marijuana

[Guest guest]

Back in the 80's, I smoked a LOT of pot. I believe it was a MAJOR

component of many of my problems (mental/emotional/anxiety), along

with the decade of alcohol abuse in the 90's after I quit smoking

pot. I believe wholeheartedly that marijuana alters brain chemistry,

and that if used in high amounts, those changes can become

permanent. I wish I would have never touched the stuff.

I also suffered from insomnia for many years. I think it was related

to alcohol abuse (hopefully simply a Biotin-related issue that will

resolve itself with supplmentation). I still get it on occasion, but

for the most part, I only wake up once or twice during the night. At

worst, I stay awake for an hour or so. But increasingly, I go back

to sleep pretty fast.

The 400 mg of magnesium and 100 mg of Naicin before bed seem to help

a lot. Remember, the way you are using marijuana is simply a

crutch... and you even admitted it really doesn't help the problem.

In this case it's no different than sleeping pills, as it does not

address the cause. If you're like I was, even when using

prescription sleeping pills, they did NOT help the insomnia. It's a

brain chemistry issue, in my opinion, caused by the alcohol and pot

in previous years. Stick with the program and hopefully they will

normalize. You might want to try supplementing with Biotin as well.

(NOW brand from vitacost.com)

I also believe that the insomnia causes a lot of the symptoms we

label as " brain fog. " I went through a couple of weeks of insomnia

last month... averaging 5-6 hours of sleep per night. Those days, I

experienced much worse brain fog than I do when I sleep well.

On a lighter note... while I haven't smoked pot in almost 20 years, I

do remember the great smell of it. When I was in Jamaica last week

at the market, I could smell it everywhere, so I bought a tiny bag

and took the risk of smuggling it on the plane with me. I'll never

smoke it, but I always had a dream of going to Jamaica to indulge in

the 1980's. And it DOES smell really good.

Doug

[Guest guest]

The other thing is that you are inhaling alot of toxins. Marijuana

isn't organically grown. So you are taxing a major detox organ; your

lungs.

On 25-Jul-08, at 9:43 AM, Doug wrote:

> Back in the 80's, I smoked a LOT of pot. I believe it was a MAJOR

> component of many of my problems (mental/emotional/anxiety), along

> with the decade of alcohol abuse in the 90's after I quit smoking

> pot. I believe wholeheartedly that marijuana alters brain chemistry,

> and that if used in high amounts, those changes can become

> permanent. I wish I would have never touched the stuff.

>

> I also suffered from insomnia for many years. I think it was related

> to alcohol abuse (hopefully simply a Biotin-related issue that will

> resolve itself with supplmentation). I still get it on occasion, but

> for the most part, I only wake up once or twice during the night. At

> worst, I stay awake for an hour or so. But increasingly, I go back

> to sleep pretty fast.

>

> The 400 mg of magnesium and 100 mg of Naicin before bed seem to help

> a lot. Remember, the way you are using marijuana is simply a

> crutch... and you even admitted it really doesn't help the problem.

> In this case it's no different than sleeping pills, as it does not

> address the cause. If you're like I was, even when using

> prescription sleeping pills, they did NOT help the insomnia. It's a

> brain chemistry issue, in my opinion, caused by the alcohol and pot

> in previous years. Stick with the program and hopefully they will

> normalize. You might want to try supplementing with Biotin as well.

> (NOW brand from vitacost.com)

>

> I also believe that the insomnia causes a lot of the symptoms we

> label as " brain fog. " I went through a couple of weeks of insomnia

> last month... averaging 5-6 hours of sleep per night. Those days, I

> experienced much worse brain fog than I do when I sleep well.

>

> On a lighter note... while I haven't smoked pot in almost 20 years, I

> do remember the great smell of it. When I was in Jamaica last week

> at the market, I could smell it everywhere, so I bought a tiny bag

> and took the risk of smuggling it on the plane with me. I'll never

> smoke it, but I always had a dream of going to Jamaica to indulge in

> the 1980's. And it DOES smell really good.

