My MJ Journey

[GenYHippie]

Hi mods if there is a more appropriate place to post this please feel free to move, thanks .

Anyways need a place to catalog this journey and get some feedback along the way so here is as good as any and you all have been very helpful thus far. So here it goes.

Last night 2/18/14 had my first go at vaporizing. Decide to go with Cannatonic (currently tested at 3.02 THC and 8.81 CBD). Went with the lowest temp on the solo since when i tried the lavender in it on level 2 and 3 I in like the feeling in my throat an I coughed a lot. Did one "baby" hit (inhale 3/4 lungful, held 5 seconds, then slow exhale) waited 20 min then another hit same way.

First hit I cant be sure what was my anxiety and what was the MJ but here is what I felt. Less than 1 minute after I felt this floaty/swimming feeling in my head like my brain was a balloon bumping against my skull kinda made me dizzy. Shortly after felt tingling down the back of my thighs and in my stomach. Had a similar throat discomfort to the lavender not as sharp but bothersome.

The tingling freaked me out even though I knew it could happen. I get that same feeling right before I throw up so it took a lot to talk myself down to be calm about it. I started to feel calmer about it 14 minutes in. After the second hit the same head feeling happened but milder. Then 9 - 10 minutes in my muscles especially my arms started to feel heavy.

I was still having bouts with extra dizziness so I waited about a half hour before moving to bed. I hoped to fall asleep but that didn't happen. Maybe 20-30 minutes after going to bed I started getting a headache. Nothing horrible but enough to keep me awake. I rubbed some peppermint oil into my neck, temples, and jaw since I didn't want to take anything to mess up my stomach.

By 5 am (4 hours 20 minutes after last hit) the nausea got much worse. Before that I cant say it was better but it as least wasn't as bad as the night before but I also hadn't eaten or drank much of anything since 10pm. Took what meds I could at the time to allow me to crawl into the living room/kitchen area so I could heat my pack (heat on the stomach helps the nausea some). Took me a good half hour of cowering and crawling to get myself, a blanket, my beg of meds, and my hot pack onto the couch .

Obviously not the night I had planned but aside from the headache I cant wholly contribute the misery of the evening to the MJ as it was so many hours after my hits. Hence why I need some feedback if you've managed to make it through this odyssey .

Some things to consider 1) I am just a few days past a bad cold 2) I have had an incredible amount of upper digestive gas the last 2 weeks and I already have about 7X more than the average joe 3) I took the hits 30 minutes after my usual anti-emetic (Zofran) which made my next dose fall at 6am so it was reasonable to feel worse at 5 am just not as bad as it was last night.

 

[RUDE BOY]

I find for nausea I need higher THC content. Higher thc works for my nausea and to stimulate appetite.

The cannatonic you have would work wonders for my pain though, as for that I need a higher CBD to THC ratio.

That's just my experience, I'm in a non-mmj state so I don't have caregivers or such to help out and give advice nor a selection of herb. I know in my very soul that I wouldn't still be alive if I didn't have the good herb to medicate, I truly hope you find the balance and relief you deserve.

 

[GenYHippie]

Hi Rude Boy thanks for chiming it. I have heard the same thing but I was afraid of the head trip and was told by the dispensaries I should try a hybrid first. Luckily in my order I got a variety. One straight indica, one straight sativa, and three hybrids one is a strong leaning sativa.

I don't think I vaped enough to help with pain last night as my joints still hurt even though my muscles relaxed some. Im sorry you don't have good access to meds . One reason im grateful to live in California as far as variety only Colorado has it better then here. Im glad you are able to get what you can to find relief.

Im in that same spot now I doubt i will live to end of year if i cant find a strain that works for me. Ive exhausted conventional medicine and then some so this is my shot. Cant let myself be discouraged.

 

[DDave]

Hi GenYHippie, I'm with Rude Boy on the THC info.... But also a good balance of THC to CBD.... You may have missed this by vaping at a low level.

On my Solo (M1C1),
Up to Level 4 = energetic, tingly, active (or edgy, dependent on strain)
Level 5 = I can just start to feel the CBD effect decently
Level 6-7 = heavy, pain relief, cramps, mellow and definitely takes any "edge" off the effects..

