What is Medical Marijuana? MMJ 101

What is medical marijuana? Medical marijuana can be as simply put as this: any time a person uses a marijuana flower or marijuana byproduct/concentrate to heal themselves, soothe an ache or pain, or control a symptom, they’re using medical marijuana.  Using marijuana medicinally, however, is not legal unless you are a valid medical marijuana patient in your state, and currently, 23 states have legal medical programs.  In Arizona, Proposition 203 passed in 2010, allowing valid registered medical marijuana (MMJ) patients in Arizona to possess 2.5 Oz of usable cannabis, and 0-12 plants, all legally. Medical marijuana comes in many delivery forms:  Edible, topical, smoke-able, sublingual, and vaporizable.  There are other forms of medical cannabis, but they’re not needed often, such as cannabis suppositories. Edible cannabis is one of the simplest forms of cannabis, and consuming it, when done right, is the easiest way to medicate for any patient.  Edible cannabis, when in baked goods or other food products, is activated by the liver after an hour or two, and often produces a much stronger and long-lasting high than smoked cannabis.  The golden rule of edibles is to “start low and go slow,” meaning that taking a lower dose and waiting to take more after an hour or two will result in successful dosing.  The “medical marijuana edible horror stories” which have been posted on major media outlets are results of the journalists acting inexperienced, and not following proper dosing rules.  If followed, proper dosing will ensure that any patient’s edible cannabis experience will be successful.   Topical cannabis, such as CBD and THC balms to soothe aches and pains, also work great on other body dysfunctions.  Topical cannabis can be used as a muscle relaxant, to potentially treat skin cancer, to fight skin rashes, and to soothe any inflammation where the topical cannabis is applied. Smoke-able medical marijuana is the most common form due to how easy it is to medicate with cannabis flower or concentrates.  Simply put the medicine in a joint, glass pipe, or glass water pipe, combust it, and inhale it to activate the effects.  When smoked, patients can feel the effects of medical cannabis almost instantly, with the full psychoactive effects becoming present after 5-10 minutes of/or after smoking. Sublingual cannabis is often in oil form, and taken under the tongue.  Some would classify this as edible cannabis, and while it is edible, the cannabis is absorbed through the blood vessels under the tongue.  Oils like decarboxylated RSO, decarboxylated full extract oil, and other active cannabis oils can be taken sublingually, and sublingual delivery goes directly into the bloodstream vs being absorbed by the stomach. Vaporized cannabis is similar to smoked cannabis, but instead of combusting the flower material or concentrate, the trichomes are boiled and vaporized, creating a much more pleasant experience for many patients.  Vaporization improves everything from taste to potency (when vaporized correctly), and with a vaporizer, some patients find that they can conserve their medicine more efficiently than by smoking it. Cannabis concentrates, such as those made through CO2 extraction, are most potent when smoked off of a titanium or quartz nail out of a concentrate pipe known as an oil rig.  Concentrates are always stronger than flower, and contain much higher levels of cannabinoids than buds do.  Because of this extreme potency, new patients should take caution when medicating with concentrates, as should all patients when trying new medicine. Stop by today, we’d be happy to talk with you about the right option for you.