>

> Doug

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Good point. IF someone was going to medicate themselves with

marijuana, it would be much better to cook it with food or something

instead of smoking it, I would imagine.

[Guest guest]

This may be slightly off-topic, but I agree with that. I used it fairly

heavily in the mid-70's. Then I started noticing after a few years I had

problems remembering things; I'd go to the grovery store and completely

forget what I went for. I'd go to college classes at the wrong time or

go to the wrong room. My grades started to suffer.

A very close friend of mine said to me one day " Zack, remember the gleam

in your eyes I said I saw when we first met? It's gone. " That was it. I

quit and never used it again.

Zack

On Fri, 25 Jul 2008, Doug wrote:

> Back in the 80's, I smoked a LOT of pot. I believe it was a MAJOR

> component of many of my problems (mental/emotional/anxiety), along

> with the decade of alcohol abuse in the 90's after I quit smoking

> pot. I believe wholeheartedly that marijuana alters brain chemistry,

> and that if used in high amounts, those changes can become

> permanent. I wish I would have never touched the stuff.

>

> I also suffered from insomnia for many years. I think it was related

> to alcohol abuse (hopefully simply a Biotin-related issue that will

> resolve itself with supplmentation). I still get it on occasion, but

> for the most part, I only wake up once or twice during the night. At

> worst, I stay awake for an hour or so. But increasingly, I go back

> to sleep pretty fast.

>

> The 400 mg of magnesium and 100 mg of Naicin before bed seem to help

> a lot. Remember, the way you are using marijuana is simply a

> crutch... and you even admitted it really doesn't help the problem.

> In this case it's no different than sleeping pills, as it does not

> address the cause. If you're like I was, even when using

> prescription sleeping pills, they did NOT help the insomnia. It's a

> brain chemistry issue, in my opinion, caused by the alcohol and pot

> in previous years. Stick with the program and hopefully they will

> normalize. You might want to try supplementing with Biotin as well.

> (NOW brand from vitacost.com)

>

> I also believe that the insomnia causes a lot of the symptoms we

> label as " brain fog. " I went through a couple of weeks of insomnia

> last month... averaging 5-6 hours of sleep per night. Those days, I

> experienced much worse brain fog than I do when I sleep well.

>

> On a lighter note... while I haven't smoked pot in almost 20 years, I

> do remember the great smell of it. When I was in Jamaica last week

> at the market, I could smell it everywhere, so I bought a tiny bag

> and took the risk of smuggling it on the plane with me. I'll never

> smoke it, but I always had a dream of going to Jamaica to indulge in

> the 1980's. And it DOES smell really good.

>

> Doug

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

> The other thing is that you are inhaling alot of toxins.

Marijuana

> isn't organically grown. So you are taxing a major detox organ;

your

> lungs.

==>Hi . Some marijuana is organically grown, and also some

tobacco. In some countries additives in tobacco are not allowed,

like Canada.

Does it make sense that it is " supposedly " healthy to use inhalers

for asthma or inhale other substances like eucalyptus oil, yet

inhaling natural substances like marijuana or tobacco isn't? What's

the difference? And it is okay for drug companies to create

synthetic substances that are beneficial in marijuana and tobacco,

but marijuana is illegal, and they are trying to make tobacoo illegal.

This issue is more about the rights of people than anything else.

And every day we are losing more and more our rights, i.e. to not

vaccinate our children, to treat our children's cancer with natural

alternative methods, to have access to supplements, to get dairy

products that aren't pasteurized, etc.

The drug companies are purposely attacking smoking in order to get

more control over governments (goverments buy in because they receive

high taxes from it) and to get governments and the public to

contribute to their cause! That way " after the smoke has cleared "

(so to speak) they can have a free-for-all making tons of money on

nicotine drugs to treat the very diseases they claimed smoking

caused!!!

Right now drug companies are getting patents on nicotine drugs to

treat children's ADD, Parkinson's Disease, Heart Disease, Stroke,

etc. So don't believe everything you hear and read from media

sources, medicos, drug companies, and governments!!!