I understand experimenting when the need is medical is a bit rough, but maybe worth the investment to try a small quantity of fresh product in your Solo at a certain Level, not ramping up through a session, to give you an idea of which level produces the effects you seek.

So, try a lightly packed stem and set your Solo to L4. Allow the heat to stablize, then take a draw. If you start to feel the desired effects, try another draw and so on until your overall desired level is reached. Pace yourself, it's easy to process a lot of product as vaping is much smoother than smoking.

If this didn't work, you could always try the same experiment, but at Level 5.

Hope this helps!

 

[b0]

As DDave said, I think that if you want to sleep you should try higher temps. Maybe put there just a pinch of herb and take 2 or 3 hits between 5-7. This way you will extract more CBD, at low temps usually you extract more THC and that can create some anxiety.

I use cannabis for insomnia and have some anxiety issues myself so I try to avoid strong Sativas. Sometimes they will make you think more than what you want to be able to sleep.

Edit: Also don't forget that these are your first times using cannabis so the effect is much more strong. Keep trying in a safe enviroment and you will get used to your "new perception" when high and find the best strains for your needs

 

[DDave]

As DDave said, I think that if you want to sleep you should try higher temps. Maybe put there just a pinch of herb and take 2 or 3 hits between 5-7. This way you will extract more CBD, at low temps usually you extract more THC and that can create some anxiety.

I use cannabis for insomnia and have some anxiety issues myself so I try to avoid strong Sativas. Sometimes they will make you think more than what you want to be able to sleep.

Edit: Also don't forget that these are your first times using cannabis so the effect is much more strong. Keep trying in a safe enviroment and you will get used to your "new perception" when high and find the best strains for your needs

Right On b0! I didn't catch the "entirely new to cannabis" part.... There's definitely a break-in period for your body during initial use of the product, regardless of method of consumption.

 

[equatorgringo]

Yep, keep at it, first time is always a bit of a doozy it is good to have different strains and the advice given by the fellas above to try out. You'll do alright!

 

[GenYHippie]

Hi GenYHippie, I'm with Rude Boy on the THC info.... But also a good balance of THC to CBD.... You may have missed this by vaping at a low level.

On my Solo (M1C1),
Up to Level 4 = energetic, tingly, active (or edgy, dependent on strain)
Level 5 = I can just start to feel the CBD effect decently
Level 6-7 = heavy, pain relief, cramps, mellow and definitely takes any "edge" off the effects..

I understand experimenting when the need is medical is a bit rough, but maybe worth the investment to try a small quantity of fresh product in your Solo at a certain Level, not ramping up through a session, to give you an idea of which level produces the effects you seek.

So, try a lightly packed stem and set your Solo to L4. Allow the heat to stablize, then take a draw. If you start to feel the desired effects, try another draw and so on until your overall desired level is reached. Pace yourself, it's easy to process a lot of product as vaping is much smoother than smoking.

If this didn't work, you could always try the same experiment, but at Level 5.

Hope this helps!

Hi DDave. I have the same solo good to hear from someone else with an M1C1. I started so low as ive never smoked/inhaled anything other than my asthma inhaler in my life. The lavender made me cough a lot an had some throat burn at 2-3 so I figured better to go low and maybe turn it up after a hit or two. Thanks for chiming in maybe I will get brave and turn it up next time. Though I think my next try will be higher THC.

As DDave said, I think that if you want to sleep you should try higher temps. Maybe put there just a pinch of herb and take 2 or 3 hits between 5-7. This way you will extract more CBD, at low temps usually you extract more THC and that can create some anxiety.

I use cannabis for insomnia and have some anxiety issues myself so I try to avoid strong Sativas. Sometimes they will make you think more than what you want to be able to sleep.

Edit: Also don't forget that these are your first times using cannabis so the effect is much more strong. Keep trying in a safe enviroment and you will get used to your "new perception" when high and find the best strains for your needs

Good to know the CBD needs higher temps but I don't think my lungs could take anything above 3 -4 till they get used to it. Thanks for the advice

Right On b0! I didn't catch the "entirely new to cannabis" part.... There's definitely a break-in period for your body during initial use of the product, regardless of method of consumption.

