New smoker needing some advice

Kooter

New Member
Well first and foremost i would like to thank the people who choose to visit and give me advice on this post as im not sure i will get it anywhere else.

Here is a brief history to help give you a better understanding of my thought process.

When i was five i was bending a fishing pole on the ground in my room. it snapped and as i was looking down at it shards of fiberglass rocketed into my left eye. After many surgeries it was decided that i would loose most the use of that eye. so for my entire life i would have only one working eye.

over the years my one eye tried to compensate for both and became rather strained as a result. my vision faded and obviously at that point i needed glasses.

after having had glasses for most of my life i was struck with another massive blow. I was in high school and was diagnosed with glaucoma.

The doctor explained to me that i would need surgery to try and gain control of the pressure that was slowly destroying what was left of my left eye.

I asked if there was any major side effects and was told their was not. so i got the surgery in my junior year of high school. Needless to say the doctor lied. I was left with a massive lump on my eye. and crippling pain most of the time.

Not only that but i was told later that i still would have to take massive amounts of eye drops for the rest of my life. and even then the pain continued.

As i graduated high school and found myself in the real world workplace (wildland firefighter) i quickly found that the manditory eyedrop usage and one a month eye doctors visits simply would not work into my life very well.

i literally would have to stop my life because of this bullshit. so i stopped taking my eyedrops.. stopped going to the eye doctor. and generally stopped worrying about my eye.

Needless to say i was under alot of pain for a while.. but it lessened after a few years. the pain was still very much present. just tolerable (i imagine my body simply got used to it)

Now that brings us to nearly current day. a few months ago (im 26) i decided to smoke pot for the first time in my life. i was never against it or anything like that. i was simply never really interested in it. but over the years my natural curiosity got the best of me i guess. I want to stress at this point i had literally no idea that it could have helped my medical condition.

So one day i tried smoking. Now the actual high itself was not what i cared about. It WAS THE RELIEF!!!!!! it felt like a huge huge amount of pain left my body. and for the first time in a long time my head actually felt free of pain.

I was even more surprised to find that this effect lasted until the next day.

At that point i was talking to my friends about how much it helped my pain and that is when they started telling me about its medical uses.

I naturally got curious and figured i would look into it.

Now i have never really done anything "wrong" in my entire life. i never have broken any laws and never been in any trouble. i never felt the need to really. i live by the book cause thats just the way i do things. I mean the prospect of coming here and asking this question almost makes me feel like the police are gonna beat down my door.

so for me the prospect of getting in trouble for pain relief really hung me up.. but like i said after much research i found that i can actually seek relief and not break any laws. and that makes me happy. hence why im now here asking.

So i guess my question is.. how do i get started.. i mean i live in northern cali.
and really want to get myself legal to smoke as soon as possible. Im sure my doctors have volumes of my medical records and i have a glaucoma implant card. im just not sure what i need or who i need to visit to make myself legit.

so thats it really. I would really like to get myself pain free and to me this looks like the safest and most convenient way for me to do that.

once again thank you for visiting this post and any information you can provide is more than helpfull.
 
Re: New smoker needing some advice.

First off... welcome to the forum!
What a trip... I used to be a one eyed Wildland FireFighter too... fought for 8 years!
As for getting started... you need to get a MM card. That means locating a clinic in your area. Here is the place in this forum to find out such a thing, or, just look in your local phone book, that what I did when I was getting mine.
Here is the addy for Doctors:
Prescriptions & Doctors
and Co-Ops and Collectives:
Medical Marijuana Co-ops & Collectives - 420 Magazine
 
Re: New smoker needing some advice.

First off... welcome to the forum!
What a trip... I used to be a one eyed Wildland FireFighter too... fought for 8 years!
As for getting started... you need to get a MM card. That means locating a clinic in your area. Here is the place in this forum to find out such a thing, or, just look in your local phone book, that what I did when I was getting mine.
Here is the addy for Doctors:
Medical Marijuana Doctors - 420 Magazine
and Co-Ops and Collectives:
Medical Marijuana Co-ops & Collectives - 420 Magazine

Out of curiosity would you happen to have a ruff estimate of the total cost of getting a mm card.
 
Re: New smoker needing some advice.

Out of curiosity would you happen to have a ruff estimate of the total cost of getting a mm card.

I can only tell you that, in Oregon (where I am) it ran me $175 for the appt. and another $100 for the state fee when sending your application in.
So all toll... about $300
 
Re: New smoker needing some advice.

go to a cannabis doctor, get a recommendation for medical marijuana and head over to a club. 100-150$ and ~20/gram.

or read up here on 420mag and grow your own for next to nothing.


heres a good read...
Healing Visions in Jamaica | Cannabis Culture Magazine
 
Re: New smoker needing some advice.

