The Personal Regimen: Our Community Speaks

[SweetSue]

Meds

• SweetSue
• Nov 27, 2018

I’d like to initiate a community conversation on personal regimens. I’ve been studying the endocannabinoid system and how cannabis therapeutics can enhance a life for a few years now and it occurs to me that the clinical data coming out about cannabis dosing may not be reflective of real-world use in our community.

I keep wondering how honest people are about reporting their true level of consumption to their doctors.

The clinical data I’ve noticed doesn’t come anywhere near my own usage, and I suspect many of you could say the same. As an example, Mara Gordon, one of the respected voices on cannabis dosing, has said that an average patient in her dispensary takes around 50 mg of total cannabinoids a day.

I take more than 50 mg of THC for breakfast. How about you? That’s what I thought.

This suggests that we’ve come up with creative ways to enjoy our euphoria as we treat the many physical concerns that sent us down the path of cannabis cultivation. For one thing, we have access to more cannabis than the average consumer, or at least that’s the goal of our collective obsession. For another, we aren’t afraid of euphoria.

I’d like to take a look at those adaptations you’ve made and see what we have in common. I’d also like to see if we can find ways to help each other get better results. Maybe by putting our heads together we can tweak the process here and there and come away richer for the experience and healthier to boot.

I have some questions to get you started. You share your answers and I’ll share mine. Together we’ll advance the knowledge on the many ways cannabis can bring relief, from our unique perspective.

Meds

• SweetSue
• Nov 27, 2018

The Questions

Be as detailed as you can, as wordy as you feel the need. If you use cannabis for recreation only then share that. The questions apply to everyone.

* Why do you personally use cannabis?

* How long have you been using cannabis?

* List any medications you’ve reduced or discontinued with cannabis use.

* If you use cannabis to treat chronic pain, how would you rate the level of relief you’re getting?

* What administration methods have you tried?

* What administration method/s work best for you?

* What chemovar/s work for you? What makes them favorites?

* What chemovars don’t work for you? What experience caused you to discard them as an option?

* Describe in detail your personal regimen. Walk me through a typical day of cannabis use. I’m hoping for the fine details, when you take your first dose, how much you dose, what you eat before or after a dose, how cannabis use augments fitness and movement, dose cannabinoid values and ratios if you know them.....all of it.

Also, if you don’t mind this last question:

Do you work a full time job outside the home? and if so How do you commute to work?

You can’t be too detailed in your answers.

There’s no timeline on this little project. It’s more a centralized data bank in the end than anything else, and eventually what we learn here will find its way to more specialized threads. Let’s have fun with it.

 

[Chris Scorpio]

Let's see where this goes

I'll follow dear

 

[SweetSue]

Let's see where this goes

I'll follow dear

I’d rather you post as well as follow Chris.

 

[AngryBird]

Hi Just to have a sub on this thread...

 

[Chris Scorpio]

I’d rather you post as well as follow Chris.

You know me Hun, I am almost perfect...lol

But seriously no real ailments here, it's a hobby of growing, and fun of smoking a few times a year

Started in 1979, but stopped in late 90s completely

Restarted 3 yrs ago ..and here we are

 

[SweetSue]

* Why do you personally use cannabis?

I use cannabis for recreational purposes and to keep my mind connected to a higher plane of thinking. I’m a writer, and writing requires a certain letting go to allow inspiration to flow. Cannabis keeps this channel open for me.

* How long have you been using cannabis?

For the last 37 years I’ve used it daily.

* List any medications you’ve reduced or discontinued with cannabis use.

I take no medicine other than cannabis, and really never did, other than occasional emergency pain needs.

* If you use cannabis to treat chronic pain, how would you rate the level of relief you’re getting?

I thankfully live relatively pain free.

* What administration methods have you tried?

Oral capsule doses, suppositories, edibles, and topicals.

* What administration method/s work best for you?

Edibles are my favorite method, with a bong (combustion) coming in a close second.

* What chemovar/s work for you? What makes them favorites?

Carnival and Dark Devil Auto. Carnival hits all the high notes with my ECS and DDA has a nice zippy edge to its effect that sometimes borders on the hallucinogenic. They both feel upbeat, motivated, clear-headed. Neither has a big drop at the end of the run either.

Both chemovars have a strong limonene expression, and DDA’s rich purples suggest lots of B-caryophyllene, good for inflammatory response.

Blue Dream is amazing to counter nausea.

* What chemovars don’t work for you? What experience caused you to discard them as an option?