Ahhh ok thank you. How long should I expect to "power through" the unpleasant parts vaping 3 - 4 times a week? With the side effets of last night I certainly couldn't be expected to be function for at least 2 days and I still have appointments I have to keep.

Yep, keep at it, first time is always a bit of a doozy it is good to have different strains and the advice given by the fellas above to try out. You'll do alright!

Thanks for the support equatorgringo I appreciate it

 

[DDave]

Hi DDave. I have the same solo good to hear from someone else with an M1C1. I started so low as ive never smoked/inhaled anything other than my asthma inhaler in my life. The lavender made me cough a lot an had some throat burn at 2-3 so I figured better to go low and maybe turn it up after a hit or two. Thanks for chiming in maybe I will get brave and turn it up next time. Though I think my next try will be higher THC.



Good to know the CBD needs higher temps but I don't think my lungs could take anything above 3 -4 till they get used to it. Thanks for the advice



Ahhh ok thank you. How long should I expect to "power through" the unpleasant parts vaping 3 - 4 times a week? With the side effets of last night I certainly couldn't be expected to be function for at least 2 days and I still have appointments I have to keep.



Thanks for the support equatorgringo I appreciate it

GenYHippie, happy to help! I think the Gong (Solo interface to a Water Tool or Water Pipe) and use of a Water Tool would be of great benefit to you! It is the only way I use my Solo at home. I had a glass on glass water pipe for use with my Arizer EQ, so I just needed the Gong in order to use the Solo through water. Night and Day difference! Since you've never combusted or vaped, this setup should be very beneficial to you in making the vapor much smoother.

In regards to how long it takes to power through, I came off a 13 year T break and could tell the difference by the 3rd day..... about 7 days maybe to come up to a very comfortable level.

Best of luck! and enjoy!

 

[GenYHippie]

GenYHippie, happy to help! I think the Gong (Solo interface to a Water Tool or Water Pipe) and use of a Water Tool would be of great benefit to you! It is the only way I use my Solo at home. I had a glass on glass water pipe for use with my Arizer EQ, so I just needed the Gong in order to use the Solo through water. Night and Day difference! Since you've never combusted or vaped, this setup should be very beneficial to you in making the vapor much smoother.

In regards to how long it takes to power through, I came off a 13 year T break and could tell the difference by the 3rd day..... about 7 days maybe to come up to a very comfortable level.

Best of luck! and enjoy!

I will look into that for next month ive already thrown over $250 into various cannabis products this month which means borrowing money for food next week so it shall have to wait a while. My sister is sending me a nebulizer to help humidify my airways after till I can sort out something better. My throat is still bugging me a little today so ive kept a steamy cup of water and peppermint oil nearby to breathe in.

Really great to know the "breaking in" part doesn't last to long. If I didn't have an appointment tomorrow morning iw ould have tried again today but it was a rough start recovering from last night. Only ended up with about 4 hours sleep which isn't helping the nausea at all .

Thanks for the well wishes. Having the support on here makes all the difference for me not having any friends I can speak to IRL about this.

 

[Snake Plissken]

I remember being a kid smoking mj the first few times and it was almost hallucinogenic! A blurriness around everything and you could almost see the air molecules around you. Now It's tough to feel much of anything. While it is good to keep your tolerance down, any initial discomfort should pass pretty quickly.

 

[GenYHippie]

I remember being a kid smoking mj the first few times and it was almost hallucinogenic! A blurriness around everything and you could almost see the air molecules around you. Now It's tough to feel much of anything. While it is good to keep your tolerance down, any initial discomfort should pass pretty quickly.

Thanks for the reassurance. I didn't try any last night as I had an appointment I couldn't miss but also couldn't stand another night on 4 hours sleep. May try a sativa today, see how I feel before dinner. Everyone is working today an I don't want to try stuff home alone so it may be postponed.

Jack Herer is currently leading in next to try

 

[Stu]

Thanks for the reassurance. I didn't try any last night as I had an appointment I couldn't miss but also couldn't stand another night on 4 hours sleep. May try a sativa today, see how I feel before dinner. Everyone is working today an I don't want to try stuff home alone so it may be postponed.

