You have to hand it to the U.S. Government. Without the money, might, and monotony of this monolith, it would have been impossible to suppress and distort the truth about cannabis – a plant used beneficially by humans for the last 5,000 to 10,000 years.
But that’s in the past, because the truth — like a plant — has the habit of coming to the surface no matter how many times it’s stepped on.
Thanks to the Internet, the greatest information sharing and publishing facility in history, we now have access to a wealth of historical records, medical research, and user experiences about cannabis. The net result of all this information is that everyday people, not just people involved in the medical marijuana community, are starting to learn the truth. So this series of articles is a way for you to counter “official” lies, propaganda and misinformation with the kind of hard-hitting facts that just might change some minds, and perhaps save some lives in the process…maybe yours, or that of someone you care about.
Myth: Medical Marijuana patients aren’t really being treated, they’re just sitting around getting high.
This is another one of those “seems to make sense” lines that has folks nodding agreement to each other while sitting on their bar stools. But it couldn’t be more wrong. Most patients quickly learn the correct dose, that is, the dose that does not get them high.
To a medical marijuana patient, being high is more of a side effect and generally an unwanted nuisance. If you can’t think clearly or walk straight, you’re not going to be able to work or even drive, so “getting high all the time” is nothing you’re even thinking about.
Some patients are in tremendous pain and have to take relatively large amounts of medicine. But they’re not looking to get high either (and often don’t), they just need pain relief. Many of them are eager to find and use the newer strains of medical marijuana that are more effective against pain and less likely to cause a “high”.
Other patients, depending on their illness, often need only tiny or non-psychoactive doses of cannabis to help their condition. One patient I know cleared up his decade-long depression in a matter of weeks by inhaling cannabis vapor three or four times daily. His total intake comes to about 0.05 grams every day, which works out to a gram – about $12 worth of medical marijuana – every three weeks. And this miniscule dose never gets him high.
Another patient can’t even use a vaporizer due to childhood lung scarring. A survivor of PTSD, she takes either Green Dragon (fast-acting cannabis tincture) or Canna Caps (long-acting, standardized dosage capsules) when she feels susceptible to the overwhelming stress that often precedes a serious panic attack. Although this particular dosage would get her high under ordinary circumstances, she literally doesn’t even feel it at these times. And that’s a good thing, because she actually dislikes being high (she calls it “feeling dizzy”).
Some patients can’t take their medicine regularly when they’re working, so they use edibles or Canna Caps, which last longer and are more consistent in their effects. Again, the focus is on delivering the medication to their bodies, not getting high. If getting high was the object, we wouldn’t be seeing all the excitement in medical marijuana circles about CBD-rich strains of cannabis, that can eliminate the high altogether.
I’m not saying that the entire post is full of falsehoods, but there are people who have green cards just to get high. I’ve friends who’ve told me that they have cards for this. Another friend says he has a card just to sell it to addicts for profit’s sake.
Of course there are people who take advantage. So let’s solve the problem by legalizing it already like Colorado and Washington have already done. After all, even during alcohol Prohibition, the government never threatened or imprisoned individual drinkers.