I shy away from indicas or indica-dominant hybrids. I feel the terpene profiles are too heavy for me, when I’m more interested in being light and clear. Heavy myrcene or linalool is a definite turn-off to my olfactory system.

* Describe in detail your personal regimen. Walk me through a typical day of cannabis use.

When I start the day before my 11 AM eating time it’s usually with either the bong or a small piece of cob chew, after which I take time to meditate and then jump into the forums. It’s never more than a couple bong hits, and the cob bits are usually less than 0.2 grams.

Of course, 0.2 grams of cob, properly cured and chewed instead of smoked, will last all day long. Tangwena’s rule is chew before 9 AM if you expect to be turning in around 9 PM. I’ve found that to be consistently good advice.

At 11 AM I have my first food of the day and I’ll end that meal with an edible, either a snowflake (infused honey fudge) or a half brownie. I use only sativa or sativa-dominant hybrids for my own oils, and that first dose of the day is floating somewhere around 50 mg of THC.

As the day continues I tend to stick to the bong for an occasional string of quick hits during a break, with one more edible dose somewhere before 6 PM, when I cut off food 3-4 nights a week. From then on it’s just bong hits, continuing until I’m ready to fall asleep.

I figure I’m easily consuming somewhere in the neighborhood of 100-200 mg of THC a day. Some days it can be much more, but not often will it drop off to less. All of my personal meds are high THC at this time, although I do have a 1:1 Lemon Tonic (Kemon Haze x Tonic) bred by our own Stoney Memoirs, so I’m hoping to add CBD to my regimen as soon as I harvest in about four months. I’m hoping it’ll help me settle the case of scalp psoriasis I’ve lived with for decades.

If I’m feeling energetically out of sorts I’ll apply some high-THC infused oil to the DMR, at the top of my back. That typically does the trick. Any aches and pains I come up against get hit with my topical as soon as anything goes “Ouch!”

Do you work a full time job outside the home? and if so How do you commute to work?

Retired, with few, if any social responsibilities and no driver’s license.

That’s pretty much my regimen. Let’s hear yours.

 

[SweetSue]

You know me Hun, I am almost perfect...lol

But seriously no real ailments here, it's a hobby of growing, and fun of smoking a few times a year

Started in 1979, but stopped in late 90s completely

Restarted 3 yrs ago ..and here we are

You use cannabis Chris. I’m interested in how you consume it on a typical day. It helps you, I know it does. I’m asking you to think a bit about how specifically you use it and share that with us.

 

[DrDoob]

* Why do you personally use cannabis?

Not really sure any more it’s just what I do and have always done.

* How long have you been using cannabis?

30+ years mostly daily

* List any medications you’ve reduced or discontinued with cannabis use.

My doctor told me to take some pills but they have a big warning about stomach bleeding so Only took a couple. I use pain oil instead which is almost as effective.

* If you use cannabis to treat chronic pain, how would you rate the level of relief you’re getting?

I don’t have chronic pain thankfully.

* What administration methods have you tried?

All of them except suppositories.

* What administration method/s work best for you?

Smoking.

* What chemovar/s work for you? What makes them favorites?

All of them work. I’m not overly picky although I tend to prefer indicas.

* What chemovars don’t work for you? What experience caused you to discard them as an option?

They all work. Sativas sometimes make my brain go too fast but not often.

* Describe in detail your personal regimen. Walk me through a typical day of cannabis use. I’m hoping for the fine details, when you take your first dose, how much you dose, what you eat before or after a dose, how cannabis use augments fitness and movement, dose cannabinoid values and ratios if you know them.....all of it.

I don’t sleep well so I often wake up at about 3:00 AM and smoke a joint. Mostly just lay there but sometimes go back to sleep until about 6:00. When I make coffee and smoke a joint. I got a daily conference call at 9:30 and smoke another joint before or after that. Then around noon and basically about every 3 hours I smoke another until about 9 or 10 when I go to bed.

I mostly do this daily but sometimes switch it up with bong loads or the occasional edible.

 

[InTheShed]

I'm gonna watch as a grower but non-user (internally). I'm always interested!

 

[HashGirl]

The Questions

* Why do you personally use cannabis?

I use cannabis for insomnia, pain, anxiety and fun.

* How long have you been using cannabis?

I first started smoking pot when I was 15 and continued until the age of 28. I quit smoking pot when I quit smoking cigarettes (at 28).