Jack Herer is currently leading in next to try

@GenYHippie I would stay away from Sativas until you get more comfortable with Indicas or maybe hybrids. Sativas can send your mind racing a bit and might not be the best thing if your goal is to get better sleep.

Good luck in your journey.



Edit: Jack Herer is one of the more powerful sativas that I've experienced. I limit my own Jack Herer use for daytime only.

 

[GenYHippie]

@GenYHippie I would stay away from Sativas until you get more comfortable with Indicas or maybe hybrids. Sativas can send your mind racing a bit and might not be the best thing if your goal is to get better sleep.

Good luck in your journey.



Edit: Jack Herer is one of the more powerful sativas that I've experienced. I limit my own Jack Herer use for daytime only.

Thanks Stu I will keep it in mind. The first time I tried it I wanted a nighttime but the nausea is my main battle. For instance today after not ingesting anything but my anti-emetic I threw up twice (just acid) and it took me 3 hours to get down 12 oz of fluid which has been sporatically coming up every since.

I would like to have a strain or two for sleep but I mainly want daytime strains to be able to functioned and reduce the nausea. Good to know jack is strong I will wait longer between my "baby" hits if I try that one

 

[Snake Plissken]

Thanks Stu I will keep it in mind. The first time I tried it I wanted a nighttime but the nausea is my main battle. For instance today after not ingesting anything but my anti-emetic I threw up twice (just acid) and it took me 3 hours to get down 12 oz of fluid which has been sporatically coming up every since.

I would like to have a strain or two for sleep but I mainly want daytime strains to be able to functioned and reduce the nausea. Good to know jack is strong I will wait longer between my "baby" hits if I try that one

Sounds like you have a handle on it. Sativas and strains with high thc work best (for me) for nausea, but not good for sleeping. Better than forced unconsciousness from Phenergan though.

 

[Enchantre]

Have you checked Leafly.com for strains available near you that are used for nausea? you can do some pretty fine-tuning on strains, plus read the reviews.

 

[GenYHippie]

Sounds like you have a handle on it. Sativas and strains with high thc work best (for me) for nausea, but not good for sleeping. Better than forced unconsciousness from Phenergan though.

Well im trying with ALOT of help from you all . Yeah I remember phenegren and promethazine, and Compazine, and reglan, and yeah you get it . Zofran has the least side effects for me in that way so that's what ive been on for the last 5 years. Just wish it did more than merely reducing the upchucking. Hopeing the MJ will kick the nausea down a few pegs and give me an appetite. I haven't felt hunger in a few years, the last time I recall at the moment was around my 21st birthday and im about to be 25.

Have you checked Leafly.com for strains available near you that are used for nausea? you can do some pretty fine-tuning on strains, plus read the reviews.

Hi Enchantre . I do have a leafly account it wasn't much help in finding dispensaries as the ones near me don't seem to update theit menu with them often plus there aren't that many in my zip code. But dispensaries two cities over does deliver here since we are in the same county so I am looking into them. Hopefully I can find some better variety, if not I can just save up and buy when im down in San Diego to visit family.

 

[Snake Plissken]

This is a good source also:

https://weedmaps.com/dispensaries/in/california/central-san-diego-clubs

Just click on the "select your region" tab. Most clubs have menus/pics/etc. Just glanced at san diegos prices at a couple of disps,and I'm glad I live in Oregon.

I have late stage chronic pancreatitis. I should have been dead long ago, and would have been w/o mmj. Nothing helps nausea and appetite better imo. I was in the hospital hooked up to ivs for weeks at a time 2-3 x a year, Now, w/ a steady supply, it's been almost 10 years since my last er trip.

 

[grokit]

I was just reading about big bang, a strain that I fell in love when I judged the cup in 2001. It's reportedly still quite popular in pharmacies over there (amsterdam). I liked it because it worked when my tolerance was so high nothing else would, it's easy to see why at 20% thc it was the indoor record holder at the time.
It's 4/5-1 indica-sativa hybrid respectively, so it qualifies as medical in places that care.