Youre too funny "Newcomer"!! LOL!!
I too was waiting for the local police to come-a- knockin' after I had read that the dispensary I had just gone to down the street from me, and also my 2nd EVER visit to one as well, had done something wrong illegally and had been raided the day AFTER I had just been in there!! "OH MY!! All of my records are there!! It's just a matter of time until they find me!!" LOL!! Well, anyway, THEY were the ones doing something illegal!! I had my Medical Marijuana Card out and ready to shove in their faces when they did arrive!! But they never did!! WHEW!!
I started using cannabis after 12 1/2 years of being a Chronic Pain Patient from an injury accident which left me 100% disabled. Permanant Nerve Damage from my armpits down to my toes! I managed to get to my Dr.s appointment with the help of my dear hubbie's support! The visit was a breeze. The Dr. spoke very professionally to me about this new form of pain control, the pluses and minuses, diufferent strains used for what conditions, and how to use it!! I left feeling very relaxed and not stressed out about filling my prescription!! That is UNTIL I had to go ALONE to the back of the dispensary to choose my poison!! LOL!! Lead therer by an armed guard, I was tutored in the various types of uses for Cannabis!! I could smoke it, eat it, drink it, whatever I wanted to choose!! I even bought a delicious bottle of the best tasting BBQ Sauce I've ever tasted!! LOL!! So I took my bottles of pot, my bags of candy, my FREE 10X brownie which I had started on my way home while my Hubbie Drove us there. (Thank God!!)
When I woke up after my Brownie High, I was PAIN FREE as well for the longest time!! It was GREAT!! And it was LEGAL!!
My Son who was 13 at the time, asked me why I was smoking Pot, an illegal drug! So we had a long talk about the differences betwen "illegal" use and "Medicinal Legal Uses", one of the best talks I had ever had with my Son!! He had seen me in pain since he was 5years old and was so happy that it was helping me with my pain. And he was proud of me for putting away my fears of using it because it was so helpful for me!! I was proud of myself too for trying it. I had been such a DORK before!!
Anyway, do as everyone had suggested and set up an appointment and get your license which will put your fears behind you as you enjoy your new found pain control!!
Good Luck!! Stace
 
Re: New smoker needing some advice.

First off, very noble profession you chose there Kooter. I tip my cap to you.

2nd, you live in California. And you have a legitimate reason to use medical marijuana. Just peruse the recommended medical marijuana doctors that this site lists in your area. Then you take the recommendation that the doc gives you to a dispensary near you. That's it. You will have your meds on the first day.

3rd, you should check with your employer about their drug policy. You don't want to fail a drug test and lose your job.

I was in the same boat as you. Didn't smoke for 15 years after college. Got a recommendation to cure a serious sleep problem and it has improved my life immensely. No more pills, no more guinea pigging sleep studies, no more agony. I can't even describe how thankful I am. Cannabis also cured me of my 20 year Copenhagen addiction. That's 3 or 4 dips a day for 20 years, my constant companion, all left behind in a matter of weeks completely unexpectedly. I've been tobacco free for over a year now and don't even think about it anymore.

All that and I still keep my same regimen of eating healthy and running 4 miles a day. I just smoke some fine cannabis in the evenings now and get a satisfying 5 or 6 hours of sleep.

You might have to be discreet about it but don't let anyone ever tell you that cannabis doesn't have medicinal value.

Oh yeah, welcome.
 
Re: New smoker needing some advice.

Everyone i have met in this community so far has been extremely helpful and nice. its great to see that mmj is so well loved by its patients. Yet approached on such a professional level. Everything i have heard from this community has been a huge help.

Honestly the kindness and welcome i received here has really put my mind at ease about this whole thing. I was very worried about many aspects of mmj. one being telling my friends and family that i will be medicating regularly using it. and that it literally is the most healthy way for me to help myself. but now i think i can approach it with the knowledge and confidence needed to express that it is in fact a medication for me.

So thanks a ton for making me feel welcome. and thanks a ton for helping to steer me away from living with constant pain.
 
Re: New smoker needing some advice.

Everyone i have met in this community so far has been extremely helpful and nice. its great to see that mmj is so well loved by its patients. Yet approached on such a professional level. Everything i have heard from this community has been a huge help.

Honestly the kindness and welcome i received here has really put my mind at ease about this whole thing. I was very worried about many aspects of mmj. one being telling my friends and family that i will be medicating regularly using it. and that it literally is the most healthy way for me to help myself. but now i think i can approach it with the knowledge and confidence needed to express that it is in fact a medication for me.

