates are that only about 40% of patients find it helpful. It contains no cannabis derived cannabinoids but may be covered by insurance as it is not actually cannabis.
Cannabis is a plant that can roughly be divided into two main types, Indica and Sativa. Within these two main types are a myriad of strains as well as hybrids. Here is where things get a bit fuzzy. Due to cannabis being federally illegal, each state that has legalized it for medical, adult use or both, has their own rules and regulations regarding it's sale. I will use CA for a reference since I live there and am familiar with the regs. I imagine that most states are in the same ballpark with respect to regulations.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MEDICAL CANNABIS! There is cannabis sold to those who have medical cards or licenses but it is no different than cannabis sold for recreational/adult use. It is the exact same stuff, really! In many states having a medical card will allow you to buy a larger daily quantity of weed, buy weed with higher THC content and often lower taxes. The product however, is essentially the same. There is no special blend or formulation that is “medical" . While it is true that some products appear medicinal due to packaging, especially of products that are not smoked, that is just marketing.
I should also add that even in legal states, a sizable illegal market still exists. Legal cannabis is expensive and due to its federal status will not be covered by insurance even if you have a state issued cannabis card. I am lucky to be able to afford legal weed andas a senior citizen, I am much more comfortable knowing exactly what I'm buying (and having a much clearer idea of dosing) than just buying from some guy on the corner 😉
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I just recently started taking the gummies for pain. The dispensary recommended 2 different gummies, one for night and one for daytime. It does help with pain, but I'm not sure about the high it gives me. I've been eating just a half of a gummy at a time. Do you get used to the THC after awhile?
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Simone,
The answer is a resounding yes! Most people who use products with THC on a regular basis do build up a tolerance. This in turn may necessitate needing products with higher levels of THC to achieve the same effect. By abstaining for about a week, you can reset your cannabinoid receptors and bring your tolerance to a lower level.
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exbrnxgrl,
Thanks for the tip. I think gummies are becoming my new to to candy.
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exbrnxgrl,
Excellent read! Thank you so much! Too bad this isn't shared by facilities to anyone experiencing AI SEs.
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wondering44,
Lack of sharing information with patients is due to a few things. Cannabis remains federally illegal and is considered to be in the same class as heroin, Schedule I. This means that the drug has no useful medical purpose. Thisreally strangles a lot of research and, of course, eliminates federally funded research. States that do have some form of legal cannabis are also subject to strict state laws but these are not consistent across states. It’s quite the conundrum. You can also understand why doctors, given the dearth of science based research, may be hesitant to speak with patients about this. No one can speak of cannabis use the same way we speak of prescription drugs. What form of cannabis is best for what symptoms? What’s a good dosage and/or mix of cannabinoids (the primary ones being THC and CBD)? How often should it be used? These questions can only be answered, for the most part, with self experimentation which is something that makes most doctors very uncomfortable. Yes, bud tenders in a good dispensary can guide you in the right direction but self experimentation is quite common. Take care
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I recently bought low dose CBD oil to try for increasing AI joint pain and stiffness. I took a mini dose yesterday, to check for allergies.
Now I read that CBD and Tylenol can interact since they follow the same metabolic pathways in the liver. I can't use nsaids or aspirin, so Tylenol is my one allowed painkiller. I get pretty debilitating headaches at times, which require Tylenol (often several subsequent doses) to control. Has anyone had this type of discussion with a doctor? I plan to ask but it might be a bit before I have the opportunity.
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I started with Delta 9. It is legal in my state, so easy access. It has been a gift to the AI SEs. It has also helped my sex life. It's been great to have help with that diminished "O." It has worked wonders in that area. I have had to add some CBD to counteract the "buzz" while figuring out the correct dosage. I did add the comedy movies while working that out. It is also great to help with getting a full night of sleep. 🙏
I did add it to my list of medications during my last Oncology visit. I didn't see the harm in being forthcoming, considering I went from zero meds before cancer to a small home pharmacy after cancer. I am glad to know there are options other than prescription meds to help me through the AI battle.
I could not be more grateful for this thread and shared information.
exbrngrl, 🙏🙏🙏
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MO suggested I used sativa to improve my appetite. I got some gummies, and I'm trying to get on a pattern that works for me. Seems like couple hours before dinner may help. I'm not such a gummy fan so when these run out I think I will try a drink that I can add some to a glass of iced tea. I am definitely starting out low and slow
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There's a Phase II trial investigating the use of CBD oil for managing joint pain from Aromatase Inhibitors:
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/clinical-trials/search/v?id=NCI-2021-01667&r=1
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I still have my CBD oil on the shelf and when I asked a nurse and MO, I was told that there is no evidence if it is safe to use CBD with AI. What do I do?
