How I Medicate with Cannabis

It has been brought to my attention that I don't write enough. 😉
Its true. I don't write as much anymore now that I actually have the honour of working in the Cannabis Industry. It's bustling here in Fredericton!

Sometimes, selling cannabis is about the quick sale. Get in, get out, and get on with your day. But I've
had a few opportunities to spend more time with several customers recently. Those are some of my favourite days because there's a deeper connection when you stop and listen to what's going on in a persons secret life of struggle. It is like a gift they give me. I get a glimpse into their world. They had to decide if I was safe enough to trust. I realize they are standing judging me, to see if I'm worthy or even capable enough to help them. Its a big decision, and when I am trusted, I am honoured.

Sometimes I get to explain why and how I medicate. Thanks to one of my clients, this is exactly what I'm writing about today.

I medicate with Cannabis for a couple reasons. The first thing I noticed it did for me was relieve depression. Second was relieve pain. Third,  it reset my metabolism. The reason I wanted to try cannabis was to relieve pain so I could get off pain killers before they killed me. I succeeded. I'm off all other pain killers. Now, besides allergy meds, I'm off pharmaceuticals.

HOW do I medicate?

I don't know that I learned how to medicate from any one source, or person. It was an accumulation of information. I use a layering method, incorporating different modes of administering cannabis throughout the day. Capsules of infused oil, inhalation (Bud/Shatter/Hash), and topicals.

1. THC and CBD Capsules.

I've learned how to make infused THC and CBD oil caps. (See link on how to, here)
My current dosage: CBD - 17mg  x2/day
                  (Sativa) THC - 10mg in morning to keep me lifted
                  (Indica) THC - 35mg about an hour before bed, to keep me asleep

Eating infusions (or edibles, they act the same in the body) takes the longest time to kick in, up to an hour, sometimes two before the effects are felt. Your digestive tract health as well as how recently and what you ate are big factors in this. But, the effects last the longest too, 6 to 8 hours. This is a big benefit in that I can medicate with a "base layer" of oil. I then can taylor my THC needs throughout the day with smoke or shatter, depending on whether I am in more pain, or needing more happy, or less anxiety.

2. Inhalation of Cannabis

(Smoked or Vaped Flower, Shatter/Concentrates)

This is how I get my immediate THC needs throughout the day. Inhaling our medicine is the quickest
 delivery system. Its effects can be felt within minutes (I've smoked some that can take up to 30 minutes to be felt) but the down side is, the said effects typically only last an hour or two. And since nothing remains constant, except change I don't particularly find that to be a down side. In the course of a given day I can experience great anxiety from a sudden rush of customers to intense pain later on in my shoulder from an old injury. So I can medicate as I need for the moment almost by boosting either my THC or CBD with smoked flower or shatter.
And yes, I recognize I have an advantage working in a place that lets me medicate. Not everyone does. But that doesn't mean you can't medicate effectively for you throughout your day. You just need to find what works best for you.
* NOTE: Tinctures would work well in the case of needing a quick dose of medicine. Takes 15 to 20 minutes to kick in and can last three to four hours. For those of you who can not smoke or vape but need to medicate at work a CBD or THC/CBD 1:1 ratio could be a good option for you.

3. Topicals!

Our brains are not the only place with cannabinoid receptors. Our entire body has them. Topicals work, and do not get you high (you'd have to use a lot!)
I make my own coconut infused oil and apply it topically to my knees every day. The THC and CBD absorbs through the skin to receptors found in our skin, muscle, veins, bones, and nerves. Or as the pros say, the peripheral organs, and the central and peripheral nervous system as well as the immune system. From my experience I think it builds up in the system. If I use it regularly I have no big pain issues. If I forget for a couple days to apply the oil my knees suffer around day 3 and I finding I'm ingesting more.
The link to my original post about how to make topicals can be found here.

Myth Buster! CBD is not THC's enemy.

Layering your medicine is a big step to helping you feel better more consistently.

So is the use of CBD. I had the slight fear that upping my dosage of CBD would ruin the effect of the THC. Basically, I was afraid I wouldn't feel the high anymore.
I have to say, its not gone, but it is different. I actually like it better. Its more calming and happy than I expected. And it allows me to function better. Pain is less, inflammation is less. And frankly, I need less Sativa in the morning too. I'm loving the change and enjoying the benefits. Hardest part, as always, is my being consistent!

Please, if you have not yet tested CBD in your daily medical regime you definitely should. I have had several customers come back and actually thank me for putting them onto CBD. A big pat on the back goes to them though. Cuz I just told them. They are the ones who followed through and did the work to find what works for them. Bravo! Keep it up! I love how we work together for the benefit of each other and our community.
And I'm loving this community!

Any experience with CBD, topicals, or making your own infusions? Tell us your experiences. I'm no expert and love to hear what others have learned.
Any questions feel free to ask here, or my Facebook page.

