Treatment With Cannabis

[Friday]

The best I can tell, there are actually 13 states (plus D.C.) for which PTSD gives you access to medical cannabis..

It's legal in my state for both medical & recreational use. Potshops are almost more abundant than Starbucks at the moment in my city. Sure you already know this, but one thing for people to keep in mind, worth mentioning at least, is that it's still illegal in all 50 states on a federal level. So those who have federal jobs (police & other law enforcement/ fire / EMS/ military), or federally funded jobs (teachers/ professors/ etc.) can both lose their jobs & at the very least be prosecuted / possibly be looking at jail time. Diagnosis or no. It'll be interesting once things hit the Supreme Court. We're beginning to reach fairly critical mass. In the meantime though, people are still being incarcerated & losing their homes, property, etc. through arrests made by the DEA, DOJ

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For those outside of the US, we have both Federal (nation wide) laws & laws at the state level. Also law enforcement & judiciary at both levels. Technically speaking, no state is allowed to pass a law that contradicts Federal laws, although they periodically do so. Usually the variations in laws state to state either refine national laws, duplicate them, or are in addition to ...which is all perfectly legal. But it is very illegal, and usually pointless, to enact local laws contrary to federal law. As Federal/Nationwide Laws trump State laws. So this is going to be an issue with our Supreme Court. The US v Washington State (or any of the others who have legalized marijuana).

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[thelizardqueen]

Yes I think marijuana helps PTSD, but I think you have to be selective in the ways in which you use it. A joint can be extremely helpful as a relaxant and as a tool to clear my mind when I am stressed. When I am having episodes of disassociation, I do not smoke. I think it would cause my disassociation to become MUCH worse, but it probably depends on your own reaction to the medicine, and whether you are smoking a sativa vs indica. Even then, everyone has much different reactions to different strains. When I am experiencing disassociation or when I feel myself slipping away, I find that painting and playing guitar is a much better tool to help me stay grounded.

 

[ihateusernames]

I personally have no experience with it and it's illegal in my state, nonetheless, my sister uses it for severe anxiety, as well as eczema and psoriasis and surprisingly asthma. Especially asthma. It's eliminated her need to use an inhaler. She says just minimal use has been very beneficial for her so who knows, you might have luck with it, too.

 

[Deleted member 29522]

I am extremely interested in finding medical-grade cannabis strains that helps PTSD. I find it's the only thing that actually works for me. Takes me from hypervigilance to wondering what's on TV in only minutes. From not eating for 24 hours to having an appetite for something healthy. From awake at 3:00 a.m. to slumber. From ranting/screaming to apologizing. No pills, no waiting 2 weeks to see it if works, just puff, puff, peace. I highly recommend using pure indica strains, as they are the most pain-relieving and relaxing/anxiety-reducing (it's easy to find out, just ask your dispensary/legal pot store in your state for it). Sativa strains or blends of sativa and indica can increase anxiety and focus in a lot of people, including me. Sativa makes me tense, anxious, stressed, and even angry at times. However, even the best indica doesn't always fully stop my hypervigilance or a few hundred spins around the racing thoughts carousel at 3:00 a.m. I want to find something that can not just help us get breakthrough anxiety relief but can help us "defuse" when we get agitated as well as allow our minds to move on (at least in the moment) from obsessive or recurring thoughts about traumas.
There are two strains now that are said to be "morphine replacers" and I see no reason why, given the level of research done into brain chemistry as well as the actions of various cannabinoids, we can't find something that helps our PTSD as a "psych meds replacer". I seem to recall seeing references to a receptor site that PTSD sufferers seem to have a deficiency in. I would love to find a strain of cannabis that can not only ease our symptoms but help us replace our nasty and in some cases expensive pills. There are many ways to administer these compounds, so no one has to smoke one single thing, and if we're talking about CBD's, it isn't even intoxicating or illegal-- only THC is, and all cannabis compounds are not just safe but act as powerful antioxidants, killing cancer and repairing cell damage such as that caused by chronic stress. I am an Oregon medical marijuana patient and am in the beginning stages of working on this solution, so if anyone wants to help or offer advice, feel free to hit me up.

 

[joeylittle]

CBD is, unfortunately, still a controlled substance and therefore not wholly street-legal.

Have you ever tried Nabilone? (Synthesized THC). Just curious.

From what I've come to learn, you just want low THC and THCV, high CBD, moderate CBN, and vapor over smoking. That last bit is really relevant.

But it's a drug, the same as all the other drugs. I don't buy into "it's better than pills". It is possibly more effective for certain symptoms, and much more specific a drug for trauma/fear than the SSRIs - but it's still a drug.

 

[Friday]

I live in a place where marijuana is legal, for both medical & recreational use.

What @joeylittle says about remembering that it's still a drug? Is very relevant. Everyone's neurochemistry is different, even with people who have the same structural disorder, much less an acquired disorder like PTSD. So you've got people like me with opposite stimulant reaction (ADHD) as well as people with Bipolar Disorder (stimulants kick into manias) alongside people who are incredibly sensitive to stimulants, the majority of people who get wired on stimulants, people for whom stimulants have virtually nill effect on, and people who go into violent bad reactions or allergic reactions. And that's a massive oversimplification. Just one (very broad) mood & mind altering chemical group... And while there are trends? Individuals always differ. Both meaning people & meds.

Herbal pharmacology gets even more complex ... Because we're not talking a single chemical, like THC, CBD, etc... But the entire organic chem compound.

Certain strains work very, very well for some people. Most strains work very very well for some people. And then there are people for whom any strain makes them horribly worse, or some strains make them horribly worse. & everything in between.