Most of the " so-called " facts about smoking (marijuana & tobacco) are

totally false! In fact they may help the lungs because they cause the

lungs to coat with mucus which stops any radioactive particles. In

fact laboratories cannot even measure any nicotine in smoke; they

actually measure another substance instead, which is totally benign.

Also there are just as many people who don't smoke who get lung

cancer, so it must be something else?? A hugh contributor to lung

cancer is a lack of saturated fats since the lung's cell membranes

must be made out of 100% saturated fat.

Bee

[Guest guest]

My life, now, is not very stressful and hasn't been for

> a couple of months, yet my sleep has been worse over the last month

> that it has been in a while. This is because of the healing crisis I

> have been going through. Broadly speaking, my sleep has improved

> measurably since beginning this program, and I truly believe it will

> continue to improve and that giving it away will be very easy.

>

Matt,

Have you tried yoga? I started doing yoga last year when I was

having awful insomnia and it helped tremendously. Also, any exercise

during the early part of the day will help you sleep better at night.

Two other things that have helped me are magnesium before bed and

electrolyte drink on the bedside table. If I wake up in the middle of

the night, I take a few sips and am usually able to go right back to

sleep. If not, I do the relaxation exercise I posted awhile back. If

you want, I can find it for you.

Cathe

[Guest guest]

I use this for sleep problems and it hasn't let me down yet. It's

homeopathic and has no side effects and won't compromise your candida

at all.

I get it at the health food store.

http://www.martinandpleasance.com/products.php?dis=cat & ca_ID=5 & pr_ID=208

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Your right about the way Marijuana is grown, In Jamaica we see lots of people

smoke it and do nothing with their lives. This is a natural plant that has

benefits, but the overall results for some is laziness and forgetfulness, I see

too many people smoke it and get addicted. Everything has benefits and bad

reactions,its what we do with it! 

> Back in the 80's, I smoked a LOT of pot. I believe it was a MAJOR

> component of many of my problems (mental/emotional/ anxiety), along

> with the decade of alcohol abuse in the 90's after I quit smoking

> pot. I believe wholeheartedly that marijuana alters brain chemistry,

> and that if used in high amounts, those changes can become

> permanent. I wish I would have never touched the stuff.

>

> I also suffered from insomnia for many years. I think it was related

> to alcohol abuse (hopefully simply a Biotin-related issue that will

> resolve itself with supplmentation) . I still get it on occasion, but

> for the most part, I only wake up once or twice during the night. At

> worst, I stay awake for an hour or so. But increasingly, I go back

> to sleep pretty fast.

>

> The 400 mg of magnesium and 100 mg of Naicin before bed seem to help

> a lot. Remember, the way you are using marijuana is simply a

> crutch... and you even admitted it really doesn't help the problem.

> In this case it's no different than sleeping pills, as it does not

> address the cause. If you're like I was, even when using

> prescription sleeping pills, they did NOT help the insomnia. It's a

> brain chemistry issue, in my opinion, caused by the alcohol and pot

> in previous years. Stick with the program and hopefully they will

> normalize. You might want to try supplementing with Biotin as well.

> (NOW brand from vitacost.com)

>

> I also believe that the insomnia causes a lot of the symptoms we

> label as " brain fog. " I went through a couple of weeks of insomnia

> last month... averaging 5-6 hours of sleep per night. Those days, I

> experienced much worse brain fog than I do when I sleep well.

>

> On a lighter note... while I haven't smoked pot in almost 20 years, I

> do remember the great smell of it. When I was in Jamaica last week

> at the market, I could smell it everywhere, so I bought a tiny bag

> and took the risk of smuggling it on the plane with me. I'll never

> smoke it, but I always had a dream of going to Jamaica to indulge in

> the 1980's. And it DOES smell really good.

