Medical marijuana - a veteran's story

NationalTitles18

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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help) when there is a medicine that allows me to live a more normal life, but I can't obtain it due to ridiculous, outdated laws.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.
P.S. I took what she said to men without a fat carrier. I didn't consider she might have meant without eating something with it​.
 

NationalTitles18

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Busy day today - went from dixie/solo cups to 1 gal pots. The plants are no longer seedlings. The is called the "veg" phase. The plants should fills out more during the next 4-5 weeks. Decisions will soon be made on which training techniques to use to both control the shape/height of each plant and increase yields. During this phase they get 18 hours of light. Since I have photoperiod plants I'll decide when they flower by switching to a 12 on 12 off light cycle. There exist auto plants that have been cross-bred with cannabis ruderalis that flower automatically, no matter the light cycle. When I up-potted I used a "super soil" mix that supplies all the nutrients the plants need. It's likely I'll need to do this process twice more in the next few weeks, first into 5 gal then 10 gal containers. I've killed one plant so far and almost killed another. Hopefully that's the last of that.

We had planned on going to the pool today. My son would have seen his friend there. He's been looking forward to it. He just about couldn't stand stopping the couple of places we had to before getting to the pool. They were closed for "unexpected" reasons. I guess something came up. He was disappointed but handled it well and didn't have a meltdown even after we got home. I can't help but still be a little on edge, but I'm learning to relax just a bit. The only time we had something close to a meltdown in the past 6 weeks or so was the day after I forgot to pick up meds and he went without 2 of them one night. Stupid. Still, it was very minor and more of an "almost". He's down from five prescription medications to two and still doing much better. I'm thinking another week before we begin to taper the next medication. It's been one week off the last one - the one that caused a 70 lb weight gain. Since beginning whole cannabis with THC he not only eats more but has lost at least 15 lbs, along with the other benefits. I'm still amazed and always thankful for every good day and that I'm able to grow his medicine. If there's a god he made this plant and he made sure my boy could use it for good. For that I'm grateful.
 

Bamaro

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FWIW, after some further research, apparently best decarb is a combination of temp and time. Within limits, the higher the temp, the shorter the time. Some say 240F for 50 - 60 minutes for plant material is about right. If using kief, 240 for 30 - 40 minutes.

 

NationalTitles18

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FWIW, after some further research, apparently best decarb is a combination of temp and time. Within limits, the higher the temp, the shorter the time. Some say 240F for 50 - 60 minutes for plant material is about right. If using kief, 240 for 30 - 40 minutes.

The problem with higher temps is that if you are looking to preserve terpenes (for either medicinal quality or for taste/odor) the higher temps will make that impossible. If you don't care about that then no problem. If you do then low and slow is the way to go.
 

G-VilleTider

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FWIW, after some further research, apparently best decarb is a combination of temp and time. Within limits, the higher the temp, the shorter the time. Some say 240F for 50 - 60 minutes for plant material is about right. If using kief, 240 for 30 - 40 minutes.

Just FYI, if you place it in the oven at 240 for an hour, it could be an expensive mistake. When the temp drops below 240 and the oven kicks back on, the oven will get back up 30-40 degrees above what it is set at. The increased temperature of the oven itself is much less of a problem than the increase of the pan and the direct heat from the coils. I use aluminum foil on a pizza stone (the stone helps to regulate the temperature and prevents hot spots) on a bottom rack and then a large pan on a higher rack to prevent the radiant heat from the coils from causing hot spots. When the oven temp, with the stone in, stabilizes at 235, then I turn the oven off and place inside. I closely monitor the temp and when it drops to 200-210, I turn the oven on in 90 second intervals. After about 30 minutes, I remove and cool to room temp. Then it gets ground in a coffee grinder before going into coconut oil where it stays in a thick pan. This is where it goes low and slow. Half time on the lowest setting and the other half on just the warmer section.
 

