Hey, G-VilleTider - you mentioned in your "coming out" post that you had seen declining benefits. I've been spending the last year plus learning what I can about this plant. I hope things settled down since then and it's working better. Some people take short vacations or take reduced doses for a period of time and then return to their normal dose so they don't have to increase for the same effects. The strain also can make a difference, like you said.
We have our grow going here with seven plants currently. I killed one and almost killed another but the rest look great and the replacements to those I harmed look good. We're a long way off from medicine at this point. I've found a few new friends who know a little about it so I'm getting lots of help so I don't mess it up too badly. I have a newfound respect for the ingenuity of those who grow and use cannabis. I know the stereotype, but there are some smart people out there. That, and they saved this plant that helps my boys from extinction.
I never knew there was so much to know or how ignorant I was about this plant. I've also been disappointed with some of the medical educational material out there. One program stated that when ingested it was best absorbed on an empty stomach - uh, no, it's fat soluble so ingesting a fat with it increases absorption. I'm still learning, too.
I don't believe the declining benefits were due to anything other than the strain. The last 2 purchases (1 oz produces 72 doses @ 2 doses/day) have been from a strain that is awful for me. I absolutely dreaded taking it because it would cause me such anxiety that I felt like I was dying each and every time I took it. Most nights on those strains I had to have a few beers just to keep from going to the ER thinking I was dying. If any reading this are thinking that I am crazy for still taking it, just try to realize that as bad as the side effects get, it is still better than the symptoms it prevents. And when I get the correct strain, there are virtually no side effects. It is really hard not to be angry (frustration, I cannot help) when there is a medicine that allows me to live a more normal life, but I can't obtain it due to ridiculous, outdated laws. The one time I was able to visit a shop in a state where it is legal, I was able to obtain the type of strains I needed @ "exactish" doses. That was the best week I have had in over a decade.
NT17, I am sure you know this, but just in case ... you may want to consider keeping a high quality, under the tongue, cbd oil for when your son tries any new strain or dosage change. As I'm sure you know, cbd oil counteracts much of the thc. I have found that I can take it to counter much of the anxiety produced by "bad" strains, but that if I do, I don't get the same benefits.
Concerning absorption. If an adequate amount of fat ( I use coconut oil) is used in the extraction process, then I think he might be right. I have tried it numerous ways (empty stomach, with a meal, with a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter etc.) and feel it does work best for me on an empty stomach. The thing I haven't been able to figure out is how it worked so well with the gummies (from my visit to a legal shop) on a empty stomach, because they tasted sweet (sugar hinders while fat increases absorption).
Your kids are lucky to have such a devoted parent.
Thank you for sharing your story as it helps people to know that they are not alone in this.