>

> Doug

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Here is a very, very interesting link:

http://www.naturalnews.com/027756_cancer_cure_Big_Pharma.html

Jean

************************

> This is the fallacy, tho: medical cannabis is not about getting stoned

> (please see my other post about the ways that it is possible to control the

> amount taken in). You and a couple of others here have made the assumption

> that medical cannabis is the same as alcohol intake, which it isn't. It is

> a true medicine in addition to bringing joy. Whether someone feels high or

> not, cannabis prevents the worsening of glaucoma and stops nausea, etc

> etc. And I respectfully disagree that cannabis isn't a good analgesic. It

> specifically is, and I would argue that if it works by lowering the

> consciousness of the pain why is that not functional? But in fact it is

> prescribed for pain and research shows it works. What is absolutely true

> is that some strains and preparations are better for body pain and others

> are better for depression, but all of it stops glaucoma and nausea. It's

> also a specific for asthma. and etc etc. I don't know the science of it,

> but it certainly seems to raise endorphin levels, of which anyone

> interested in LDN ought to be able to understand the value.

>

> I agree that the issue of lung damage is mostly a myth. However, top

> medical cannabis doctors prescribe using it with a vaporizer for inhalation

> (and also prescribe putting it into food, see my other post). Vaporizers

> heat the herb to a specific temperature to release the essential oils that

> contain the healing ingredients while leaving behind the carbon matter that

> would be the source of any negative effects in the lungs. The benefit of a

> vaporizer as I've experienced it is also that by leaving the carbon behind,

> you get a very clean experience. It's also very economical because you are

> capturing all the essence with no waste.

>

> My medical cannabis doctor, until his death, was Dr. Tod H. Mikuriya

> http://www.mikuriya.com/, a psychiatrist who worked for the government

> (NIH) studying medical cannabis until they decided omg it was too scary to

> contemplate, he moved into private research and was harassed by the a

> variety of law enforcement and other gov't agencies most of the rest of his

> life. He was overcoming this harassment through pure factual education when

> he died. He was an amazing healer and did more to help me with my lifelong

> PTSD, simply by validating my experience, than years of therapy ever did.

>

> #1 fallacy to examine: medical cannabis is the same as alcohol, a social

> drug with no medical value.

[Guest guest]

The one thing that can be said, mm is illegal in most states, for now. The fact that it helps some folks with nausea and pain relief is moot. As a pharmacist it would be illegal for me to tell you the stories that I have heard where people are achieving their goals. All I can do is say that for now its illegal. I would absolutely advise against driving etc, I predict that sometime in the future when its going to become legal there will be the same precautions that are found on narcotic rx's. Again, it would be illegal for me to advise anyone to try it, even though my clinical impression is that it has helped a large number of people.

The unfortunate thing is that this drug might help a lot of folks but because of the stigma associated with it real studies are not being undertaken.

Dr.Skip

[Guest guest]

There was a marijuana study some years ago in New York. A blue ribbon commission was ordered by Mayor Laguardia to study the facts as to marijuana. The study came back as not only not harmful but possibly helpful. The study was promptly buried. Sterling

[Guest guest]

This is such a frustrating topic for me. My brothers use it without a reason

and to excess, and I'm sure it doesn't cause them to be underachievers, but I

suppose it helps them not care. One of my brothers uses it to distance himself

from reality instead of making needed changes in his life. Despite all of this,

I tried it a while back because I was in a great deal of pain and

over-the-counter pain meds rip the heck out of my stomach (I have IBD/ulcerative

colitis, so my stomach is ripped up anyhow) and opiates of course are a no-no.

For the first time in a long time, I was able to sit through a whole movie

without being distracted by my aching joints and gut. I felt a little more my

age. I didn't get high. I just had enough to be able to not feel every little

ache and pain, and had the added benefit of not being nauseated (which I didn't

even realize was a problem until it stopped). One day, I tried eating it and

mistakenly thought you needed

more...and I found I HATE the feeling of too much. I would never use it before

or during work, and I certainly wouldn't drive with it. But IF I had the

choice, I would use it when I have a hard time moving around on the weekends or

if I have to stay home because I have a hard time getting out of bed.

