B (Minneapolis, Mn) on 08/01/2011:

I have consciously used this herb medicinally since my late twenties. I began experimenting with spiritual/medicinal applications for a few years before I decided to take it seriously.

I have tried a few modes of ingestion: eating, smoking, vaporizing, tincture.

In my twenties I was very depilitated. I had chronic debilitating pain in my muscle tissue & joints.
Chronic inflammation- systemically.
Headaches/Sinusitius/depressed immune system
Endometriosis....the list is larger than this post necessitates, so I'll stop here.

I did several things to dig myself out of that hole. I was beyond the doctors' scope of knowledge & I had no patience for their convulted process when my own instincts were very clear.

What I have found to be most effective is small dosage. Eating the medicine is difficult to dose (although if you are in state where it is legal, many dispensiaries have honed that & have a wide variety of consumables), smoking has been the easiest form for me to take the medicine. I have used a vaporizer a few times, and think they are a fantastic answer to the concern over smoking. However, they are expensive.

I will talk more about tincture in a moment.

What I have found works best for me thus far, is to take in one or two small inhalations. And without any breath holding, exhale. Of course, because of the legal classifications of the plant the medicine is very different depending upon where it comes from and many people have taken breeding to a science. I think the best thing is to do your research on this and follow your conscience as to how you obtain it & how it's grown. Again, dispensiaries are good sources of knowledge.

Back to it: Sometimes I will increase of decrease the dosage, depending upon what my body is saying. I have used it successfully for premenstrual & perimenipausal pain & anxiety. This has been immensly helpful because of the endometriosis issue. It has helped a considerable amount with cultivating mindfulness- which is the richest resource for helaing I know of.

It has helped with headaches reliably & opens my sinuses.

It has also helped to take the edge off of debilitating pain & relieved inflammation (not in a lasting way). Although, there are some strains (and I have not cultivated a base knowledge of them, so I cannot tell you what they are and are not) which will increase the body awareness in such a way that it becomes "more" painful.

Yoga is quite helpful under such circumstances.

Now to tincture: I have tried this only once, but one dropperfull, a typical tincture dose was more than I needed for a simple medicinal application. I've been working with other tinctures in a homeopathic way for number of years to great success with certain issues. Thus, I've been very curious about using cannabis tincture in this manner- meaning just a few drops in some water. I finally started some tincture and it should be ready at the end of this month. I'm very excited to experient with it.

Finally, I just want to add that The National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws is a wonderful resource for information on both the medicinal and the legal issues surrounding this Gift of Earth. They have many links to reputable studies. There have been a plethora of studies and new information is being uncovered all the time. It is very exciting to see the science unfold (as many types of natural healing are being revealed in a similar nature).

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