As far as neurochem goes... The only difference between what's been in use for a long time, and what's new (or illegal) is that we have solid numbers on how many people are affected & in what ways over how long. Once any drug is made legal? We'll start having those huge lists of warnings, side effects, & contraindications.

 

[Deleted member 29522]

I'm aiming my discussion of this at people who are accepting of cannabis' safety and use, which is of course a very large and growing group of educated and intelligent people. I suppose the debate about whether cannabis is a drug or not is for another forum so I won't get into it, but in the experience of most people I've associated with in my life, any pharm drug is the worse option for a human body than something derived naturally and proven safe by the very doctors prescribing the toxic pills. I've seen far too many people ruined by pills that do way worse things than cannabis could ever do. I can stop using cannabis and have no side effects besides a return of my anxiety, insomnia, nausea, lack of appetite, depression, pain, and PTSD symptoms. When I quit taking Zoloft I was nearly destroyed and that was with a very long taper off of it. That being said, naturally no medication is right for any two people, and I sort of assumed that we were all on the same page there, sorry I didn't qualify my post with that as well. One of my half-brothers has schizophrenia but only when he uses any kind of mind-altering substance, especially cannabis. His life was almost destroyed before our eyes as he slowly descended into his illness, getting arrested, homeless, etc. He cleaned up and the symptoms have gone almost completely away. He's gotten an accounting degree, works two jobs, is in great shape, eats right, etc. His life is golden as long as he stays away from cannabis and alcohol. At my newspaper we covered an activist mom and dad whose son OD'd while in the same state as my brother was. It was heartbreaking to think my brother was going there... so yeah, I'm quite aware that not everyone will respond the same way to a substance. But when the only option for someone is a compound originally designed as a bovine anticoagulant or some horrible thing that's going to give them impotence, hair loss, emotional flatline, weight gain, heart problems and 20 more scary side effects like being a known carcinogen-- it's just not an option. It does appear, though, that my road on this mission is going to be very, very long one. I'll try to find a cannabis forum that will be a bit more receptive to this discussion since it's clear this community isn't really the right place for it. Thanks for reading and commenting though!

 

[Deleted member 28986]

@PTSDude, welcome to the forum.

We have a way of being brutally honest on the forum, and sometimes it sounds harsh. But I don't think anyone was attacking you or your viewpoints. There's a large number of members here, myself included, who find cannabis very helpful for their symptoms. Discussion like this is welcomed.

Cannabis is indeed a drug. So are caffeine and alcohol. It's not like it being a drug makes it good or bad, it's just whatcha call it! Personally, I don't respond well to psych meds; cannabis has been the only tool I've found that works to alleviate symptoms. The fact that its side effects for me are minimal makes it perfect. I wholeheartedly agree with you that, while everyone is unique, the adverse effects from pharmaceuticals tend to be much, much worse than from cannabis.

I've got to run now, but please don't take the discussion as a personal attack, even though PTSD is awfully good at making things feel personal! I'd love to chat with you more. My tool of attack is one of those little oil-vaporizing pens, with indica, CBD, or custom-mixed extracts.

 

[Deleted member 29522]

Well I'm actually over this forum as was looking for how to delete my account. Turns out there's this little rule no one makes clear that this is a "signed up for life" kind of deal, which just made me shit a massive brick. I HAVE to have this deleted and gone,and I had no f*cking intention of ever signing up for anything for life, ever! This is so f*cked. And since they're so shitty about people even asking about this but won't scream it to you before you sign up, I can't even bother asking. I don't know what to do, I'm panicking and am going right off the damn deep end over this. For life! That can't be!!!!!!!

 

[joeylittle]

I'm aiming my discussion of this at people who are accepting of cannabis' safety and use, which is of course a very large and growing group of educated and intelligent people.

I am absolutely accepting of the safety and use of cannabis - just in the same way I am of lithium. (Also a naturally occurring compound, btw)

Sorry to strike a nerve with you - I happen to be someone who has been through a great many medications, for depression not for PTSD (although a handful to help with PTSD, by now) and I do get agitated reading the argument 'cannabis is better than the awful drugs' because, well, it's a drug all the same - and just as you said in your second post, can be dangerous like anything else.

Also, I've just been doing a ton of research on it, and I mean a ton, so it's sitting in front of my brain.

 

[Friday]

'll try to find a cannabis forum that will be a bit more receptive to this discussion since it's clear this community isn't really the right place for it. Thanks for reading and commenting though!

How is talking about the complexity of neurodiversity in response to mood & mind altering substances not receptive?

I mean, I could say I prefer a Hindu Kush x Acapulco Gold Hybrid... But that's just personal preference. Everyone's going to have their opinions on what works best for them, and what doesn't (too much indica in the hybrid! Can't move! Ugh... Not enough indica. Crap! Gotta get this energy put somewhere!)... But that's not really useful information.

Or that unless you're growing your own, or live in a highly regulated area so the strain can be trusted &/or you trust your supplier (not wise, a lot of dispensaries simply slap popular names on what isn't selling, or don't know that XYZ strain was cured in pineapple juice, or what the enzyme do to change the structure, or that it was keefed prior to sale... So the same strain can have 3 very different effects)... But that doesn't really apply to your original question, which was about isolating strains for effect, not the inherent problems of living where something isn't legal.

I guess I'm just confused why you'd start a conversation, and then nuke it after 2 replies when the subject hasn't even scratched the surface, yet.

 

[Ronin]

I don't know what to do, I'm panicking and am going right off the damn deep end over this. For life! That can't be!!!!!!!

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Maybe sit back & come back when you're less in a crisis mode would do good.
You're not signed up into anything you can't leave, alright? This is just an internet forum, full of we've-been-there-homie nobodies. Those forum regulations aren't holding anyone captive.