Medical Testing - Non Medical State

I am new on the FC forums, and did not really have a place to explore these thoughts before I joined. I am sure there are other dedicated medical sites, but I was looking for vaporizer advice and found some great input and a welcoming community. So here goes:


I have dealt with severe stomach issues my entire life, and have found great comfort in treating myself with herb. It has been critical in fighting nausea, keeping food down, and putting weight on. I am about 5'9" tall and weighed 106 lbs in December of 2012; approximately one year later, I am up to a far healthier weight of 148 and I am continuing to put on pounds.

There is little doubt in my mind that my lack of throwing up and my weight gain are directly related to my beginning to vaporize one year ago.

BUT I live in state that does not recognize medical use and I really want a medical professional's opinion. I have been through the Mayo Clinic several years ago and seen some of the best gastro doctors in several other east coast facilities. I would travel to China if there was a doc there that could at least explain what is going on with my body.

What I want to know is who are the best of the best gastroenterologists in the country who give consideration to the possibility of medicinal benefits of marijuana? Where would I even look to find the best of the best medical doctors? What medical colleges are conducting studies? Who are the best teaching and practicing professors on the subject?

I so greatly appreciate all the guidance I have found on the internet, but I am at a point where I am desperately seeking medical professionals. I am tired of self diagnosing (or possibly misdiagnosing) and I am seeking guidance.

When I travel for a weekend without, I regress entirely and experience stomach pains and nausea worse than I have ever felt (which is to say "more excruciating than I can find words for"). Several months ago, I had to go cold turkey for an upcoming Insurance Co drug test. I lost nearly 15 lbs in one month, could not hold down a cup of soup, and felt like shit again. I felt just as bad on day 3 as I did on day 30 and after the test, I did vaporize and I felt like a new person in a matter of minutes- then I started eating again with no throwing up, and I have not looked back.

As a resident of a non-medical state, I do not know where to start...

How do others cope with living in a non-medical state?

There is a thread called "nausea, the monster" here and everyone with gastro problems like you talk about what bothers them and what strain helps them. I'm a non medical state so everything I have learned is either by exploring the forums here or looking through the web. Leafly if you have an iphone is a generic app for strains and what they help with/comments on a generalized basis but from tere I figure you could do some targeted research.

Well in a non medical state the only way to go about squiring any is well word of mouth and channels of people you know and trust... (Because let's be honest everyone does it). In my case I knew a friend and in sharing with her I found it got rid of my chronic nausea(1yr nonstop) and I felt normal again for a short time after Vaping.. I told my mother this and it was prob the only thing I would be able to take that wasn't another doctor throwing pills.. (Screw that stuff) so she knew someone and connected the dots and I have the "medicine" to be normal on bad days.. I could go on but my posts on the matter is in the nausea thread lol

I definitely encourage you to go to the thread topic in this area Nausea the monster.. Start from anywhere/any page and you will find a wealth of information from people like you and me with issues trying to figure things out and supporting eachother. I hope I kind of answered some of your Q's?

Thanks LP; I found the Monster thread a few days ago and have been reading/lurking and catching up. Lots of great info in there and I have a lot more to read.

My end goal is to get into a true medical study run by a major university. Getting the right strains certainly does help symptoms, but I am really looking for bigger answers. I want to know what the heck is going on in my body.

I appreciate your taking the time to respond, thank you for your help. I have found these forums to be incredibly informative because of helpful members like yourself

Thank you

Hey if I knew how I'd like to know as well.. Have you looked to see if any universities have written articles on some issues of marijuana? Could be a place to start to see if anyone is willing to research it..

I will post more as the journey continues; I have identified one local university that is petitioning the state for such a study, but it is a long way off... I am going to dig around though, and see if I might perhaps qualify.

Yes, please do I would like to know what you find out when you do

Welcome to FC FlyingLow!

Even in medical states, cannabis research is severely limited by federal oversight and funding. Participating, or even finding one, will prove challenging to say the least. I found one, but was disappointed in the process as a participant.

To understand what is causing your condition, and finding specialists, why limit yourself to research from doctors that are involved with cannabis? It works as a medicine, but I don't see anyone who knows why. The small point I'm trying to make is understanding causes of conditions can be something quite different from understanding treatments. I don't care if a primary care physician is pro-cannabis or not. I just want them to be experts on the condition itself.

syrupy said:

Welcome to FC FlyingLow!

Even in medical states, cannabis research is severely limited by federal oversight and funding. Participating, or even finding one, will prove challenging to say the least. I found one, but was disappointed in the process as a participant.

To understand what is causing your condition, and finding specialists, why limit yourself to research from doctors that are involved with cannabis? It works as a medicine, but I don't see anyone who knows why. The small point I'm trying to make is understanding causes of conditions can be something quite different from understanding treatments. I don't care if a primary care physician is pro-cannabis or not. I just want them to be experts on the condition itself.

Click to expand...

Your On point there

@Syrupy~

I wholeheartedly agree to what you said, and to that end I have taken a total campaign approach to medicine. I am not only seeking medical marijuana specialists, I am seeking all gastro specialists.

I have spent weeks at the Mayo Clinic and dozens of other equally notable practices across several states. To my knowledge, I am seeing the absolute best of the best of doctors; but their hands are all tied with regards to any consideration for medicinal use and I have not yet seen any doctors in a medical state.