Successful Surgery

I'm happy to report I managed to follow the rules this time and successfully encountered surgery as an
adult.
 A very strange experience being put under and waking. I remember details of both very clearly which I didn't expect. After the Dr. had the I.V. expertly inserted he said, "some patients say this is painful going in". I joked, " Oh, how fun!" Then the searing pain started to eat its way up my arm. I gasped, I held my breath. I arched my back and tried to hold back the words that were slipping past my lips, "HoooollllyyyFFffffff"  I was out. Mid swear. Proud moment.
The best description I can come up with of waking up after surgery is to describe it in opposite. It was like drowning in reverse. Like bubbles of reality were trying to break through the blackness. I distinctly remember colour filled bubbles of reality push in, grow bigger, absorb another bubble and then burst letting blackness dominate for just a second, until reality finally took over and the blackness was gone. The surge of noise and light and activity was disorienting. Slowly, or it felt slow, I was able to discern what was going on around me. I suppose, since I was dressed and out of there within a half hour of waking it wasn't very slow at all.

My knee? Oh ya.
Dr. Haene had to remove some floating cartilage that had been busy chewing up the remaining cartilage for the last ten months. There was more damage than we hoped, so I'm off work for four weeks to recover. I'm disappointed I can't be there, but I've got doctors orders. And pain...I've got pain that reminds me to sit. And I'm listening.

Speaking of pain and medicating. I didn't fill the Dr.s prescription for the Tylenol 3. I did take a Naproxen for a couple days. I'm using my usual oil caps. My CBD is 20mg twice a day and my day caps are 15mg each of Gods Green, I take 2. And my night time ones are 17mg each of an Indica, I take 2. I have noticed though that the amount of cannabis I need to consume has gone up since my surgery. I now have personal insight into maybe why some of my clients come in with the complaint that they don't feel anything from their edibles. Because its going to the places we need the healing perhaps? Like heat seeking missiles, and the brain just doesn't feel it to the same degree. That's my working
theory anyway.  Lastly, as these three little holes in my knee heal I'll be able to apply my cannabis coconut oil topically again. That should help speed healing as well.

So, I'm around. You might catch me in the store as a customer from time to time until my return to work. Thanks for checking in on me. Feel free to say hello on Facebook too.

Wait Until You See My New Storage Jars!

How do you store your Cannabis?

Have you ever given it a second thought beyond just keeping it out of sight, or away from little hands? Both valid details to be aware of, of course! But did you know some containers can actually degrade your product? I don't mean just bud, or just hash. However you prefer to take your medicine, its storage is important.

No matter what form your Cannabis is in, it contains cannabinoids and terpenes. Both have medicinal value, and both are sensitive to heat, light, and oxygen. It is always best to medicate with clean, fresh product. When I say fresh, I mean newer product. The older it gets the more likelihood of it being exposed to more light, heat and oxygen, degrading its potency and efficiency. No one wants to waste their money, or time on product that's gone stale. How especially sad if its preventable.

Terpenes are the ignored sisters to the THC's and CBD's of Cannabinoids. Very little is written about

terpenes. Most know that it's terpenes that give cannabis its distinctive smell. Fewer know they also give the subtle flavours to the different strains. But its the terpenes that are most responsible for the different names of strains, like Grape Ape, or Animal Cookies, and even Sour Diesel. There are cannabis flavour wheels all over the internet that show the veritable palette of scents and flavours available. And if you look a bit more you will find that many of the healing properties of the different strains are actually linked directly to their scents and flavours more than anything. (I'll have to write a blog about this one day...back on track).

Let's first address the three biggest enemies, light, heat, and oxygen. Keeping our medicine, whether in bud form, oil, shatter, hash or kief, away from these three is most important. Easy enough, store said product in a dark container. Those of us picking up our medicine from a local Ma and Pa set up are likely getting baggies and maybe brown paper bags. Those should be changed right away. Keeping your flower in the original baggie does nothing to keep those three enemies away.

Those of us with LP's receive our medicine in opaque plastic containers, air tight sealed, with "child proof" lids. These plastic tubs or bottles reduce all three enemies so it's easy to assume it's the perfect container to keep your product in.

But, it's not.

According to Ed Rosenthal, in his book Beyond Buds, its the terpenes that break down certain containers, and are in turn degraded by the chemical reaction. The worst containers to use are rubber and plastic. Some kind of chemical reaction occurs between those two compounds and causes the terpenes to degrade, which causes the container to degrade.  The best containers to use would be glass, metal, or silicone. Metal and silicone are usually excellent at keeping out light, provided we close our containers properly. If choosing glass, then preferably it should be dark. If it is not, then store the jar in a dark place when not needed, or paint the outside of it with an acrylic paint from the dollar store, or decoupage it with white glue and dark tissue paper, or news print...anything to keep out the light. Don't paint the inside though, you don't want to contaminate the goods!

