I'm glad to see my article stimulated a dialogue. Even though marijuana is legal for medical use in 23 states plus D.C., it still has a lot of stigma attached. I think that stigma delayed my husband's willingness to go through the license process and try medical cannabis for his eating issues. How sad that he suffered unnecessarily for so long! After it proved to be so helpful for him, I started talking about it to everyone. Yes, I got some negative reactions and side-long looks, but I also heard a lot of other people's stories. Stories about it being amazingly effective for conditions as wide ranging as the tics of Tourette Syndrome to pain associated with Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. These are antidotal but hopefully legalization will make way for research and better information about using marijuana as a therapeutic drug. Marijuana has an extensive history of medicinal use all around the world. It would be a shame to overlook it as an effective treatment because it has also been used as a recreational drug.

I am under standing of people on deaths door using any medical help but I don't feel abuse is need every one say its not as bad as drinking Or smoking but one time drinking was OK one time smoking was OK in yrs to come after more everdence is compiled will pot be not good more then likely will never be used as a pleasure drug a medical short term yes easing pain till death will the government make money from it yep will sick people pay dearly for it you bet

I feel there are a lot of good uses for pot medical but its being miss used and by too many people and over given by too many doctorsfor silly reasons I had a hip pain and they tryed to push me to use it for the painsaying my husband was a user he had been a pleasure user since he was 12 and got a legal permit for his eyes they where using him as a test user he had a major stroke and is barely alive today ahe lost hafe his brain and is unable to talk at all or see

Sandy, thank you so much for writing this article. The experience with your husband must have been devastating and I am so sorry for your loss. My wife and I have advised many people online about how to safely use MMJ and I have rarely seen such a well-written and comprehensive article as yours. Best always!

An alternative to inhaling smoke is to use a vaporizer. Electronic cigarettes and other vaporizers works very well with MMJ. I use the Magic-Flight Launch Box, and it allows for a more controlled dosage. I use it for chronic pain and muscle spasms.

As an RN working at an HMO hospital in the late 1980's, Pharmaceutical companies had made their Patented version of THC.
They singled out only the THC, no plant co-elements, and manipulated the molecules to patent it.
...And it failed to alleviate anything...not pain, nausea, muscle spasms...nothing.

Fast-forward to the last 10 years:
#1 Client, an elderly alcoholic 83 y.o. elder with D.I.D., bipolar, paranoia, history of some head injuries, and possibly some dementia, and pain. She really wanted to keep binging on ETOH, but, it caused her to act-out very badly. A lot.
There was a host of emotional issues wrapped around her alcohol use, and much manipulation to keep getting more.
There are Caveats re: using Medical MJ for those with mental ills.
However, the risk: benefit ratio for her continuing to use alcohol was far worse. Smoking weed..also not good.
But using MMJ drops or "medibles" which had a balance of THC and CBD's, helped her with most of her problems....including stopping her suicidal ideations....and, she felt she was "getting away with no-no's" at the same time...total win, for her.
#2 Client is middle aged person with ASD, with spikes of serious anxiety and difficulties dealing with sensory overload, etc. Also has Asthma, which gets nicely relieved.
With MMJ, this person now gets good quality sleep [a treasure of it's own], far fewer muscle spasms,can be up during the days and functioning better.
It helps handle stresses that otherwise send that person to bed.
It helps control the minor subclinical seizure activities that have plagued for most of his life.
It has NOT been able to get him to be able to hold a regular job, but he has some improved quality of life, and the potential to get to where making an income happen, MIGHT.
#3 Client is a senior who had subclinical seizures all her life, decades of chronic pain, frequent [used to be several per month, now is occasional] migraines, and deteriorating neurological issues. Also has allergic asthma, some cardiovascular ailments including transient chest pains.
MMJ has made a great difference: no bad muscle spasms, much less pain, less nausea, less vertigo, far less migraines, and almost zero subclinical seizure activity, and relief of asthma tightness and chest pain, since beginning using MMJ.
Sleep quality is much better for taking MMJ with THC in the evening, is out of the system by morning, allowing restorative sleep, and better days.
Daytime coverage, when needed, uses Sativa/High CBD products, and is able to function to do her ADL's.
This has allowed her to again participate in social activities she'd let go due to the ills she'd been plagued by for almost 35 years.
Her comment: "It's the First Real pain relief I've had in over 30 years, and I've tried many."
#4 Client has been battling skin cancers for years, using various alternative methods, after one horrific surgical experience.
The RS oil products have kept a few small spots nearly totally controlled [if diet was better controlled, the RS oil would have totally got rid of them by now].

So...smoke it? Nope.
That old excuse for smoking it to have short-acting control of the levels, is kinda bogus.
Smoking weed only helps continue smoker's habits, Imho, trading one bad inhalant for another...because smoking weed can also injure airways.