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This thread has been very quiet…
Lilyishere, my apologies as I just saw your almost one year old post. As explained previously, because there is little research on cannabis and medical use, including interactions with other meds, doctors are unlikely to have an answer and will tend to react with caution as they should.
One big hurdle facing research funding is that cannabis is a schedule I drug meaning it appears to have no medical purpose and is addicting, like heroin! Here’s today’s good news on that topic:DEA to reclassify marijuana, easing restrictions nationwide
I can no longer paste links on bco 🤷🏻♀️, but this is the headline of a story that appeared on NBC today. The biggest boon from this will be the ability to fund research into the efficacy of cannabis for many medical conditions. What will they discover? Too soon to know but I am glad that we may finally gather enough research to say whether cannabis is helpful or not. It could turn out to be a bust but it is a long overdue step in the right direction.
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@lillyishere, here is the article that @exbrnxgrl is referring to:
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Thank you. Where I live marijuana is considered legal and the oil I tried went well, but after a week I felt a bit high and I stopped. Since then I haven't used it and I feel bad for the small bottle of $200 to throw it away. I would trust more if it was coming from the pharmacy with a lower price.
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hi lily,
Pharmacists have no knowledge of cannabis. Particularly because it is a schedule I drug, their schooling likely only covered it to say it had no known medical usage. Again, until it is researched and trialed as any other new drug would be, there will be no pharmaceutical involvement. Biden’s proposal to remove it from Schedule I will help open the door for research dollars to start flowing.
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When I feel worn out from this crappy disease, I take a sublingual THC/CBD Sleep Tincture or a 5mg THC gummy at night. I feel great the next day. Reenergized. Hard to believe that's bad for me.
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tougholdcrow,
I am a long term cannabis user and it has been a helpful appetite stimulant as well as helping with pain. Could it be bad for me? Possibly, though I haven’t seen any detrimental effects, but it has not been well studied so I am open to learning about both the good and the bad as more research becomes available.
I also have developed a huge tolerance for THC. 5 mg? I usually do 100 mg.! If I stop for a week it resets the cannabinoid receptors and then I can take lower doses.
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There’s a Cannibis for Cancer Facebook page. Run by a guy who seems to know a lot about it. He isn’t at all pushing it as a cure. And he debunks the RSO protocol. His wife is stage 4. It’s interesting. I use cannabis too for mood and pain.
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AJ,
I feel like I know quite a lot about cannabis but the problem is that virtually all the info that exists on medical cannabis is anecdotal. While anecdotes can provide possibilities for researchers to explore, they don’t tell us much in and of themselves. A saying I learned years ago here on bco is; The plural of anecdote is not data. Removing cannabis from Schedule I, will hopefully open the door to science based research and maybe even clinical trials.
My own experience has been that I spent quite a few months trying different products until I found what worked for me. I still change it up occasionally but I do understand how my body reacts to different strains, % of THC, etc.1 -
@exbrnxgrl, I know that actual scientific studies are sorely lacking. I’m the same way about just finding what I like. I just find it interesting to read what people say about it.
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Somebody offered me RSO, but I didn't pursue it. I live in a city with dozens of dispensaries, possibly more than the coffee shops. At one point, I went for a consultation with a guru specializing in medical marijuana and she gave me some overpriced advice about taking a full spectrum cbd oil. I didn't really follow that advice since I felt that the cost didn't equal the alleged benefits. I wasn't really very fond of weed when I was young—it made me paranoid—but now I seem to take to it quite well in my mellow old age.
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I have actually tried RSO. My tolerance was not that high at the time and it literally knocked me out. In terms of dosing, I was following the recommended protocol. It left me completely useless and unable to do anything but lay on the couch. I don’t quite understand the benefit of something that left me unable to function in daily life.
I have always been a cannabis fan but hear you on the paranoia. As I got older,I became uncomfortable with the illegal scene and didn’t use for a while. The social worker at my medical facility spoke with me about a medical card (no rec use at the time) and being able to buy in nice clean dispensaries with clearly labeled products appealed to my senior citizens heart 😉. We now have legal recreational use too. It is very pricey as the state, county, and city/town all slap on taxes. And like you, the paranoia has not appeared at all.
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