Also be mindful of others in your home. I have teens and a husband at home who do not partake in my medicine. So I have had to label, freeze, hide and tape off my foods, oils, honey, and capsules for many months now. This weekend though I went out and purposely pick up special glass jars that are distinctive. I have never owned anything like them before and they have never been used for anything in my home before. I emptied all my various products into the different jars, and labeled them with dissolving labels. I then informed all my family members to steer clear of any products in either of these two styles of jars as they were exclusively for my products, to keep mine separate from everyone else's. I have yet to darken them. I'm considering something that can handle the humidity of a fridge, and washable.

Follow Up to My Cannabis Break

It was three weeks ago that I told you all I was taking a break from Cannabis. I think I've processed that week long enough. Time to tell you what happened.

I started this blog as a way to process the changes that I have been going through since starting Cannabis as my medicine. The desire to educate people grew the more I learned and realized how little actual truth about this herb is out there. 

I have to state, the changes that sometimes occur are not always medical, or physical. In my case I was very religious my whole adult life. Like, the kind of Christian who wouldn't let my kids watch Disney movies cuz they were full of witchcraft, or magic. I was THAT kind. I shutter, and have much regret for who I was back then. But I try to let the voice of wisdom speak louder and remind me that I only did the best I could with the knowledge I had back then. My best just happens to be better today then my best back then...that's all. (ok...it's not always better...I'm still a work in process.)

My last intake of cannabis in any form was a Friday night. I was off fully until Tuesday evening when I started to ingest it so I could sleep. I didn't start back to my day use, vaping and/or smoking until Saturday night a week later. It has taken these last two weeks to re-acclaimate and mentally/emotionally process all that has gone on internally.

I had a VERY bad first weekend. My biggest physical issue was restless legs, preventing me from sleeping. They hadn't actually start bothering me until day 2. But you can only go for so long without sleeping well. My other physical issues, pain, were easily dealt with by using Tylenol and Aleve. (These are the two drugs I've been on for years and the reason I started Cannabis in the first place was to get off them so as not to over stress my kidneys any further). My mental issues were mostly due to the ridiculous amount of stress I was under for a prolonger period of time. Years. And a big contributing factor was/is my ever present self doubt; doubting my judgment and well...everything. Much of this self doubt comes from the shame associated with my previous religiosity. (Not that church caused it, but rather for me it fed an already established shame and made it grow.)

A small example of how bad I was at the beginning of this pursuit; by the middle of the afternoon on the first Saturday I was literally packing all my cannabis related things into a box and hiding it all in my closet. Bongs, lighters, weed, printed material about cannabis, and my colouring page from #myTHCbox also went. I couldn't stand the sight of any of it so I cleared it out of sight completely. I was at the point of hating that I had ever started it. I deleted groups, and unfollower Cannabis community Facebook pages. I just couldn't have been more hateful towards cannabis.

By Tuesday afternoon I had pulled out a little weed to roll a joint and I start back eating my AVB with ice cream at bed time just so I could sleep. But I had still decided I'd not ever go back to using Cannabis as much as I had been. I could deal with the physical pain by using pharma products and I was willing to take the risk of damaging my kidneys. I got over that by the next Saturday.

My last day off weed was horrid. I was unable to think a positive thought. But by dinner I realized I was on a bad thought track and knew the only way to combat it was to grab my cannabis and get couch-locked! It worked too. Stress left. I calmed the fuck down and realized the sky was not falling. Next day I had the best Sunday a person could have.

And as I processed that weedless week I know that my emotional instability was not and is not caused by my Cannabis use. I really was under a crap load of situations. Most of which have now been resolved, thankfully! It just took a ridiculous amount of time. A couple issues remain, but I'm working on those with Mindfulness practices I learned in classes given by a medical Doctor here in the city; learning some new (and badly needed) coping skills, gaining insight into the causes of stress, and seeing a counsellor. I've spoken with both the M.D. and the counsellor about my shame issues that were fed and grew to huge proportions under the guise of a loving God and both have applauded me for getting out of something that caused me to feel so much shame. Unfortunately that doesn't remove some of the wrong beliefs I still have. That might take years to do in some cases. Some of those shame issues are what had me second guessing my original choice to start cannabis. So while I was six feet under all these major stressors recently those very shame issues were raising an even stronger opposition. But my week off helped clear up and remove the lack of trust I had in myself, at least regarding the issue of Cannabis as medicine!

What this whole week taught me:

The whole reason I took a weedless week was to see if cannabis was causing or creating more stress and drama in my life. I went through a strange week, denying its effectiveness first, accepting its medical use in one area of my life, and then embracing it fully again.

I've learned that Cannabis was not causing me to stress out, life was. Cannabis helps me realize what is no big deal so I can focus on what is.
I know that popping a low dose canna-cap of a Sativa/CBD mix allows me to chase the blues away. I don't feel any cerebral effects but I don't get dragged down by the time I've finished my first cup of coffee either, which can happen if I don't medicate effectively.
I know that I need to get more serious about keeping connected to the larger medical cannabis community. Not that there is anything wrong with the few people I've started to get to know, I just know they don't have all the answers either. Some of them are just as new (or newer) than me. But there is a world full of life-long medical cannabis patients who have a wealth of information that I want to learn from.