I TAKE OVER A DOZEN RX PILLS DAILY, FOR VARIOUS MAJOR MEDICAL PROBLEMS. NOW MY DOCTORS WANT ME TO TRY USING MMJ TO SEE IF IT WILL HELP. BUT, WHEN I INJEST IT (CAN’T INHALE)THE AMOUNT IN EACH PORTION CHANGES DRASTICALLY. SOMEONE MENTIONED “HOT SPOTS?” WHAT I’M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT I DON’T HAVE ANY FRIENDS WHO COULD GUIDE ME THRU THIS, AND THE PEOPLE AT THE LOCAL MMJ STORES DON’T LIKE ME ASKING TOO MANY QUESTIONS. SO HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WHAT I’M DOING IS SAFE? SO FAR I HAVE GOTTEN WHAT THEY SAY IS CALLED “GREEN SICK.” I REFERRED TO IT AS A DOSE THAT WAS FAR TOO HIGH. I WISH THERE WERE M.D.’S THAT COULD GUIDE ME THROUGH THIS PROCESS, BUT THERE TOO, I CAN’T FIND ANY THAT WILL TAKE MY MED INSURANCE. ALL OF WHICH MAKES ME FEEL VERY AFRAID, AND CONFUSED. IF I TAKE TOO MUCH, I FEEL ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE! I LITERALLY CAN’T THINK! I TRY TO SAY SOMETHING AND RARELY AM ABLE TO FINISH THE SENTENCE I WAS TRYING TO SAY. IF MMJ CAN HELP ME, I WANT TO CONTINUE USING IT, BUT NOT WITHOUT A KNOWLEDGABLE, PROFESSIONAL PERSON TO HELP ME STOP BEING SO AFRAID AND, AT TIMES, HORRIFIED BECAUSE I LITERALLY CAN’T EVEN THINK! P.L., WA STATE.
What do you mean by “the amount in each portion varies drastically”? If you are eating edibles, which are nothing more than food with cannabis in them, they may have these kinds of “hot spots” where some pieces are stronger than others. Well-made edibles tend not to have these problems. The most consistent doses are found in capsules or liquids, some of which you can make yourself.
I can’t really give more specific advice without knowing more about your situation, but feel free to write me on the Contact page. Nugs and hugs!
You should contact Dr. William Courtney for guidance with your usage, he is easy to find just do a google search on his name.
Too many employers look for Cannibis use among prospective employees,current employees and act against them to varying extremes including not hiring and firing suspected and/or drug screening confirmed users regardless if medical.Marijuana use in Canada is in the Criminal Code (not the Food and Drug Act)near some of the most heinous crimes listed and very few employers dare tolerate knowing any employees have ever used.You will not be hired.You will be fired/arrested and charged in Canada.
Well, that sucks! I thought Canada made drug testing for most jobs illegal though?
Old Hippie, I have never heard of people getting tested for drugs in Canada. I don’t know what Ron is talking about.
You will be charged in Canada if you have a large amount. Sometimes, if you have a very small amount, they will let you go. However, Canada is going to introduce pot legalization legislation in 2017.
All this hype is for people,to get high period. I am sure people know the,right dosage to make them fly. With a name like old hippie, of course you are in favor of med. maryjane
I think you lack reading comprehension. But if that wasn’t clear enough for you, try this.
sosickofliberals:
I do not mean no disrespect, but you obviously do not suffer from chronic pain! I have been recently diagnosed with several bulging disk in my neck and also fibromyalgia. I am 42 years old, I have three awesome kids, 24, 19 and 18 years old. I never dreamed that at my age, I would be considering taking marijuana-whether it be medical or other. But when you are in pain every day, from the moment you get out of bed, And even though the doctor has prescribed you pain pills, sometimes they don’t work for the pain, or if they do work, then you aren’t prescribed enough to make it through to the next prescription. Not to mention what all those pain pills does to a persons liver and body! If marijuana takes a persons pain away, even if you do get a bit of a high, then why wouldn’t a person do it to get rid of some pain for a few hours!?!? Who are you to judge?
So maybe instead of judging others just because of their profile name, or the way a person looks, or just because some people might be looking for a high, just remember that there are people like me who..if I was looking at getting high, I would of went out and bought some marijuana years ago! And besides, so what if someone wants to get high…as long as they aren’t bothering you..who are you to judge a person..just my opinion! 🙂
I’m 63, way too many medical problems to list. My kids been pushing me for a long time to give medical marijuana a try. When I finally had it with pain pills I got off everything. And got my card my Doctor set me up with the oil. No matter what amount I used all that happened was I slept. I tried everything taking it with food large amount of water. Does this happen to anyone else any advice.