Bamaro

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Just FYI, if you place it in the oven at 240 for an hour, it could be an expensive mistake. When the temp drops below 240 and the oven kicks back on, the oven will get back up 30-40 degrees above what it is set at. The increased temperature of the oven itself is much less of a problem than the increase of the pan and the direct heat from the coils. I use aluminum foil on a pizza stone (the stone helps to regulate the temperature and prevents hot spots) on a bottom rack and then a large pan on a higher rack to prevent the radiant heat from the coils from causing hot spots. When the oven temp, with the stone in, stabilizes at 235, then I turn the oven off and place inside. I closely monitor the temp and when it drops to 200-210, I turn the oven on in 90 second intervals. After about 30 minutes, I remove and cool to room temp. Then it gets ground in a coffee grinder before going into coconut oil where it stays in a thick pan. This is where it goes low and slow. Half time on the lowest setting and the other half on just the warmer section.
Or get a Nova
 

NationalTitles18

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https://reason.com/2019/07/23/the-h...Ctl9F5tTqgTYuXsYJ7nB9PyG5BQfmID32muYyb-K0KFEM

A bill introduced today by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) would repeal the federal ban on marijuana, expunge the records of people who have been convicted of violating it, and impose a 5 percent sales tax on cannabis products to fund an Opportunity Trust Fund. Well, two out of three ain't bad.
Just pass a clean bill and worry about anything else later. Of course, I'm not too worried about a tax since I can grow it.
 

G-VilleTider

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https://reason.com/2019/07/23/the-h...Ctl9F5tTqgTYuXsYJ7nB9PyG5BQfmID32muYyb-K0KFEM



Just pass a clean bill and worry about anything else later. Of course, I'm not too worried about a tax since I can grow it.
Unfortunately there are so many "poison pills" in this proposed bill that it seems like it was written specifically to not pass; however, each new attempt continues to move the needle so that maybe after the election someone can propose a "cleaner" bill that isn't DOA.
 

NationalTitles18

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Unfortunately there are so many "poison pills" in this proposed bill that it seems like it was written specifically to not pass; however, each new attempt continues to move the needle so that maybe after the election someone can propose a "cleaner" bill that isn't DOA.
Kamala can't help but bring some of that California stupidity to the table when it comes to this. She didn't learn from what happened in her own state with taxing the legal stuff too heavily. The black market was saved and out of state dispensaries got a boost in sales, not to mention home growing became ever more popular. :D
 

NationalTitles18

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https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/stu...708.html?ncid=facebook_yahoonewsf_akfmevaatca

Study on cannabis chemical as a treatment for pancreatic cancer may have 'major impact,' Harvard researcher says

[FONT=&quot]Pancreatic cancer makes up just 3 percent of all cancers in America. But with a one-year survival rate of just 20 percent (and five-year survival rate of less than 8), it’s predicted to be the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2020.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Headlines about the illness, as a result, tend to be discouraging. But this month scientists from Harvard University’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have released some much-needed good news. In their study, published in the journal Frontiers of Oncology on July 23, the researchers revealed that a chemical found in cannabis has demonstrated “significant therapy potential” in treatment of pancreatic cancer...

...“The most significant conclusion is that tumor-targeted delivery of flavonoids, derived from cannabis, enabled both local and metastatic tumor cell kill, significantly increasing survival from pancreatic cancer,” Ngwa tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “This has major significance, given that pancreatic cancer is particularly refractory to current therapies.”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Ngwa says that the study is the first to demonstrate the potential new treatment for pancreatic cancer. But on top of successfully killing those cells, the scientist found FBL-03G capable of attacking other cancer cells — which was startling even to them. “We were quite surprised that the drug could inhibit the growth of cancer cells in other parts of the body, representing metastasis, that were not targeted by the treatment,” says Ngwa. “This suggests that the immune system is involved as well, and we are currently investigating this mechanism.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The significance of that, says Ngwa, is that, because pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed in later stages, once it has spread, and the flavonoids seem to be capable of killing other cancer cells, it may mean the life expectancy of those with the condition could increase.[/FONT]
Wow. Let's hope this pans out.