I know that I don't know enough about how to medicate properly for pain. I am still medicating with big pharma for pain and inflammation. I want and need to know more.
I'm also allowing myself some grace. My original pain issue was better for six months. I had more mobility and less restrictions due to pain since starting cannabis back December 2014. My new injury occurred mid August. It was intense! I was SO disappointed by the set back! So now, rather than being disappointed that I had to go back on big pharma drugs after I had only just gotten off of them I am learning to be ok with what is right now. Unfortunately I also badly sprained my ankle two weeks ago so I again had to increase my dose of pharma to the max while this newest injury heals. But giving myself a break (or grace) is exactly what I need to learn here, so I'm learning.

Although this may not have been the best way to do it, I do believe this break was a success. I've learned more about me, and what works for me because of it. And as a side note, three weeks out I have felt an internal shift recently that I'm hoping is permanent. It's a healthier perspective with less self doubt. If I went through a hellish week just for that it was well worth it!

Strain Review: Flower from HBB Medical Inc.

Fredericton has its first Medical Marijuana Dispensary!


Welcome to the neighbourhood HBB Medical Inc.! I will do a post later introducing you all to a dream come true! I literally didn't think this would happen for years, yet here we are. Opened April 2016 and I've been in and am doing my first review. More on them later.

Purchase Date: May 5, 2016

Strain: Champagne 

CBD/Sativa   1g

Cost $10

CBD 8%

THC 6%

Look of Bud: The nug looks dense and full and well trimmed. Lovely mix of dark and mid greens with long orange hairs. Tricomes are visible creating a medium amount of frost. 

Smell of Bud: Scent is fruity and sweet, reminiscent of Sweet Island Skunk. Slight pungent hint of skunk with an earthy undertone. 

Handling of Bud: Upon removing the flower from the plastic packaging I immediately noticed the bud still contained moisture. I was disappointed in its lack of proper curing. The bud did not grind well in my hand grinder because of this. It also took way more fire than fully cured bud needs to light. Next morning the bud I had left in the grinder was properly dried and easier to burn. 

Burn and Effect: When smoked from a bong it gave a good white smoke and produced white ash.

It has a slight floral and earthy taste. After 2 min I felt a slight buzz, 4 minutes a medium head high. At 8 minutes I was at full effect which is a nice head tingling relaxed contentment. I feel happy to sit here writing my review, or moving indoors cuz the wind is picking up. The low THC of 6% is deceiving though. The relaxed energy I have is perfect for having a conversation with the Bell Fibre Op lady at the door, or getting creative with what I’m going to do in my next art class (or what to say for the next sentence). Music is standing out more to me than it does with some other strains. This is the perfect strain for me for when I want to dance around to loud music while cleaning the house. Or getting physically active like working out or going for a run. 

When vaped the taste is distinctively pine and lemon with a slight skunky, earthy undertone. I found the taste rather pleasant. The effect time is about the same vaping as it is smoking. Length of time the effects lasted was longer than I expected. I noticed a slight brain tingle even 3 hours after I had smoked a bowl around 5:30pm last evening.

Grade: 

My grade scale will be out of five. A point per category listed above with 0, .5, 1 as possible scores.

I give Champagne from HBB Medical Inc. a  3/5 

Look: 1 

Smell: 0.5

Handling: 0 *not fully cured

Burn: 0.5

Effect: 1

I’d like to note that there is a risk of mold growing in the bud if moisture is left in it and then packaged. Check your package before you make your purchase, as long as there is no mold evident it is possible to complete the curing process yourself at home. Simply pop your purchased buds into a brown paper bag and let sit in a cool DRY place for a day or two. 

Last thoughts: I’m pleasantly enjoying Champagne by HBB. I will purchase it again as it is a great choice for my day use cuz it makes me happy and productive. It was also a decent cost at $10 per gram. I would recommend this strain, with the note to be aware of moisture on this current batch.

Check out my second Strain Review Here!

Kick Ass Medicated Chocolates

I have finally successfully made Canna Chocolates at a set dose and I'm pretty proud of myself.

I mean, I've made edibles before and have had a 98% success rate. Only one product I made was void of any cerebral effects. I can't say it had no medicinal effect though, because regardless of whether I decarbed it properly or not, or it had enough Kief in it or not, it contained cannabinoids. Therefore it had medicinal effect. But I won't be trying to make hard candy again for some time!

I have been concerned for lately about finding my dose. The right amount that I can make consistently. I first had to find out how to calculate the amount of THC per piece of baked good or chocolate (or gelcap). I hunted for some sort of formula for a while on the internet until it was with great relief I was given this one. This is the actual math for my most recent batch.