 

[GenYHippie]

This is a good source also:

https://weedmaps.com/dispensaries/in/california/central-san-diego-clubs

Just click on the "select your region" tab. Most clubs have menus/pics/etc. Just glanced at san diegos prices at a couple of disps,and I'm glad I live in Oregon.

I have late stage chronic pancreatitis. I should have been dead long ago, and would have been w/o mmj. Nothing helps nausea and appetite better imo. I was in the hospital hooked up to ivs for weeks at a time 2-3 x a year, Now, w/ a steady supply, it's been almost 10 years since my last er trip.

Thanks for the link. I actually found my recommendation doc and the local dispensary through them. I need to take a better look at whats down by my family as the one place I stopped down there only ha about 15 strains total and was WAY in the boonies. Nice folks just not much to choose from.

Im glad the MJ is able to helps you though im sorry for the suffering you've been through *hugs*. Hoping a higher THC strain will give the better nausea control. No one got home till after 9 so I don't want to try tonight and get too buzzed. Im already regularly up ay 4 and 5 am trying to get to sleep. No where to go till monday though so I wil surely give another try by then

 

[Enchantre]

Hi Enchantre . I do have a leafly account it wasn't much help in finding dispensaries as the ones near me don't seem to update theit menu with them often plus there aren't that many in my zip code. But dispensaries two cities over does deliver here since we are in the same county so I am looking into them. Hopefully I can find some better variety, if not I can just save up and buy when im down in San Diego to visit family.

Okay, but have you used Leafly to figure which strain(s) you should try? That is what I mostly use it for, as the dispensary info is never up to date here in WA - I use weedmaps.com for that.

 

[GenYHippie]

Okay, but have you used Leafly to figure which strain(s) you should try? That is what I mostly use it for, as the dispensary info is never up to date here in WA - I use weedmaps.com for that.

Yup ive been looking. Though many are rated for nausea im still trying to find ones thathave a good effect on that without a lot of mention of dizziness. I have inner ear trouble so I get enough of that anyway . Yup I use weedmaps too . Im working my way through it just slow going. I open up a few searches a day and go about the net reading about them.

 

[GenYHippie]

Ok attempt 2 in process . Decied to go "wake & bake" since once I get going I only keep feeling worse which makes me freaked to try anything because im already so miserable and what if it makes it worse?

Anyway I groud and pre-loaded last night. After my regular emetic kicked in enough I did one baby hit of Jack Herer (level 2 on solo) set the timer for 20 and waited to see what happened. No rush of floaty/dizziness like with cannatonic so that's good. Tingling did start to get a bit intense around 7 minutes in. The tingling is reallyhard for me to deal with as ive always associated it with rapidly impending vomit . But I did better talking myself down so my heart rate didn't speed up much.

I set up the room so id be ready for whatever hit. It was nice darkish (light fluctuations make dizziness worse for me), calm, warm snuggled up in a blanket with my heating pad. I waited a bit past the 20 minute timer to get up an move around since the tingling was bugging me. But once I got up it was ok, the usual head feeling of standing up after being down for so long but nothing horrible.

Currently about 53 minutes post first hit and im feeling ok, not OMG its a miracle better but better than yesterday about this time. Still getting rushes of tingles down my legs and some gurgling in my stomach but I don't feel hungry. Just kicking back with a coconut water and trying to take it easy.

I know im being insanely cautious about all this but my body scares the shit out of me on a near hourly basis and trying something new that may impact that good or bad is scary to me. Also taking it easy since its Jack and the consensus seems to be its sneaks up on you and BAM lol. May take another hit or two between now and dinner see if it goes better if I get a little more in me.

Barely got down a heaping 1/4 cup of food last night I need to do better than that. Especially sine some of that came back up...

 

[GenYHippie]

Ok took a second larger hit (also on level 2) probably about a half hour ago. I was watching harry potter and forgot to set the timer lol. Much less tingling this time thankfully which made it more comfortable though my throat feels a little irritated and tight but nothing serious.

Working on getting down coconut water before I move onto solids. Still doing better than I was yesterday so that's promising

 

[equatorgringo]

Maybe consider taking a couple of hits back to back?