Uses of Medicinal Cannabis

Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana [Original Post]

USING MARIJUANA MEDICINALLY

  The following information regarding medical marijuana use has been
drawn from personal experience reported by patients of WAMM.
We hope you find it useful and of benefit.

            When using Medical Marijuana, every individual will experience different effects, just as is true with any medication. Temper your use and consider marijuana another medicine that may serve to alleviate some of your symptoms and may enhance other aspects. How it works for you and the manner in which it is of benefit is what is important. Tell your doctor that you use medical marijuana and make sure this fact is entered into your medical records. Patient/Physician Confidentiality and HIPAA are your safeguards. An informed doctor will better serve your health (for more information on the laws that protect your doctor, please visit our legal section).

Smoking Marijuana

           The most expedient method of using medical marijuana is to smoke or vaporize.  The effects are more controllable and easier to gauge in these forms.  Always smoke the female buds and only use medicine that is organically grown and free of molds, chemicals, pesticides, and additives.  If you use a water pipe (or any pipe), keep it clean by soaking it in alcohol and salt.  If inhaling smoke is a concern, use a vaporizer.  Moderation appears to be a key to successful relief.  Use a small amount at first, 1-3 puffs, wait before inhaling more.  Onset is fairly quick and can happen instantly to 5 minutes.  Wait then use more if necessary to achieve desired relief.

Ingesting Marijuana

            Another method of using medical marijuana is ingestion, which can be an effective approach.  However, cooking marijuana produces a significantly stronger effect.  Use caution when you eat!  It can be baked directly into foods or made into butter that is used to prepare foodstuffs.  You must be aware that it takes considerably longer to experience the effects; sometimes the result will “come-on” rather suddenly.    Very occasionally, this may cause uneasiness, which might lead to nausea (refer to section on Uneasiness).  It may also affect a patient’s stomach if the leaf material itself is eaten. Another feeling may be of weight or heaviness, or perhaps even grogginess.  It is appropriate to allow time to rest in order to assess how you will respond.  Use cold water or slow breathing if this occurs.  Don’t panic.  Just relax and it will end.  Remember that every batch of baked goods will vary with the potency of the marijuana that is used and how it is prepared.

Marijuana Flour: Preparation and Use

            Sieve the leaf through a large strainer, picking out the stems as you go (do this several times).  You should end up with a course powder.  Put this mixture into a blender or food processor and grind.  Then sift and put into coffee grinder – this will produce fine flour.  You should end up with 1.5 to 2 cups of finely ground leaf flour  Place a cube of butter in a frying pan and add leaf flour to melted butter stirring constantly, do not let this burn!  Add a little water or add an extra egg to your recipe if you want.  Re-invent your favorite recipe or mix.

Marijuana Butter: Preparation and Use (alternative preparation)

            Fill a large pot or crock-pot with a gallon of water and bring to a boil. Add one pound of butter and a half-pound of plant material and reduce to simmer for several hours, adding to the mixture more water to total 5-7 gallons over a 48-hour period.  This mixture remains on the lowest possible heat for the duration.  The last gallon of water is added in the final 5 hours of the cooking process. Press the plant material to the bottom of the pot with a steamer basket or sieve.  Let cool, then scrape the butter from the top of the mixture and save.  Discard the water and the plant material.  This method must be kept cooking for the duration and might be inconvenient for those without a crock-pot or an electric stove.  Use this butter in any recipe that you think appropriate.  Bake 1 to 1½  CUPS of Marijuana Butter into a batch of cookies, muffins, or any other recipe.  Experiment, create your own recipes – and remember to share with other medical marijuana patients.

Eating Muffins

            Begin by ingesting a 1/4 muffin.  Wait at least 45 minutes before taking more.  If you choose to take more medicine, then increase by a 1/4 of a muffin at a time.  Be certain to always ingest judiciously, increasing the amount you take slowly and carefully.  May cause drowsiness.  Refrigerate or freeze remaining baked good(s) to keep fresh for future use.

Eating Cookies

            Begin with 1/4 of a cookie.  Wait at last 45 minutes prior to increasing dosage. Please refrigerate or freeze remaining baked good(s) to keep fresh.

Ingesting Capsules

            Begin by using a ¼ to ½ of a capsule.  Increase accordingly until you have achieved the desired relief.  If you decide to increase the amount you take, wait at least 45 minutes before ingesting more.  May cause drowsiness.  Have been reported to help sleep, relieve pain and anxiety.  Keep refrigerated.

Using Elixir

            Begin with ½ – 1 dropper full.  Increase as needed (pro re nata).  Wait for at least 30 minutes before increasing dosage.  Please refrigerate.  Most patients report that this does not cause a ‘high’ effect, and is reported to relieve neuropathic pain.