2g X 1000 = 2000mg
2000mg X 22.4%THC = 448mg
448mg divided by 15 pieces = 29.8mg/piece

So the formula for you to fill in is....

#g x 1000 x THC% divided by # of pieces
If you are unsure of the THC amount use 10% as it is typically an average for generic street weed. All prescription Cannabis from you LP or local dispensary will have the THC% written somewhere on their container.  I add the decimal point in the calculation as it makes it that much more accurate.

Enough with math! Lets get to the chocolate recipe! Apologies, I did not take a whole lot of pictures this time as I was way to stressed about having this turn out right (maybe next time I'll do a video demo).

Decarbing the Cannabis

I measured 2 grams of Kosher Kush bud. I busted it up and cooked it in the oven, in a glass casserole dish with lid on, at 200'F for 20 minutes. I removed it from the oven and let it sit undisturbed until morning. Not even taking the lid off. (Leave lid or covering on until the bud has fully cooled!)
Next morning I added 2 Tbsp of Coconut Oil to the decarbed bud and warmed it in the oven for another 20 minutes. I was in no hurry. My purpose was to hopefully get as much of the THC converted as possible. 

Canna Chocolates

Ingredients:
 4 oz chocolate (I used Semi-sweet Bakers Chocolate Squares)
 1 tsp  cocoa powder (to counter the oil)
 2 Tbsp  Infused Coconut Oil (or Cannabutter)
(Bit of paraffin wax for consistency)
1/4 cup granola
1/4 cup ground nuts 
2 Tbsp shredded coconut (I used unsweetened, I'd prefer sweetened in this case)

• Melt chocolate and infused oil over a double boiler and mix well until fully melted. 
• Added a few small chunks of paraffin wax, about the size of the thumb to the first joint. It is usually used to make the finished product glossy, but since I added extra oil I didn't want my end product to melt just by looking at them, so the wax helps reduce that effect too.
• NOTE: I did not strain out the bud from my oil. In order to get the maximum amount of benefit from my medicine I didn't want to risk throwing away any terpenes or cannabinoids by straining out the bud. I just made sure it was very well ground up so the bits were small.
• After mixing the chocolate, oil and wax together I prepped my production line. 

This is where I differed the manufacturing of my chocolates. I had already done the math and knew I needed to make 15 to get the dose I wanted per chocolate. So I laid out 15 chocolate candy cups, the bowl of granola/coconut/ground nuts and the bowl of medicated chocolate. 

• I spooned out a teaspoon of chocolate into the bottom of the cups, which had been dusted with cocoa.
• Next I spooned a 1/4 tsp of granola mix into each cup. Mixing a little with a toothpick to mix it into the chocolate.
• I then spooned another teaspoon of chocolate over the top as the third layer, and again gently mixed.
• I decorated the tops with a tiny bit of granola, and....
• refrigerate

I now have 15 chocolates that knock me out for bed all from only 2grams of bud. 

Must stay refrigerated.

Things I'd do different?

I would add peppermint to the chocolate for a nice flavour. Or I'd add a tsp of maple syrup and some dried fruit, or sweetened coconut. Cranberries are nice in chocolate. So is broken up candy canes, or cookie.  Also, the sweetness of your chocolate is up to you. You can use white, 70% Cocoa, semi sweet, or sweet. Or mix a couple. How about top layer white chocolate and bottom dark? Get creative.

Why did I do it that way?

I explained above why I kept the bud in the oil and mixed it into the chocolate. Since bud is a bit gritty it is necessary to add something to the chocolate to hide the gritty texture. Thus granola. Many things could work to hide that texture as it appeals to you. 

The reason I did the math first was so that I could determine ahead of time how many pieces to make to get the right dose. I'm usually leery about making something and having the pieces come out different sizes and shapes resulting in each piece being a different dose. This is why I was super careful to measure exactly the same amount in the bottom, middle and top layers. It's also why I spooned them out in layers. If I had added the granola to the chocolate and mixed, I may not have gotten exactly the same dose per piece if one had more granola than another. 

Have any questions? Or suggestions? 

What have you made recently? 

Don't forget to like and share my blog. Then come find me on Facebook and Massroots.

Happy medicating everyone.

Another version, Cranberries and Pistachios

A Perspective As Canada Moves Forward

Please note: I have looked for actual study links to back up the claims I am just blatantly throwing out here. I want this to be accurate and not just some chick on a rant with no knowledge to back her up. Admittedly those hard fact studies are hard to find when journalist or articles do not site their research. I've chosen the links with the best evidence I could find (at this time). 

 How can a chemical that has shown promise to kill cancer, stop some of the most stubborn epilepsy, one we naturally produce ourselves, have a whole networked system for in our bodies  (see video below) and our nursing mothers fed us with as still (*Note: see below) mentally developing infants...how can this same chemical compound possibly have negative effects on the teenage brain?! I'm not a scientist. But I can follow the path and find an obvious disconnect. I just don't follow that logic. 

