Medical marijuana

avatar for shadowcat
shadowcat
Atlanta suburb
Is anybody taking legal pot? If so what are you taking it for and how well is it working. Is it covered by your medical insurance and what is it costing you. I have chronic back pain and am taking hydrocodone. It's not working all that well.

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avatar for flagooner
flagooner
6 years ago
I can't handle hydrocodone. Makes me feel kinda woozy.
avatar for twentyfive
twentyfive
6 years ago
@Shadowcat I also have back issues but mine are cervical spine, (3 herniated cervical discs) my doctor has also recommended that I try MM but I’ve been hesitant.
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
Hydrocodone is an opiate with an awful withdrawal potential and is dangerous. Weed is not.

I don't have my med card right, but I do often use it medicinally. I get nausea from my anxiety, and weed helps with the nausea (and usually the anxiety, too, as it typically helps me relax), works wonders for my period cramps, helps me if I'm having sleep issues, and is just overall good for pain.

A lawyer I know never smokes and always said he never will. He got part of his foot amputated a couple years ago and one day it was hurting him so much the pain radiated throughout his entire body, and gave him a fever and chills. I basically forced him to take one or two hits. He took two hits and within a couple minutes, his pain was GONE, as was the fever and chills. A few weeks later, he told me one of his clients who has a med card had a THC oil drip (THC is the active component of weed), and Lawyer's foot was in pain, he had a few drips of the oil, and told me that once again his pain was gone after that.

My mom got into a terrible car crash about a decade ago, and had to get surgery on her upper spine. Ever since, the doctors were just prescribing her all sorts of opiates that quite frankly didn't help. She was still always in pain. She's never been a weed smoker, so I had to urge her to try it. She shared a blunt with me and not only did it help her depression and make her happy and bubbly, and her pain went away. She was moving around happily showing me how it doesn't hurt. Now every once in a while when I come to her house, she'll ask me if I have a blunt. I usually do or have some on the way, and she smokes it with me, whether it is for her pain or to lift her spirits.

It can be life saving for people with Wasting Syndrome due to chemo and/or cancer, as well as AIDS, as it not only helps with their pain but gives them an appetite as well. It also saved my mom's dog's life that way.

Not sure about insurance since it is not federally legalized for medicinal purposes. But the cost isn't that bad, especially for someone like you who isn't used to smoking weed or having an edible or whatever.
avatar for Wanabefrank
Wanabefrank
6 years ago
Recently an dervivative of marijuana (CBD), has been approved for the use of medically refractory epilepsy. It will become available in the US in sept. I suspect I will start prescribing this to some of my patients in clinic.
avatar for jackslash
jackslash
6 years ago
If only I had a medical condition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kue5_WBZ…
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
You don't need a medical condition to get a med card. Since it's been cleared to have medicinal values for dozens of ailments, you can literally go to a Dr that specializes in med cards and say, "I have trouble sleeping," or "my job gives me chronic back pain," or whatever.
avatar for Papi_Chulo
Papi_Chulo
6 years ago
Sorry to hear about your back-pain shadow - how long have you had it - do you know what may have caused it?
avatar for MrBater2010
MrBater2010
6 years ago
You don't need a medical condition or a card in GA. I know someone that is smoking MM, she has the card and they scan her license at every purchase, probably getting the THC stuff. I wouldn't want my name in a database for purchasing MM. You can go to a vape shop or one of the mix use local vape and Adult store. My son said they didn't even card him. He got some lotion CBD and Menthol. Great for after working out. He let me try it. Let me tell you, if your back hurts this stuff is amazing!!!! Went to bed with a stiff back woke up the next morning and all the pain was gone. Just doesn't seem possible. I was diagnosed with 2 herniated discs way back in 1995 so I have to be careful and not go past my limits. Maybe it was just a fluke, but I felt better. So I now need to go to TV and see if they make some CBD sex lube. By the way the menthol was just a mild amount. Less than Vick's. Years ago I burned my back with a generic menthol cream, you don't want to do that.

Now for the bad news.
1. It was $30.00 for just a small amount. Looks like about 6oz.
2. If you are buying to smoke and get caught the authorities won't be able to tell the difference.
avatar for shadowcat
shadowcat
6 years ago
Papi - I've had it so long that I don't remember when it started. Probably 20 years ago and it just gets worse. I did have an MRI about 8 years ago that indicated that I had some arthritis in my spine. But the pain only bothers me a certain times. High dosages of Ibuprofen works as good as the hydrocodone but raises my blood pressure too high. That is why I am looking at legal pot.
avatar for MrBater2010
MrBater2010
6 years ago
Shadowcat
I did Physical Therapy for 6 weeks. That was 23 years ago. Emory doctor wanted to cut me back them and I was just not into being down for 30 days. Figured I would probably be found dead in my home. Now at 50 it does seems worse to me this year then it has in the past. I take some Aleve usually helps, then do my back stretches. There was a book "How to treat your own back" WooHoo it is on paperback, damn Amazon made it is to purchase just $10.00. I had been unable to find it. Written by Robert McKenize

Try the CBD oil if you can. Wonder if we can get a Follies hottie to give us back rubs.
:O A Follies day SPA/Gentlemans club.

avatar for flagooner
flagooner
6 years ago
I think it is also frequently used by people diagnosed with low ambition.
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
"I think it is also frequently used by people diagnosed with low ambition."