Fast forward 16 years to the year I turned 44. A new neighbour was annoyed with me because I didn't drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes and I told him if he had any pot, I'd try that and that's when I started using it again but only sporadically.

Fast forward another 11 years and I found out that I could order pot online. Sure it was illegal but the chances of getting caught were slim to none.

These orders were predominantly for fun but I did find a couple of strains that helped me sleep and relax me. The one I remember was called Muerte. (I suspect it was an indica. No idea of THC:CBD content.)

I've had a legal medical marijuana prescription since July 2016 and a legal grow licence since this year.

* List any medications you’ve reduced or discontinued with cannabis use.

Tylenol for Arthritis, ibuprofen, Lorazepam (sp?), Zopiclone

* If you use cannabis to treat chronic pain, how would you rate the level of relief you’re getting?

I used to take 2 Tylenols for pain relief; now I take 2 canna capsules instead.

* What administration methods have you tried?

I vape bud. I make my own pain cream and I make cannaoil, which I either take in capsules or just with a dosing syringe.

* What administration method/s work best for you?

For immediate relief, vaping often works best as does using the pain cream. The cannaoil typically takes about half an hour to an hour to work.

* What chemovar/s work for you? What makes them favorites?

I use Hash Plant (Indica, 12.1:3.5 ratio) cannaoil as my nighttime pain med and for insomnia.

I use CB Dutch Treat (Sativa, 4:8 ratio) for daytime pain relief.

I'm currently using CB Dutch Treat for anxiety, too since it essentially has the same ratio of THC:CBD that the strain that Sue's daughter uses for her anxiety. Only difference is that mine is a sativa.

I haven't been feeling as anxious since I started hormone replacement therapy so I don't know if this is something that we need to figure out or not.

My favourite strains for fun are Dark Devil, Jack Herer and Kaboom.

* What chemovars don’t work for you? What experience caused you to discard them as an option?

I can't think of any right now except the Durban Poison, which I'm a little disappointed with. It's supposed to be a sativa but when I take it, it acts more like an indica.

* Describe in detail your personal regimen. Walk me through a typical day of cannabis use. I’m hoping for the fine details, when you take your first dose, how much you dose, what you eat before or after a dose, how cannabis use augments fitness and movement, dose cannabinoid values and ratios if you know them.....all of it.

I get up at 4:30 a.m. and take 2 size 00 capsules of CB Dutch Treat cannaoil made with 10 grams bud to 125 ml of oil. I usually eat a banana around the same time.

Around 11 to 11:30 a.m. (before lunch), I take 2 more capsules of the CB Dutch Treat.

At bedtime, I take 1.5 ml of Hash Plant oil made with 10 grams of bud to 125 ml of oil.

When I get high (typically on the weekend), I usually take 8 to 9 size 000 capsules of whatever kind of oil I have on hand. I currently have the following made up with the standard 10 grams of bud to 125 ml of oil:

• Durban Poison (landrace strain, 28:0.23 ratio)
• Jack Herer (Sativa, 17:0.2 ratio)
• Kaboom (Hybrid [85:15 sativa:indica], 18:0.5 ratio)
• AK-47 (Sativa, 17:1 ratio)

THC:CBD ratios for all the strains mentioned above are in brackets after the strain name if I know it.

 

[Derbybud]

Subbed in but on no regiment at the moment. Will update after the New Year.

 

[Ganjagrowergu]

* Why do you personally use cannabis?
Chronic nerve pain, tendonosis, anxiety/depression, IBS, addiction replacement therapy, and recreation.
* How long have you been using cannabis?
22 years

* List any medications you’ve reduced or discontinued with cannabis use?
Discontinued depression meds, 2 stomach meds, anti inflammatory medications, and muscle relaxers.
* If you use cannabis to treat chronic pain, how would you rate the level of relief you’re getting?
It could be better, but I dont run any CBD chemovars. The way things are cannabis makes my pain manageable without being so high I forget that it hurts.
* What administration methods have you tried?
Everything except suppositories and capsules.
* What administration method/s work best for you?
All of them. I blast my system from all angles.