Do I agree cannabis should be widely available to any and all? Children, teens and adults alike?!  Not at all. Unfortunately our society has created such a large error in misinformation with fear tactics that I do not think that a wise move.  Instead we need to start slow and protect society from itself in a way. Put up lots of barriers, precautions and focus on good solid education that will equip people to function as good responsible adults. Slowly as the society grows to embrace the reality of this substance the protections and precautions will drop. 

To those of  you who have been on this grassroots movement for years and even decades we thank you for getting us this far! What an amazing job you have all done. It is you who took all the negative force society was brainwashed into believing. Just Wow!  It's because of you that I can feel safe to hide in my barn to smoke my prescribed cannabis. Or stand at a crosswalk beside police officers while using my vape (true story). It's also you who must feel like this process is just taking forever! You did all the hard work of birthing a movement. Not all of it is even all out into the light yet, but it almost is. 

For the rest of us just coming in or waking up to see or participate in this birthing we must remember. First to be thankful for the cost others have paid for this privilege. Second to listen to those who paid the price and have been in the trenches. They are wise! They have been thinking about this for a long time. They know some stuff!  And lastly, for everyone regardless of whether you are in the movement or a sideliner, remember we as a society are just getting birthed into this concept. It will have to be strictly regulated until we all grow and mature. 

Cuz, the last I've seen, it takes time for that to happen. About eighteen years before we've grown and matured to adulthood where we can be responsible for our own lives, give or take a few years.

So it's just a thought, but let society take it slow to grow, and catch up. Because it will be a delicate balancing act that our Politicians have to set up. I advocate education, grace, and wisdom as Canada moves at what feels like a snails pace, for now. If we learn everything we can and pass on good quality

information we can back up instead of believing and spreading crap like NASA found THC on a meteor (was probably found in a corn field somewhere), or ranting that MP Bill Blair has to go, maybe the change we are wanting will happen because of us.

* Note: Quote from link on Breast Milk...This is so huge I wanted everyone to know it.

"Endocannabinoids have been detected in maternal milk and activation of CB1 receptors appears to be critical for milk sucking ... apparently activating oral-motor musculature," says the abstract of a 2004 study on the endocannabinoid receptor system that was published in the European Journal of Pharmacology.

Follow Up on AVB Recipe from Merry Jane

Today marked one month from the time I began the AVB oil steeping in my bedroom closet. Nothing planned today at all so I thought a month was long enough to brew. At lunch I pulled out the jar and buttered my bread with the back of the spoon dipped in the dirty oil for a grilled cheese. Wasn’t enough to feel anything, as I suspected. 

I called it dirty oil there for a reason. As described in the previous blog on how to make this THC rich oil I added Already Vaped Bud to olive oil. The Bud was light to medium brown and brittle from being toasted at the perfect temperature in the oven of my Pax Vape. That now soaked in oil is just as delicate to pressure as it was dry, only not so easy to strain out of oil now. So the dark green brown oil that is the result also has all the bud. Most sunk to the bottom of the jar, but about 10% seems to be suspended throughout the oil. Trying to skim oil off the top is pretty impossible without plant material clinging to the spoon or slipping into the round of the spoon itself. So, it looks like dirty oil. Gross but not unpalatable. My grilled cheese had bits of bud after cooking. I didn't notice them when I ate. In this case the crunch of the oil fried bread matched the texture with the brittle cooked bud. And although yummy, alas there was no buzz to indicate I medicated enough.


Several hours later I was able to try again at dinner. This time I measured out exactly 1 Tablespoon of AVB oil into the small fry pan and cooked my steak strips, then the veggies, and lastly mixed together and flavoured with asian sauces. I made my families dinner exactly the same but with regular oil in a larger pan and at the same time. Again the texture of the dirty AVB oil was hidden with the multiple textures of the stir fry and rice on my plate. The subtle taste of the earthy cannabis terpenes mixed well with the soya sauce, sesame oil and beef. It was a good meal. 

It was a bit longer for this high to kick in for me than usual compared to when I eat my morning dose in brownie or cookie form. I have to take into consideration that this is an entirely different mix of strains coming from my Vape. So this oil has a completely different high for me than my brownie high. When I make Canna-Coconut Oil I mix a high CBD, an Indica and a Sativa, in roughly thirds. But when I vape it’s usually day time so ALL the AVB is only high CBD and Satvia. No Indica at all. So this is pretty much the highest head high I’ve ever had. One Tablespoon it is for my dosage. And perhaps, given that my AVB oil is Sativa I may change my medication habits and cook breakfast with this oil and save the cookies for later in the day when I should be winding down. 

This is what my oil looks like now. Most of the bud sinks to the bottom, when I get down that far I will carefully strain off the oil through a sieve, cuz no one wants THAT much bud in their food! Top floaty bud is not a bother but could be strained off by spooning it through a small sieve right back into the jar.