If this is hash oil (AKA Rick Simpson Oil) that you’re taking orally…this pretty much happens to everyone, because that is extremely purified and powerful stuff. It’s generally given to people with cancer or other serious problems, and sleeping is hopefully a sign that your body is now healing and getting the rest it needs. However, you still should be able to dilute the doses by dissolving them in something like MCT oil. For instance, you could stir one dose of your oil to dissolve it into 5 ml (one teaspoon) of MCT oil, then use an oral syringe to take 1 ml of that mixture, and that will be 20% or 1/5 of the original dose.
Hi Old Hippie, I live in Tx. As you know we are illegal here. I bought some CBD oil just received it today I took the amount it says does it take continuous days of using to work? I have lower back pain…tried the shots didn’t help also have psoriatic arthritis both knees are bad. They won’t give you any pain med. that work.The cbd oil is manufactured by advanced technology llc out of Scottsdale, az on bottle says Cell Isolate cbd 100 mg hemp oil herbal drops says to take 1 dropper which I did. Does not seem to be working. Any suggestions?
Thank you!
Hmmm. Google doesn’t seem to have heard of any such company, which is a bad sign right there. Does the bottle say there’s 100 mg of CBD in the entire bottle or in a dropper? 100 mg is only about 4 to 20 doses, depending on how much you need. And CBD should give you results within an hour or two at most.
Here is a list of CBD companies that have been vetted by people I trust and all of these are reputable. Hope that helps. Nugs and hugs and hope you feel better!
I really never thought I had PTSD. I just figured I was a loner because it was my personality. But when I mentioned to my wife I wouldn’t care if I died today because of my pain level, the next thing I know my doctor is telling me to get into the program. I never liked to smoke marijuana as a kid, it made me paranoid, but after 21 years of military service and over 8 years at the “going postal” service, I have so many problems that my pain medication had to be increased to the point my doctor wanted that to be my secondary reason to go into the program. I didn’t ask for it. The funny thing is I get pain medication for next to nothing, the medical marijuana program is going to cost a fortune. I’m in Florida so they don’t have actual marijuana with fancy names in jars, they have it in pill and liquid form. My doctor said it probably won’t be long before the “vapor” style is not used as it is similar to smoking since it goes into your lungs. I honestly don’t think it will help, and honestly I think I chose the wrong path in life. I was never around for my daughter in the military, and the postal service made everything worse and added nerve damage. If you have ever had that you would understand why life just doesn’t seem the same anymore. The bottom line is don’t let marijuana influence your life like alcohol, get out of the house and enjoy life. Once you get old the traveling means being away from your doctors and if you smoke marijuana or drink alcohol and get busted it will make you miserable. And you being miserable means your family will suffer with you. It is not worth it to ruin your life that way. And taking something that makes you sleepy and you sleep a lot isn’t the answer. If you are in serious pain maybe, but if you can tolerate it having fun with your family is more important than not feeling any pain.
I live in PA and our mmj laws suck. We can’t get it in anything but oil. Plant form is illegal. I have Huntingtons disease and I’ve been using recreational for about 6 months. I like the high a lot. I signed up for mmj but the dispensaries aren’t open til early next year. I will be devastated if I get the medical and it’s no high with it. I bought CBD oil a few months ago too but it tastes horrible. Does anyone know what I should do. I just paid $174 for the appointment. They make you pay ahead of time in order to avoid cancellations. Idk what I should do. I’ve registered with the state. I’m waiting for my dr to provide my medical records to the mmj doctor. I’m already used to the high and it helps me calm down and relax. It helps my movements. My neighbor NJ is going recreational in a few months. I live very close to border of NJ. Maybe I could move there!! I live in Philly suburbs. Go New Jersey ! I lived there before several times and my daughter literally just moved from NJ back to PA. And NOW they are going recreational???
I have a question about your bio. It says you started smoking weed,moved on to mind altering drugs, then ‘straightened out’ 15 years later. Are you saying you were an addict for 15 years? Just partied with harder drugs? Do you think your depression was a side effect of using drugs for 15 years?