So thanks a ton for making me feel welcome. and thanks a ton for helping to steer me away from living with constant pain.

That's an awesome testimonial to the 420 community :cheer:
 
Re: New smoker needing some advice.

I'm new to the hole MMJ thing my self, im 37 yrs old and the last time i tried MJ was over 4 years ago and it made me feel like i was doing something very bad so i didn't continue after that one time. however as a teen i did my fair share of experimenting, tell i got caught smoking cigs, and was giving so many lectures by the family that i didn't even bother again tell 4 years ago to try it. I, a former USMCR. During one of my training sessions like 4 years in i sustained and injury to my back, falling 30 to 40 feet and landing standing will do that to you. Well needles i back started acting up it was all down hill from there. Now i have Degenerative Disc disease in my lower back that is slowly leaving me paralyzed eventually my walking days will be over. but due to my age surgeons wont operate. Thus massive pain since 97. well that my condition plus other mental and stress related conditions that arouse from that.

so i feel for you and defiantly suggest you get that MMJ card.

I went to MediCann and man it was nice the apt visit was supposed to be $150 in their Fresno Office. When i original called for the apt they informed me that they have discounts if you are on Medical or Medicare, and to boot a even bigger discount for been a Vet. fortunately i had my DD214 so i only had to pay $80 in total for the visit and the application fee.

I defiantly recommend going to MediCann the link is below to there site.

I just got my MMJ script in Aug this year from them for the first time. They were very friendly and helpful. They were able to get in min with in weeks of calling them.

I didn't have to wait to long once i got there even thou i arrived early. I took with me all my medical records, natural cus of the military i try to keep a personal copy of them all since the initial injury. Al thou when it came time for the doc to see me he really just made sure i did have the injury i claimed. The only document that he had to look at to say yes i need MJ to for my condition was the Surgeons report from back in 2003 stating they wouldn't operate on me for it. so not much is needed as long as you have some medical documentation that supports your condition you should be fine.

All in all i walked out of there $80 bucks poorer, and the re-leaf of been legal to make my self not hurt no more without worry, and a prescription that i then used to head over to the two Dispensary in Tulare to start feeling better that same day.

The funny thing was that the Doc i saw also suffers from DDS as i do so he had a few suggestions on how i should use MMJ
 
Re: New smoker needing some advice.

I'm new to the hole MMJ thing my self, im 37 yrs old and the last time i tried MJ was over 4 years ago and it made me feel like i was doing something very bad so i didn't continue after that one time. however as a teen i did my fair share of experimenting, tell i got caught smoking cigs, and was giving so many lectures by the family that i didn't even bother again tell 4 years ago to try it. I, a former USMCR. During one of my training sessions like 4 years in i sustained and injury to my back, falling 30 to 40 feet and landing standing will do that to you. Well needles i back started acting up it was all down hill from there. Now i have Degenerative Disc disease in my lower back that is slowly leaving me paralyzed eventually my walking days will be over. but due to my age surgeons wont operate. Thus massive pain since 97. well that my condition plus other mental and stress related conditions that arouse from that.

so i feel for you and defiantly suggest you get that MMJ card.

I went to MediCann and man it was nice the apt visit was supposed to be $150 in their Fresno Office. When i original called for the apt they informed me that they have discounts if you are on Medical or Medicare, and to boot a even bigger discount for been a Vet. fortunately i had my DD214 so i only had to pay $80 in total for the visit and the application fee.

I defiantly recommend going to MediCann the link is below to there site.

I just got my MMJ script in Aug this year from them for the first time. They were very friendly and helpful. They were able to get in min with in weeks of calling them.

I didn't have to wait to long once i got there even thou i arrived early. I took with me all my medical records, natural cus of the military i try to keep a personal copy of them all since the initial injury. Al thou when it came time for the doc to see me he really just made sure i did have the injury i claimed. The only document that he had to look at to say yes i need MJ to for my condition was the Surgeons report from back in 2003 stating they wouldn't operate on me for it. so not much is needed as long as you have some medical documentation that supports your condition you should be fine.

All in all i walked out of there $80 bucks poorer, and the re-leaf of been legal to make my self not hurt no more without worry, and a prescription that i then used to head over to the two Dispensary in Tulare to start feeling better that same day.

The funny thing was that the Doc i saw also suffers from DDS as i do so he had a few suggestions on how i should use MMJ

AAAAALLLLLLLRRRRRIIIIIIGGGGHHHHTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! T.A.R. I know those people personally! Tulare Alternative Relief is one of the best dispensaries in the Valley!! Woohoo!! There is also a Dr. office near there that does $50.00 recommendations and $40.00 renewals, just call TAR and they will hook you up with the number.
 
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