Did you start collecting your AVB yet? If not you should start! It’s like getting twice the weed for half the money! I just grabbed a clean glass jam jar and keep it on my desk next to the Pax charger. This is where I store the already vaped bud, in a clean air tight jar instead of the garbage. Usually I dump the bud after a few uses, when the green turns a light toasted brown colour. If you toast it too dark there won't be any THC left to get absorbed into the oil. If you vape regularly you will get used to how long it takes you to toast the bud to get enough medicine then, but still have a lightly toasted bud to soak in oil for more medicating later.

Any questions? Anything you would like me to try? Got a recipe I could blog about? Lets make this interactive!

Happy Medicating everyone.

I OD'd on THC

Well this is certainly not a topic I set out to write about, or experience. It's embarrassing to say the least! But I did over do it and I'm still alive and sane to talk about it. So, as per usual I'm using this experience to help educate those who are seeking information.

First off. I didn't die. Didn’t even come close! I didn't go crazy. I didn't try to hurt anyone, and I didn't run around my city, street, house or anywhere else talking nonsense or trying to jump off bridges. I didn't even need to go to the hospital. Whatever your preconceived notion is that could go wrong did not. All that did happen was I went to bed. Boring, eh? 

Here's everything I did wrong. 

The other night after work I made the family some banana bread. Most of the way through the process I decided this would be a great time to try using some of the AVB (already vaped bud) in some baking and then I could blog about it. With the batter ready I filled one large loaf pan and two small ones with normal batter. I added my finely ground AVB to the left over batter and made my own mini loaf. Alas, I was not my normal careful self. I got sloppy. 

I had assumed that AVB was not as strong as freshly

de-carbed bud. Correct, but WRONG!  The 1/8 cup (...Yes, I said cup!) of AVB I added was WAY too much for the TINY loaf pan I had. Oh, but it smelled heavenly! Here’s where I REALLY went wrong…I ate two pieces. It was a small loaf, I thought, one slice is like a half of a regular slice. No problem!  
Oh, yeah….then I had a half joint right after cuz that’s the habit I’ve gotten into each evening before bed. 

The result? By the time I got back home from our evening walk around the block it was rounding the hour from when I had eaten the AVB Banana Bread. I started to feel dizzy, had difficulty seeing straight and I just started to feel generally bad. This was when it dawned on me that I had eaten too much. I decided to put myself to bed right away. I was able to behave normally, nobody knew I had over done it at all nor was I mentally incapacitated. Though I did fall asleep pretty quickly. (It's taken my describing this twice to my husband for him to realize I wasn't just normal sick that night, I was over-dose sick).

Poor guy!

Normal bodily functions woke me twice in the middle of the night (unlike overdoing it with alcohol and literally pissing yourself in a drunken sleep). It was the middle of the night when I noticed my mouth really tasted bad! Like I had eaten an ashtray, all of it! Teeth brushing and mouthwash only lessened this nasty taste for a little while. It was like the taste was coming from the inside of me rather than from something I had put in my mouth. 

The next morning I got up for work, but still felt horrid. Nauseated actually. I got ready anyway, but standing looking at the door to leave was as far as I could get. It was my own fault I felt like this and I deserved to feel this way for being so stupid. But the people at work did not deserve to have me bale on them cuz I was stupid….I called in anyway and was pretty much in tears as I told the supervisor I couldn’t leave the house for fear of throwing up. The deed done, I stripped off my uniform and fell back into bed, make-up on and all. That’s where I remained for several hours, slipping in and out of sleep and often wondering if I should run for the toilet; was this going to be the time I finally threw up? I never did, but the feeling persisted for the better part of two days. And the taste that lingered contributed to the nausea. 

For those who don't understand, and may think I'm exaggerating, or may think I didn't actually over dose, let’s recap…. I literally used more AVB in a small 1/3 sized loaf pan than I should have for a whole recipe. That's nearly 8 times more than I should have eaten in one sitting. 

Things that happened when I over dosed on THC:

1. I got dizzy
2. I had trouble seeing well (This strain of bud that I used is known to counter the eye pressure of glaucoma. I figure this explains my vision problems)
3. I fell deeply asleep.
4. I was nauseated and had little desire to eat for about 48 hours.

What did NOT happen when I over dosed on THC:

1. I did not die
2. I did not fall into a drug induced coma, preventing me from waking to my own bodily needs
3. I didn’t attempt suicide (or attempt self propelled flight)
4. I did not lose my sanity. 

I did throw out the rest of my medicated banana bread though. Just the smell of it made me sick. And the thought of attempting to bake with AVB is not as exciting as it once was. I’m still saving it mind you. I can’t bring myself to throw it out though. Its extremely economical to save it and use it on an edible fire cracker or something. It’s like free THC! You use it once to medicate, save it and use it again with just almost as much benefit.