Teas: Preparation and Use

            Teas can be made from water.  Since the useful properties contained in marijuana are oil soluble, it is preferable to use a liquid that contains some fat or oil (milk, soy milk, seed oil, nut oil, or rice milk), although hot water will have some mild effectiveness.  This method takes a few minutes if a flower top is being used, it may be saved and used on one or more occasion.  Otherwise let the tea steep for 1-2 hours and add a tsp. of butter.  The effects might be strong so begin by leaving the leaf in for a short period of time, increasing as needed.
Using the milk form requires an all day cooking period, or overnight if you have a crock-pot.  Add a cup of ‘milk’ and a large handful of marijuana leaf to the pot and simmer on a low heat.  You can take your “milk” with you in a thermos or reheat in a microwave.

Tincture: Preparation and Use

            Preparing a tincture with vodka can be used topically, sublingually or internally. Use one part Everclear 180 proof to five parts fresh marijuana or cover the marijuana completely.  If you have dried marijuana then use one part Everclear 180 proof to ten parts dried marijuana.  Use glass or earthenware to store your preparation. You can let the mixture stand for two months to one year depending on the results you desire.  Shaking daily will activate the mixture.
Begin by using three drops to several droppers full, adding to warm pure water or to tea (of your choice). You may choose to use as much as three or more droppers full at a time, but always begin judiciously, with a small portion, increasing accordingly until you reach the desired effect.  Patients may experience pain relief by using this medicine, but most report no “high” effect. Dilute in warm tea, water, or juice.

Using as a Compress

            Make the preparation as you would tea made with water, or the tincture made with vodka. Thoroughly soak a compress in the mixture and apply directly to affected area. Allow the compress to remain for at least a half hour. Compresses are often used to alleviate the pain caused from bursitis and arthritis or sore and aching joints.

Rub-A-Dub

            Make Rub-A-Dub the same way you would a tincture, only prepare by using ISO alcohol instead.  Apply topically (only on your skin). Use this liberally and as often as you want. DO NOT DRINK. May stain clothes.

Salve

            Prepare a salve by using coconut oil and plant material and cooking in the same fashion as the butter.  Adding other medicinal plants like Aloe, Comfrey, Yarrow, etc, will greatly help with the healing qualities.  The more plant material the better.  After separating the oil from the water by allowing cooling overnight, heat the oil one more time to boil off any additional water.  From there, pour the oil into a glass jar (wide mouth, half pint jars work great).
Apply to area with pain, spasm, or damage.  Use a nice amount but don’t try to over-saturate area. Your clothes may absorb some of the salve.  For best results, apply after a hot shower.  WAMM’s salve has helped with poison oak, neuropathy, spasms, skin conditions, and other external (and internal) conditions.

Marinol: What is it?

            This ‘synthetic petrochemical analog’ is only one of the over 400 components found in the whole marijuana plant. Some patients said this costly synthetic form aids in the relief of nausea. It is said to take up to an hour to be made available for use by the body. Marinol has potential for overdose and must be used under the supervision of a physician.

SIDE EFFECTS OF USING MARIJUANA

Marijuana use has been recorded to date for thousands of years, and there has never been one death attributed to the overdose of marijuana.  There are some effects that sometimes occur should be known so that you can more effectively use this powerful.

UNEASINESS

            Often marijuana has a soothing and comforting effect. On occasion some patients will experience feelings of anxiety instead of or in conjunction with a sense of heightened awareness. Should this anxiousness occur, there are several approaches to resolving this. First, remember that there is no place that you can go in your body that you cannot get back from. Try to use marijuana when you are in a comfortable and secure environment. Lie down and relax. If you are with a friend or caregiver then ask your friend to keep eye contact with you. Request that they call you back to focus on the eyes, do not let your gaze wander, stay focused on the eyes. If you are alone, try looking into a mirror. If you are with your loved ones an embrace might be helpful. Sometimes we feel nervous about breaking the law, or doing the “wrong” thing. There is no shame in alleviating suffering.

HUNGER

            Often marijuana will induce hunger. If this is not an effect that particularly appeals to you, then drink a glass of water or juice. Try to eat nourishing food.

THIRST

            Persistent ‘dry mouth’ or thirst is not an uncommon side effect. Drink plenty of water, which is something that should be done everyday. Add fruit juices or herbal teas and try to avoid drinks that dehydrate the body like coffee and soft drinks.

DROWSINESS

            The same warning that applies to any medication that causes drowsiness also applies to some varieties of marijuana. If you feel tired then rest. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery or anything that might endanger your well-being or anyone else’s.

INSOMNIA

            Some patients found that they cannot sleep after using medical marijuana or that the mind is active. Should this occur, try reducing your dosage and avoid using the medicine prior to going to bed. Try using an indica dominant strain.
If insomnia continues to exist, try reading before going to sleep.

SHORT-TERM MEMORY LOSS

RED EYES

            This effect will not hurt you. Wear sunglasses or use a saline solution if you feel it is absolutely necessary.

GIDDINESS

Using Marijuana Medicinally by Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.