Marijuana oil -- effectiveness for health issues

Short answer:
If it works, it works.
Since (from what I understand of these products) there's no THC there's no real reason to treat this stuff differently than any of a number of other items that fall into the "alternative medicine' bucket.

Like most males, I'm an absolute wimp when it comes to physical pain.
I see my dear wife do things with a pair of tweeters that would make me scream like I have suffered a gunshot wound.
When I was in my 40's I suffered from a badly wrenched neck.
Despite prognostications from those in my orbit, this injury did not come from a motorcycle or car crash but from lifting a computer monitor, something that I did and do nearly daily.
Note that this was back in a long-ago time when large computer monitors were made from things like metal and glass and weighed more than Priuses do now.
I used to think that chiropractors were a bunch of insurance fraudster, ambulance chasing, hucksters until one of their number absolutely saved me from from surgery, following a terrifying bout with opioids from a 'candy-man' and the insistence from two "for-real" doctors that my injury was severe and permanent and that only an operation would fix me.
I'm pain-free in my neck two decades later and have full mobility.

Similarly, I used to think that essential oils were (literally!) snake-oil favored by a bunch of hippy-dippy millennials who have too much disposable income, WAAAAY too much free time, and not enough common sense.
This was until I saw these products move the needles for things like allergies, anxiety and sleep issues in several family members and our local pastor, who battles central post-stroke pain, and who makes ME look like a free-spirited love child from the 60's.

So...yeah.
I personally would be willing to give cannabidiols a shot, but only as an alternative medicine - which IS an alternative to medicine, both good and bad.
YMMV....

Good Luck!
People use 'thoughts and prayers' as a slur these days, but I do offer hopes that you're healing!

 

I have never heard of CBD oil being recommended for pain.
I have been researching it lately for other issues. From the information I have found, serious studies have just been started.

Initial results seem to support some benefits in some people for essential tremors.
It also seems to help some with sleep and anxiety.
There seems to be zero support for the idea of aiding with Diabetes, so at this point, I would say it is complete snake oil in that regard.

I tried some for the essential tremor side of things. After a couple of weeks it does seem to be helping. My tremors have been cut by about 70%.
As noted by the Mayo clinic and some CBD sites, there can be some interactions with some drugs, so check with your doctor first before trying.

I do look forward to seeing more studies concluded.

 

What you're describing is not "marijuana oil" since that would, by nature of the plant, have A LOT of THC and would require a medical marijuana card just to purchase.

The product that you are trying is a kind of hemp or CBD oil. Some are isolate oils (e.g., just the CBD oil, without the CBG, CBN, THC, etc.), whereas others are full spectrum, and thus *might* be more effective holistically.

A full-spectrum product *could* cause a failed drug test at the limit of 50 ng THC per ml of void, but usually a fail only if the tester has been consuming a full spectrum CBD product with close to 0.3% THC in it AND takes at least the recommended dosage. Since THC is fat soluble (as is CBD, CBG, CBN, etc.), THC stays in the body and is eliminated with a half-life of a little over a day. So, if you are concerned about failing an upcoming standard void drug test, then just back off the full-spectrum products for a few days, and eat low-fat foods (e.g., salads).

^ Note: If one has a medical marijuana card and is legally allowed to take medicinal marijuana, then a failed drug test should be less of a concern as long as one is following official supported guidelines for an established condition to warrant consumption.

As for using CBD oil to treat pain, here is an example from one's story, who used to be on 25 different medications, and had to give them up due to liver toxicity:

Here is an example of using CBD oil to treat Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (a rare disorder which, according to the author, "causes patients to feel a constant rocking, bobbing, and swaying sensation, which can make normal daily functions very difficult, as the illness can be very disorienting"):

Using CBD oil to manage anxiety (there are many videos, I just picked one of them... as of 2019 "eastcoastcreep" is currently off CBD oil)

 

Protection varies for medical marijuana use:
Can I be fired because I use medical marijuana for a disability? | Nolo

 

Wait.
We just went through this with melatonin, you couldn't sleep, I suggested organic melatonin.

Pain is relative, if the oil makes you relax, good.

1% are allergic.

 

Before you give up on melatonin, you could try higher doses. I regularly take 10 mg for anti-aging purposes. The theory is that you take your personal dose a half hour before sleep. Several people have "tried it" and said it was worthless. When I asked how much, at first they didn't even know, but on checking it was 1 mg or even less. At 10 mg and age 74, I find that I can even skip several days and sleep normally. Again, theory is that normal production goes down with age, and you should take enough to replenish your level to that of a healthy younger person. For anti-aging, dosage is higher than just enough to enable sleep, and apparently restores production enough that it isn't even required daily. Lots of companies sell 20 mg pills - somebody must be using them.

Vitamin C prevents pain when used at adequate levels. For example, I take 3 grams of liposomal vitamin C before dental surgery, and another 3 grams every 2 hours for the rest of the day. I've still got the full bottle of hydrocodone/actaminophen that the dentist thought I'd need. My stomach can't take that much ordinary C, but the liposomal delivery is very smooth. Brand I'm using is Amadean. Capsule form is suspicious - liquid, gelcaps, or gel packets are good.