Just heed my warning, as non-life threatening as OD’ing on THC is, it’s not necessarily pleasant. That goes for smoked, vaped, or eaten. Though I think it’s easier to over do it with edibles for two reasons, it takes so long to kick in, and unless you do the actual math you don’t know how much medicine you’re eating. So, please! Be aware of what you eat. 'Measure twice, cut once' are my fathers wise words that could apply here just as easily as they do to most of life's little odd jobs. 

So tread lightly friends, and be diligent with measuring out your medicines, especially with edibles! But know too, in case you do hit a snag like I did, this too shall pass and you will live!

What I'll be doing from now on is using a method more like this...

AVB Weed Recipes. 

              Happy medicating.

(P.s. Thanks Chef Luigi for making this great video!)

Success!

 Well, I had the MOST surreal day yesterday! I had my doctor appointment yesterday with the man who would determine if I was a good risk to prescribe Medical Marijuana to. I was super nervous! Had trouble sleeping for the first time in three months since I started taking Cannabis regularly. I felt like I was going to be quizzed about why I wanted to make this jump. In my mind it’s not a huge leap, it’s a sensible one. But in society it is a big deal. Not everyone, in fact most would not understand this decision at all! But I’ve done my homework. I know the risks and benefits. 

I was so nervous I arrived a half hour early…if you know me, I’m always late. I don’t do early. Ever.  I was confused because the office I was going to was in a home with very little signage to tell me what to do….this was rubbing all over my anxiety about being in new places. I was greeted by a friendly familiar face and sat in a comfy sun lit living room. The other patient waiting looked more nervous then I felt, so I started to chat with him. Again, not a normal response for me. I’m usually WAY more shy than to just start talking to a stranger in a strange place.  Surprisingly, they offered a free allergy test…..I refused. In part because nothing is ever free, and second, I had an allergy test several years ago and knew I had allergies, which I take Reactin for daily, amoung other meds. I finally gave in when I found out allergies can come and go within as little as three months. 

My arm is now a mess. But, I had the BEST conversation with the young man

who did the allergy test for me. In fact the conversation was SO unlike the normal boring everyday conversations I have with most people that I realized my world is completely different from the way it was three months ago! Upside down, completely! I also realized I need more people in my life who think like he does. I’m craving relationship with deep and conscientious thinkers. I’m ready to change the world and be part of a new move that brings that about in some way. 

The result. I’m still highly allergic to everything I was seven years ago when I had my first test. The bad news is I’ve been buying, and taking medicine for SEVEN YEARS that is ineffective! I was not told my the initial doctor that the medication he was prescribing me would only be effective for me for about three or four months. I’ve been faithful purchasing a Big Pharm drug for SEVEN years longer than it was effective. A HUGH waste of money! It makes me SO mad!! So we talked about what would be effective, and how to reduce my allergies without meds. I have been empowered with knowledge. 

I finally got to meet the doctor at this point. He was a kind looking gentleman in his early 50’s I’d say. He looked Fatherly. We talked. I told him why I was interested in Cannabis for pain management. Given my diagnosis of torn cartilage and Osteoarthritis the prognosis is surgery in say 20 years to replace my knees. Twenty years is a very long time to subject your liver to high doses of multiple pain killers. In fact the pain killers could do damage to my kidneys or liver. I’ve already been on high doses of both Tylenol and Aleve for about four years now. The Doctor told me things like how over time my need for medical marijuana should decrease instead of increase due to the healing nature of the Herb. It stimulates cell regeneration and it decreases inflammation. Those two things alone will over time actually make my knees better instead of worse. Imagine!!! A medicine that actually helps to heal you rather than add new issues to deal with! 

The doctor tried to tell me further about how some strains are good for day, and others better for night. HAHA! The look on his face when I said, “Right, Indica and Sativa”. He was impressed I have educated myself. This is not something I’m just wanting to use to get high with. I really do want the medicinal benefits! I have done a lot of reading over the last three months. I even told him how surprised I was to hear that one of the Cannabidiol's found in Weed has been discovered to increase bone density. That is important info that may one day help my family with the Brittle Bone disorder they carry genetically. 

We talked about insurance! Whether or not either of our insurance companies cover this prescription he told me how to effectively push them to do so. I admitted I was willing to be a poster child, or an advocate for medical marijuana because of how much it has changed my life already. I even got a little teary eyed as I talked about how the negative talk that was my constant companion just left after trying weed three months ago. I can hardly remember what it was like anymore to always have that there. Such a big change in my life, it still causes me to well up when I even think about it. 

So, I’m approved. I will hear from the marijuana provider in a week or two with my Card number. Then I can order my product online from the supplier. I will  receive my legal document to possess with my first order. In the mean time, I’m heading out now to take a Cannabutter cooking class offered free at the MFTGroup, and I’ve got some learning to do about what Vapes are best. Because as the Doctor explained I will be dosing myself with a SINGLE puff every hour during the day, including at work and a personal hand held vape will be convent and leaves no smell behind for anyone to realize what I am consuming. Also perfect for home! 

Wow! Such a weird, and yet VERY wonderful day I had.