Now days, there are high-CBD drops, creams, medibles that give great relief.
Creams put a dose local to the body parts that hurt, and can give relief [if it's a good product] within about 15 to 30 minutes, and might last between 4 to 8 hours.
Oral drops can begin to relieve symptoms within about 30 minutes, depending on strength and variety of plant used, and can last between 4 to 8 hours.
Candies and other Medibles, can start working in 1 to 2 hours, and can last 4 to 8 hours.
How well a product works, or for what, depends on what variety of the plant, how it was processed, the form it's made into, and the individual's personal biology.
But overall, this stuff works.
And it's NOT restricted to using only CBD's.
There are some VERY good reasons to include some THC, and every reason to include all the plant co-components, which help the body use it more effectively.
How long they last in a person's body, depends on their overall individual conditions.

Can someone get "stoned"?
Absolutely. That condition is person+dose+type-dependant.
But, not always...
Can this interact with other drugs/pharmaceuticals? YES...take this under advisement, and get Knowledgable professional support to help sort this out.
Unfortunately, most Docs and Pharmacists, are at best clueless about Marijuana use concurrent with pharma drugs, and at worst, obstructive of process.

Sativa/CBD-heavy products can allow many users to keep awake, alert and functioning during their days, with very decent pain control. But, if one needs higher doses, it will likely cause sleepiness, and possibly other "stoned" symptoms...in which case, rest is a good thing!

Indica/THC-heavy varieties usually cause sleep.
These can cause, if dose is large, slowed breathing....therefore, if someone has respiratory issues, it's a good idea to monitor the breathing.
But these make great sleep happen; sleep is restorative, if one gets good enough quality and enough sleep.

Different plant breeds can cause some unwanted effects too....these are generally NOT used to make MedMJ products. But...it's a Gonzo business...there are a few unscrupulous product makers, still causing trouble.
For instance, some varieties can cause unwanted increased paranoia, anxiety, or other mind-strangeness. Therefore, it's important when trying a different variety, to start with small amounts, and see how it does for the individual.
SOME preparations can cause issues related to the chemicals they were extracted with, for instance, RS oils. The original recipe called for using Naptha or Butane to extract the concentrated resins from the plant substrate. There was NO WAY to assure all that got removed from the end-product. Others used food-grade alcohol to extract the resins...far better, but had issues with spoilage. Now, good processes use newer methods to extract the resins, which don't leave chemical residue. RS oils are very good for cancer problems, used by mouth, and/or, directly on affected skin.

It's about being more humane; it's about stopping abuse of medical patients by a medical/pharma industry which has NOT been helping, and has often been doing Harm, to chronically ill patients, for many decades.

Medical MJ is NOT a panacea for everything.
But it goes a good, long way towards helping a great many people with a great variety of conditions, who lived without help or hope, for years.
NOTE: helping reduce symptoms, does NOT necessarily mean it has "cured" the illness; it's still often a "bandaid", same as most Pharma drugs are. But it can make the symptoms get so small, it's very like curing the problem, for some things.

It's important to keep asking questions, and getting information from many sources, to finally come up with real information pertinent to your own circumstances.

Nice article! As a direct care RN/PhD for 39 years, I have never had a patient on MMJ. I am now seeking to do a shift or two of home care private duty. My practice is in Salisbury Md & I don t know our state laws that are relavant but it makes me wonder if I give already ordered MMJ am I libel for law problems?

Excellent article. The more this is talked about to give relief to seriously ill people the easier it will become to think of it as an option.

Thank you for your unbiased account of MMJ. If one watches any TV they will see several ads daily on drugs that have been used for short period of time and are now causing death in the same patient they were meant to help. Also, when ads for drugs play listen to all the deadly side effects you risk when taking.
Personally I (if ever needed meds) I would opt for the MMJ over all the man made drugs. It's natural and the fact it works when nothing else does, who among us has the right to deny someone relief from seizure's, nausea, debilitating pain?
My 91 yr old Mom suffers from Dementia and a paralyzing stroke. Her appetite is nearly non existent. So I plan to ask her Dr. if MMJ could benefit her.
All the nay sayer's need to stop looking at MMJ as it was back in my hippie days. Thus ain't your teenagers "weed" we are talking about here.

I read this soley out of curiosity and you present an excellent balance on a controversial subject. You aren't pushing a weed philosophy and you certainly aren't uninformed. I'm sure you'll be hit with some negative and even hateful comments so thank you for taking that chance and being bold in the hopes of helping someone else. God bless you!

I thought this article was very informative and non biased and helpful. I thank the writer for sharing it as even if this isn't something that's needed right now, it may be in the future.