Not if their ambition is to get stoned.
avatar for twentyfive
twentyfive
6 years ago
I currently use 800 milligram Motrin (ibuprofen) infrequently when the pain level spikes, and swim an hour a day, the swimming is a big help and usually lowers the pain level considerably.
I have had doctors that were eager to cut, but I have refused to go that route, I have an appointment with the people at Laser Spine, they promise to have you up and walking within 24 hours and the incision would be tiny maybe an inch which might be an option, I’ll report more in September after my evaluation appointment.
avatar for flagooner
flagooner
6 years ago
I generally find my body aches disappear when I get an erection.
avatar for Papi_Chulo
Papi_Chulo
6 years ago
I'd say research MM and back-pain and go to a qualified doctor that has used it on patients
avatar for Papi_Chulo
Papi_Chulo
6 years ago
I may start looking into this myself for my 88 y/o mom and 81 y/o aunt (sisters).

My mom has suffered from chronic depression for most of her adult life including multiple hospitalizations bc of it - and at times she won't eat bc she says she can't even force the food down her throat.

My 81 y/o aunt has painful joint issues so maybe MM can help - will have to somewhat educate myself and see if MM can possibly help them.
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
Papi_chulo, all of those ailments are good qualifications for MM. Obviously not everyone can have the same results, but it's worked wonders and been healthier alternatives for a lot of people I know.

Now that I remember it, my sister's ex's dad has MS and he took so many pills a day for it, started taking MM, and went from like 15 various types of pills a day to maybe one or so. It was crazy how much it helped him, and helped him cut out the opiates and other pain meds.
avatar for Jascoi
Jascoi
6 years ago
flagooner... yer funny.
but thinking about it you're right! most the time I'm in California where it's legal now but still a hassle because it's not available many places as a recreational drug. it would make it much simpler just to get a marijuana medical card. and in a parallel way it's kind a like the same for getting a handicap Plackard or license plate. I have ongoing hip problems but yet it's not enough to get the doctor to give me a placard prescription.
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
Misterwonderful, to score weed in Cali just go to Venice Beach and find a surfer-dude white boy with drugs. Ask people who fit that description, you'll have weed in 10 mins.

I had weed 10 mins ago. :)

You should just go get your med card though, cuz there's a chance one of the dudes I depicted could be a narc. Small chance, but a chance never the less.

But as Frank Lucas' character says in American Ganster, "what they gone do, write me a ticket?"

Lol
avatar for NinaBambina
NinaBambina
6 years ago
^i meant surfer-dude white boy with dreads. That is who's carrying at Venice Beach.
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
6 years ago
Medical Marijuana is not covered by any Insurance company that operates under Federal Law. As far as weed goes. Anecdotally cbd gel will bring relief to muscles and joint pain. Makes a big difference. I figured out a long time ago, during many of the over 12,500 days I have smoked weed that its' impact on paid is determined by your mind set and the type of weed. A weed that gets you really "brain" stoned like Ghost Train Haze makes pain worse imo, because you can get freaked out too easy. A milder weed won't kill the pain, but it will make you focus on it less and as a result you have less pain. A cop friend of mine who was very anti-drug smoked it during his last months before hospice because it diminished his pain to the point he was able to stay home with his family for an extra 12-15 weeks before he entered hospice and finally died. For anyone living with chronic paid give it a shot. Its harmless and may help. Nevada has easy to obtain legal weed for all you californians.
avatar for JohnSmith69
JohnSmith69
6 years ago
My use is technically not medicinal but I do know a lot about the benefits and risks of dating Mary Jane. PM me scat if you want advice. It is not going to be covered by insurance but I bet it would help.
avatar for Smalltowncpl
Smalltowncpl
6 years ago
CBD oil is a good alternative to try if you are not sold on the whole MM thing. Insurance doesn't cover the cost of it ,or usually the Dr visits (here you have to see the MM Dr 3 times before he can prescribe). Edibles are very good for chronic Pai/problems and the MM has less side effects than the opioid based meds.

I too have constant back pain, some days I can just sit and it hurts so bad I can hardly stand it, others it's tolerable but still there. The CBD oil helps. My wife has migraines and anxiety and it also helps her. Neither of us can get a MM card because we would loose our state licenses for our jobs.
avatar for blahblahblah23
blahblahblah23
6 years ago
I can vouch for CBD being a good painkiller! Anyone in a legal recreational weed state should just buy high cbd% very minimal thc% weed. If it's like 10% CBD and 1% thc it literally can't get you high if that is the concern. Cheaper form of CBD than oil or capsules. But don't do that if your job regularly drug tests or whatever. If retired then that's not a concern. Used to live in a legal recreational weed state.
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