* What chemovar/s work for you? What makes them favorites?
I become strain tolerant very fast so the question is kind of tough... I guess recently I have been really enjoying 9lb Hammer. Very hard hitting indica that I need throughout the day. An old standby is OG Kush. It kind of does the trick for every situation. And then Blue Dream for when I dont want to do anything but talk to my wife about how much I love Blue Dream.
* What chemovars don’t work for you? What experience caused you to discard them as an option?
I have a hard time ruling any of them out of the medicine category even if the high isn't the best. Big fan of variety.
* Describe in detail your personal regimen.
Wake and bake with about a gram of flower and a split pea size dose of RSO. After wake and bake I smoke every 2-3 hours until I pass out in the wee hours. I do also enjoy dabs when the time or prices are good. Some days are worse than others medically and I add an additional RSO dose in the evening. I also add canna-coconut oil to at least one meal per day. Pretty simple and seems to do the trick.

Being on a tight budget and having a limited grow area, I sometimes run low or even run out of smoke. Those days I try to injest as much canna-coconut oil as I can handle without going off the deep end and taking a nap for 4 hours in the middle of the day.

I also enjoy the prefilled vape cartridges we get up here, they are great to puff on all day long if I can hold myself together and not eat until my gut aches.

 

[kelticBlue]

You know me Hun, I am almost perfect...lol

But seriously no real ailments here, it's a hobby of growing, and fun of smoking a few times a year

Started in 1979, but stopped in late 90s completely

Restarted 3 yrs ago ..and here we are

I with @Chris Scorpio , except I think I started in the school year 79-80, Then hmmm... when did I quit, 94-95 ish. Now it is just 2 or 3 times a year to get stoned beejeepers.


OK, ........ so the wife smokes from dawn until dusk, couple of hits here and there ( about a joint a day? more since we have a good supply) and supplements with a calming salve made with......
Organic beeswax, organic coconut oil, organic raw shea butter, full spectrum CBD extract, and pure essential oils.

The questions???????

* Why do you personally use cannabis?
no reason not to

* How long have you been using cannabis?
Wife is going on 40 years, 99.9% combustion only just started oil vapor

* List any medications you’ve reduced or discontinued with cannabis use.
reduced pain meds, from advil to oxy

* If you use cannabis to treat chronic pain, how would you rate the level of relief you’re getting?
some days are better than others, the pain is always there no matter

* What administration methods have you tried?
smoke and smoke alot more

* What administration method/s work best for you?
smoke

* What chemovar/s work for you? What makes them favorites?

Narrowing this down...... a good quality sativa (harvested a bit late) seems best all around to seperate mind from body.
However there is also the social and feel good component so no one family is favorited, sometimes it is just nice to get hi, hello. The asian sativa hybrids with pakistani are what I have tried most. However, The later harveste of my african was by far the biggest hit


* What chemovars don’t work for you? What experience caused you to discard them as an option?
My wife likes it all, just some better than others.

 

[InTheShed]

Given the quantities of THC being consumed, I'm personally curious about the answers to: Do you work a full time job outside the home? and if so How do you commute to work?

 

[SweetSue]

Given the quantities of THC being consumed, I'm personally curious about the answers to: Do you work a full time job outside the home? and if so How do you commute to work?

I can add that into the questions.

 

[InTheShed]

Only if you think they're valuable. It's just my curiosity on those!

 

[Ganjagrowergu]

When I was working a full time job I thought I would smoke less, but those prefilled vape cartridges and cannabinated breakfasts made up the difference. I function damn well when I have the proper chemovars to do so.

My most recent employments had me on the city bus, so being medicated was mandatory. In the past I cared little about stoned driving. Honestly I still don't, within reason. Road trips still involve doobies once out of city limits. Busy streets are no place to drop a burning roach in your lap.

 

[MrGreene]

Given the quantities of THC being consumed, I'm personally curious about the answers to: Do you work a full time job outside the home? and if so How do you commute to work?

I'm curious about those also. I'd like to dose during the day but don't want and trouble with driving. Since I've been taking the nightly canna capsules the boss has said that my job performance is the best it's ever been in the thirty years I've worked for him.

 

[DrDoob]

I’m a computer programmer who works at home. I don’t have a drivers license. I take Lyft if I have to go anywhere.

 

[SweetSue]

Only if you think they're valuable. It's just my curiosity on those!

I felt it was worth asking. It’ll make us think, if nothing else. There’s a lot of fear being drummed up about stoned drivers. I personally don’t think many are going to change their habits. I think they’re gonna continue to drive or not drive “under the influence of cannabis” the way they have been already.

Has there been any data released (by someone not selling a testing product) to suggest that this is becoming a problem? People have been driving high all along. THC doesn’t impair you the way other “drugs” will, but it’s good advice to not drive for a few hours after using enough THC to bring on euphoria.