MMJ for mild inflammation?

[Perfer]

Hi, I am on Imuran and have been for years, I havent had a bad flareup for years. however I have active inflammation of my colon and have had it since 2008, it just wont go away.

It is not very bad, I have a stoma and usually not diarrhea but I struggle with fatigue and cant work.

My bloodtests are always good and fecal calprotectin is around 50.

My question is have anyone been in a similar situation where you have a slight inflammation, then trying MMJ to cure it?

Since I have had the inflammation for so many years I think MMJ is my last chance to get rid of it.

Or is MMJ more for symptom relief and bad flareups with diarrhea and pain?

 

[Cupcake23]

MMJ is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties. People use it for pain relief because it is not constipating like narcotic pain relievers. It works well for insomnia also. I am anxious for some actual clinical trials to get underway.

 

[Perfer]

Well I either have a really bad stomach bug or my crohns has gotten more active, ive had diarrhea for 9 days in a row now. Ithink I will try MMJ later this week hopefully and hopefully it will work.

When I say MMJ its probably some low quality street stuff since MMJ is not legal in norway.

But im tired of inflammation.

 

[michaelm]

I am a 'senior', hyper-sensitive to chemicals. I discovered (out of desperation) a few years back that mj restores near normal function to my colon. Once or twice a year when inflammation is bad, I take a daily oral dose of natural cooked product, and within a few days I'm in good shape.

 

[FrancisK7]

Cannabis works on any inflammatory conditions. Its inflammation fighting properties are its most desirable property.

MMJ can be both "curative" and palliative. But to address the inflammation long-term, much like immunotherapy, cannabis must become a daily regimen.

A very small maintenance dose of 1mg of THC per kg of body weight would probably be sufficient to keep you in deep remission. Experimental protocols aren't numerous because there's been so very few studies, so you'd have to experiment to see what works for you.

 

[michaelm]

Francis -- again, many thanks for your advice. As you point out, there isn't a lot of reliable information out there -- in my experience, that is. In my case, I manage to keep the UC in check (with varying inflammation) by minimizing my exposures to chemicals and foods that provoke it. But, when it flares, the mj has shortened my usual 6 week recovery to a matter of days. Further to your earlier point about all cannabis being the same -- intrinsically, perhaps. But crossing a border with my "meds" might make them very different. I suspect a sniffer dog would pick up on my brownies, but I would hope a pill bottle would be more secure. I am hoping to make a long awaited trip this year and medication is a serious concern.
Another question, please? Please clarify the question of heat and THC. The Folklore is that cooking is necessary. For your cannabutter, you ask that the temps be kept very low. Would the butter then be useful without further cooking? Or, does it then require the high oven temps to alter it? Years ago a friend told me to simply fry some mj in bacon fat and then use that on toast -- nothing was said about temps, and I never tried it.
Again, most appreciative!

 

[FrancisK7]

Hey Michael,

Your method is the best method that I have personally found. That is, avoiding our personal irritants, which vary from person to person, and can only be determined with a thorough food journal. Avoiding triggers is a good strategy. Mine is stress, which I can't always avoid, so as a fail safe, I keep taking a daily dose of THC even when I am completely asymptomatic. Usually before bed. I occasionally vaporize during the day (something like 0.1g) if I have an upset stomach (which can happen if I push too hard at the gym) or if I feel anxious/stressed. Cannabis has been part of my daily life for two years now, and used to its full potential, it is an amazing, amazing drug.

In regards to THC and heat, the butter can be used as is. You could spread it on baguette and eat it cold, or melt it (slowly) and dip bread in it, etc. Cannabutter tastes awful in my opinion, so I've switched to making tinctures last year. Your friend wasn't incorrect about frying buds in bacon fat then spreading that on bread. It would have worked. But if you fried at too high a temperature, you would have wasted a lot of cannabinoids in the process, and if you fried too low or not long enough, you would have transferred only a fraction of all the cannabinoids contained in the buds, which is wasteful as well. If you can legally grow your cannabis then you may afford being wasteful a little (for the sake of convenience), but most people pay anywhere between 3-10$ per gram for their cannabis, so a slow and careful approach ensures you maximize the potency of your final product. I have a lot of friends who are self-declared "potheads" or "stoners." They only care about getting high. They don't rely on a specific dose of THC/CBD to maintain their auto-immune disease in remission. We do. We have a lot to gain by not wasting our medicine and following a more thorough protocol.

Speaking of which and crossing the border, the best way to stealth your medication is to make a tincture. You'll find the recipe and method in the cannabrownie recipe thread. You'll easily find Global 94 at any LCBO. The thing with 94% alcohol is that it has a sting to it. You can alleviate that by doing a solvent transfer and transferring the cannabinoids from the tincture into honey or agave.

Essentially the process is herb -> alcohol -> honey/agave

A honey/agave based "elixir" can be transported in small bottles and is completely undetectable by dogs. Dogs are trained to smell and recognize the various terpene oils contained in the plant, which give the plants their strong odor and aromas. The cannabinoids themselves are odorless.

 

[crohns4ever]

I am coming off a very bad flare myself none of the meds my gI gave me worked so I went and got some mmj and damn in about 4 days latter i'm back on my feet again and eating very well. I really believe in the healing power of mmj I don't think I will quit again and go through another bad flare up.