Proteolytic enzymes "eat" scar tissue, which will prevent long term pain after injury. Again, you have to use enough - 1 capsule a day for a week isn't going to do squat. Think 5-10 a day for several months. Brand I'm familiar with is Vitalzyme, but there are many others. Google "proteolytic dr wong" for more info.

 

Melatonin is OK to use a few times but should not be used all the time.

CBD oil has numerous benefits and should be used accordingly.

I only take Opiates when the pain is unbearable. I'm like you Kris, I don't want to become addicted to such a powerful drug. Most of us know about what is happening to the colony states and it is horrible.

THC strains vary depending on what you want. Some strains help with sleep, others with pain, and all with munchies. The good thing is you are living in a legal state, so try some. Edibles are great for body pain as well.

 

On a somewhat related note, there is work going on to make yeasts that produce CBD compounds.

 

I come from a pharmaceutical background. Dad was a pharmacist for over 50 years, my career was as a pharmacy tech in retail and as a customer service rep/corporate operations manager at a couple of pharmaceutical wholesalers. Our son just got his pharmacy tech license. We're proponents of CBD oil in our household but, like anything else in life, the use of it requires research to select a good, effective product. It's not for everyone, just like certain medications work for some but not others.

For well over a year, the CBD oil we selected for one of our daughters has really assisted with her anxiety issues. Our regular doctor and her psychiatrist had run through all the various medicines. Years in therapy helped but she was still having episodes fairly often. The doctor is actually the one who suggested CBD for her.

Coincidentally, I just started on CBD myself two days ago at the doctor's suggestion. I injured a hamstring tendon in October and found out during diagnosis and treatment that the arthritis I have from the lower back down through my hips and knees is much more severe than we thought. I had managed things well up until the injury. The new issue just overwhelmed me with the added pain. I've had difficulty walking or even getting in and out of chairs for months. Pain meds and muscle relaxants weren't helping a whole lot. I was approaching dosage levels that made us really uncomfortable. So, time to try something else. It should take a week or so to build up enough CBD in the body to know for sure if it's going to work. The doctor suggested I give it a month-long trial and discontinue it if I'm still in pain.

Back to making sure you find a good, effective product. The brand we settled on is USA grown, free of pesticides, locally distilled here in the L.A, area and independently tested for purity and quality. Many companies make claims about their products but they buy it from foreign sources or unscrupulous growers here that use pesticides and don't spend the effort, time and money necessary to convert it into a high quality product. They talk a good game because talk is cheap and there's a lot of money to be made from unaware buyers in society today. It can be like a Chinese car part seller talking about how great their product is then the product breaks as soon as you put it on a car.

I'll be happy to report back on my personal experience with CBD.

 

Looking forward to it.

 

So far...

Day One - Starter dose of 250 mg morning, 250 mg evening. Couldn't really tell of any immediate effects other than a good night's sleep for a change. I need to give it time to build up in my system and adjust dosages.

Day Two - 250 mg morning, 250 mg evening. Best morning and early afternoon I've had since last summer. By late afternoon the pain was back. Either something else caused a temporary good day or the morning dose wore off. I'm going to try a change in regimen on Day Three in an attempt to isolate if it's the CBD or not.

Today is Day Three. I took the 250 mg dose this morning and feeling better than when I first got up. It could be the CBD or it could just be moving the joints in the morning, although that hasn't helped before. I'm going to split the later dose to 125 mg early afternoon and 125 mg at bedtime and see if that keeps me relatively pain free all day. Not ready to try an increased dose yet without giving this level an honest try.

 

It's being widely recommended for pain. I agree that much more study needs to be done but I think most of the recommendations are coming based on this research involving animals and CBD:

Cannabinoids suppress inflammatory and neuropathic pain by targeting α3 glycine receptors

Transdermal cannabidiol reduces inflammation and pain-related behaviours in a rat model of arthritis

 

Interesting. I had seen a fair amount on the inflammatory benefits, just not also linked to pain in a more general sense. Thanks for the links, I learn more everyday

 

Wait for the coming Martha Stuart oil, it will be much more stylish

 

Maybe they'll include lace doilies to place under the bottles.


The Day Three experiment didn't work. 250 mg in the morning kind of helped but wasn't as effective as it has been. Maybe it was just a bad day but the two 125 mg doses didn't do much of anything. Mild pain was back late afternoon and this morning I'm the worst I've been in a week (I was still using painkillers then; I haven't taken one since starting on the CBD. Today I'm going to increase it to 250 mg three times a day and see how that goes.

One thing I am conscious of is that my daughter didn't really get relief for her anxiety until she got up to 500 mg twice a day. I may simply need more OR it may not be effective for me. Only time and experimentation will tell.

 

One personal note on opioid addiction, I have had two shoulder surgeries, and after a few weeks of use, no inclination to addiction.
No high, and no pain. When the pain was down to Advil/Tylenol levels, no problems stopping the oxycodone.

My doc says that most of the opioid problems are people with existing drug addictions.

 

Your doctor phrased that wrong. A part of the population is prone to becoming addicted to a drug, whether opioids, alcohol, or caffeine. Many in this group avoid becoming addicted to something simply by having avoided taking the drugs. So it is wrong to say most with opioid problems were already addicted to something before hand.