I have been in the ER twice this year for abdominal distress, diarrhea and

dehydration (the first time my blood pressure was gone when I stood up and I

needed three bags of saline to start coming around again after a little over

half a day of diarrhea symptoms - doesn't take much to put me over the edge) and

lately I've been having a resurgence of lupus symptoms. It turns out that I had

two kinds of parasitic bacteria in my gut, one of which is not going away. Now,

because of the antibiotics that I've tried to treat it, I have candida

overgrowth. Not surprisingly, LDN has become somewhat less effective and my

symptoms are showing more than usual. Without the LDN, I would be in a world of

pain and much worse off. I'm still in quite a bit of pain, and am having a hard

time keeping it all together. But. I've decided not to use medical marijuana.

I would like the ability to use mm, and in my state you can without getting

arrested if you have a medical card. The bad thing is you can't work if you use

it. In the state of Washington, an employer is absolutely not required to

tolerate the use of mm, even if the usage is completely off duty. Upon

discovering said usage, the employer may terminate the employee regardless of

work performance. For this reason, I've chosen employment and medical insurance

and a slightly lowered quality of life over risking termination. I have a desk

job, and I pull twice my weight. I never use my chronic illness as an excuse.

I would never use it on duty and I don't operate machinery - I have a desk job.

I would like the option to use MM on my off hours so I could get more sleep and

function better, but until employees who do well on evaluations and exceed

expectations have some protection for off duty mm usage, I'll pass. Heaven

forbid I become disabled and

can't work, but if I do I'm using it as much as needed. I've done my research

and most of its supposed health risks are fable, especially if you use a

ventilator instead of sucking on a butane lighter. I can't find any definitive,

well documented research that proves that it is bad. It reduces inflammation,

is an effective pain killer, and you can get these benefits without using much

or getting high. One can be emotionally addicted to any substance or action,

but it's sure a lot less addictive than most of the prescribed pain killers out

there.

Wow that was whiney Rough day guys, sorry.

Cami

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

LDN 2 years (don't get me wrong - it helps!!!)

[Guest guest]

>

> Hello Bee,

> I haven't posted in a while. I was re-reading the articals this morning about

candida, getting started, etc. I did a search on your site for candida and

marijuana use. What came up was under the section about drugs, mainly

prescription and otc drugs. There was a statement, though, about marijuana

having some medical uses and it not being legalized.

>

> Do you know if excessive usage of marijuana contributes to candida overgrowth?

I realize that some people use medical marijuana for pain control. My son is

addicted to marijuana. He and others say it is not possible to have a physical

addiction to marijuana--maybe so. There are definite emotional attachments,

though, and I am learning that it does cause changes in the brain that increase

cravings. His dad and I are against his usage and are trying to get him to

stop. He is having life problems typical of other type of drug addicts, so it

is scary seeing him going down this road. He has agreed to go to rehab--likes

to see scientific evidence of why he should not smoke. However, his reasoning

has become faulty and strange. He did this pretty much throughout high school

and now beyond (almost 19 yo). He is going nowhere fast! He has also been

smoking cigarettes and drinking lots of Mountain Dew and good amount of beer at

times--although he prefers the marijuana.

>

> When he was an infant, he had bad colic the first two months. Not knowing any

better, I gave him soy formula for 10 months. That seemed to help calm the

colic. But I suspect that I probably had candida overgrowth myself when he was

born--resulting colic--and soy formula added to it. I tried to feed my kids

healthy, or what I thought was healthy at the time--low fat, not a lot meat,

lots of fruits and veggies. Oh--to have known then what I know now! My heart

breaks! At age 3 he had a bout with reactive airways ( dr.never called it

asthma)and also pneumonia. In my mind, all of this points to candida

overgrowth. I've had no success talking to him about candida. And his father

thinks I am nuts, too, because I am on the diet and my skin has been broken out

16 months now (big areas have cleared).

>

> Do you know of any reasons why excessive marijuana usage could possibly add to

candida overgrowth or if the overgrowth adds to cravings?

+++Sorry Leesa, I cannot answer your question about this.

All the best, Bee