A quick update on things here since it's been nearly a month since the last one:

Heckeva month here. I had a root canal but suffered for about three weeks before I could see the dentist and for about a week after while the infection cleared. About the time I was getting better my youngest had the same thing happen. His pain was bad enough for him to take two injections - one for antibiotic and one for pain - to get feeling better, which is a big deal for him. Seemingly related to this we did have some behavior issues but that improved when the pain improved. Other than relatively minor issues what happened with the dental pain was the only significantly problematic behavior. His dentist recommended an endodontist do the root canal and we have to get that scheduled. Thank goodness the pain is gone for now.

School began today and was uneventful (that's maor). He is going at the start of the day and for a longer duration than in the past. He also attended with me a dinner on the school grounds held every year and actually (with a small nudge) left me to go talk with his friend and even joined in when his friend was talking with someone else. Normally in the past both would not have happened.

Regarding our cannabis grow - we've been busy dealing with pests like whiteflies, moths, and a leaf-munching cricket this week. We've up-potted to five and ten gallon pots. We have large plants that I am told will produce well. I've taken clones. I've gotten new seeds for the next round of growing. I am waiting on a larger tent to put the flowering plants in so we can have a perpetual supply (a tent for "vegging" and another for flowering). I nearly ran out of soil so I have more supplies to make another batch of it, which will be needed with the new tent. We are within a couple of weeks of "flipping" to 12/12 light cycle to induce flowering - I'm just waiting on them to fill out a little more and the new tent. Once we flip it will take about 2 months until it's time to harvest, so late October or early November and then we can make the medicine at home. It's taken a ton of work and there's more to do. I've met a number of people who are treating their own or family member(s)' medical issues with cannabis and some that just like to get high. They've been a big help with offering support and solid advice. Some seem to be great people - the kind you'd want as a neighbor, if you have to have neighbors.

Also would like to share this study related to autism:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4653148/

Endocannabinoid signaling mediates oxytocin-driven social reward


[FONT=&quot]We present evidence that an oxytocin-dependent endocannabinoid signal contributes to the regulation of social reward. The results provide insights into the functions of oxytocin, a neuropeptide crucial for social behavior, and its interactions with other modulatory systems that regulate the rewarding properties of social behavior. They further suggest that oxytocin-driven anandamide (NT17 here: Anandamide is an endogenous cannabinoid) signaling may be defective in autism spectrum disorders, and that correcting such deficits might offer a strategy to treat these conditions.[/FONT]
Scientific evidence for what we are doing here.
 

Go Bama

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NT, I congratulate you on your success and hope it continues.

That is absolutely amazing news about the pancreatic cancer treatment. I lost an uncle in just months to PC. A friend at church now has PC and seems to be doing pretty well but I’m going to forward this to him. He’s a retired pharmacist.
 

NationalTitles18

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May 25, 2003
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Just an update on happenings here:

Kid's tooth is better. He has to have a root canal but the guy he was referred to is out until Tuesday. School began well enough but the transition has been rough. We had a bit of a come to Jesus the other night and the behaviors that started with the tooth pain have improved. School staff are helpful with encouraging him to take his medicine and supportive of our efforts, though they can't give it there.

The flowering tent arrived, was assembled, and is now the main tent. We are "flipping" to a 12/12 light cycle today, which officially begins the flowering stage. We should have medicine from this in about 2 months, give or take. That puts us at the end of October or beginning of November plus 1-2 weeks drying.

Hope everyone enjoys the game today. Have safe travels and Roll Tide!
 

NationalTitles18

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Today is day 30 of running the 12/12 light cycle. We are roughly halfway (or maybe a little less or more, depending on the strain) through the flowering cycle. I have at least one clone of every plant. Some will make mothers of which I'll later take clone from to grow more. It's also time to pick which strains to run next since the wife has a few she like and we will, no doubt, experiment to find what works best for my boy.

We've had a rough time with him and the attitude, but it has improved. He's going through a phase still with not wanting to take the medicine like he should and everyone, including school staff, are noticing the difference and doing what they can to encourage him to take it.

Harvest is still on track on late October/early November.

Seems like every week I read something positive on cannabis from a news report or study.

There is this whole vaping business, which is actually closely tied to black market cannabis vape products. The black market kills still more, but politicians will grandstand and take action that will do nothing to fix the problem.
 

NationalTitles18

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It's been quite the month. The kid is having a hard time right now. We are struggling through it. Mainly normal teenage push the boundaries type stuff mixed with autism. Not gonna lie - it's been pretty rough.

We have quite the grow going. Seven plants in flower. Eight clones. Six new seedlings. Six strains in the flower tent plaus six strains in seedlings, plus six strains as clones. As a reminder, we are mixing strains to increase the "cannabinoid profile" as well as flavonoids and terpenes (which studies show do have some effect). There are well over 100 cannabinoids (it's not just THC and CBD). We are trying to increase the number present in a meaningful way.

We are getting very close to harvesting the first batch. We're roughly a week or so away, maybe a little longer on some. Completely coincidentally, I'm taking a week off about that time.

Those who've seen it tell me it's going to be quite the harvest. They said to expect at least one gram/watt of light. That would put us at about 1.4 lbs, minimum. We shall see.

On a related front: My mother has been taking CBD (15-18 mg of CBD in capsules from Charlotte's Web) since being diagnosed officially with Alzheimer's late last year. We have slowly increased the dose over that time. Her scores when tested went from 24 (mild cognitive decline) to 20 (bordering on mild dementia) to 27 (completely normal). She also went from constant paranoid delusions to no outward signs of this continuing. Her mood has improved significantly, largely because of that. I've never seen anyone's score increase that much in a case like this. She was undergoing a severe grief response to my dad's death, so that may have had some influence. Her neurologist at UAB fully supports the use of the CBD, which is thankfully fully legal since December of 2018.

I'll have more updates as we progress. Bottom line, cannabis seems to help. It doesn't solve every problem and doesn't necessarily replace conventional medications, but overall we have seen improvements with it. We are grateful for that. We hope that we'll get even better results by growing our own and therefore having better control of what goes into the medicine.
 

NationalTitles18

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We've harvested two plants. They are currently trimmed and drying. After trimming we washed the buds and after 12-24 hours in the dry tent they went into paper bags and then into the fridge for a slow drying process that takes about three weeks. Washing gets pet hair and bugs gone and the low and slow drying method preserves terpenes and I am told leads to a better overall product. The remaining plants are anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks from being finished. Good medicine is on the way.
 

Jon

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We've harvested two plants. They are currently trimmed and drying. After trimming we washed the buds and after 12-24 hours in the dry tent they went into paper bags and then into the fridge for a slow drying process that takes about three weeks. Washing gets pet hair and bugs gone and the low and slow drying method preserves terpenes and I am told leads to a better overall product. The remaining plants are anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks from being finished. Good medicine is on the way.
I'll bet it smells wonderful
 

NationalTitles18

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I'll bet it smells wonderful
It does, actually. :D There's what you would expect with odors of pine, citrus, berries, and others. Very floral, overall.

I had to put the first batch into the veg trays on the inside fridge but then bought a small used fridge for $50. I'll be moving the produce out there today. In the meantime, those baking soda boxes for the fridge work great to reduce the odor to the point you have to open the fridge to get a whiff and even then it isn't overpowering. I have four of them put in the drawers.

We went to Reno a while back and bought a new car. On the way back we went through a small town and I caught a good whiff. Turns out there's a large legal hemp grow down that way. Couldn't say for sure that was where it was coming from.
 

92tide

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It does, actually. :D There's what you would expect with odors of pine, citrus, berries, and others. Very floral, overall.

I had to put the first batch into the veg trays on the inside fridge but then bought a small used fridge for $50. I'll be moving the produce out there today. In the meantime, those baking soda boxes for the fridge work great to reduce the odor to the point you have to open the fridge to get a whiff and even then it isn't overpowering. I have four of them put in the drawers.

We went to Reno a while back and bought a new car. On the way back we went through a small town and I caught a good whiff. Turns out there's a large legal hemp grow down that way. Couldn't say for sure that was where it was coming from.
are you located in the truckee area?
 

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