Marijuana for MS: The Best Strains for Relieving Symptoms
News of multiple sclerosis in your life can be a heavy burden to bear.
Many people have reported a lessening of symptoms and some relief with the use of cannabis products. It’s very safe and has been used for thousands of years, so why not try marijuana for MS?
It might even be fun! Keep reading for your guide to finding the best strain of marijuana for MS.
What is Multiple Sclerosis?
Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a degenerative autoimmune disease that primarily affects the nervous system. It can be thought of as the degeneration of parts of the nerve cell in the brain and spinal cord. It is a lifelong disorder, with various symptoms that can be different for different patients.
MS patients can experience pain, depression, headaches, body aches and serious nerve pain. These symptoms often cause patients to seek out medication.
Many MS patients have reported relief with the consumption of cannabis. Cannabis is known to make some people “high”. This feeling is a combination of euphoria, relaxation, and stress relief. It can also accompany “the munchies” and “the giggles”.
Marijuana for MS
When you’re trying to figure out the best cannabis strain for multiple sclerosis, it can be a little confusing.
There’s a lot of misinformation floating around online. You might not know who to believe.
How Safe is Marijuana?
No one has ever died from consuming too much marijuana. This is an important point when you’re exploring pot for the first time.
If you “overdose” on many pharmaceutical drugs, you can be in very big trouble. You might die. If you overdose on marijuana, you fall asleep. That’s it.
You might get a slight upset stomach or a sore throat, but it really is true that in the history of Earth, no one has ever died from overdosing on marijuana. It’s that safe!
The point of this is that you can experiment when you’re trying to find the best strains for multiple sclerosis. Just try them!
If you don’t like what you’re doing, try something else. Experiment! Have fun!
You don’t want to try this approach with anti-depressants or serious drugs your doctor may give you. With pot though, it’ so safe that it’s been legalized in much of the country for recreational use. In many states that used to require a prescription from a doctor, you can now get marijuana anywhere if you are over 21.
Best Medical Marijuana Strains for MS
The main things you should pay attention to is the percentage of THC and CBD. These are the two main cannabinoids. A cannabinoid is a chemical that grows in the cannabis plant.
When it comes to “strains”, you have to understand that you’re basically talking about a marketing brand name. One seller’s “Girl Scout Cookies” strain of marijuana may have nothing to do with another dispensaries strain of the same name.
Additionally, the brand names given as “strains” are often just labels used to describe the taste or look of the marijuana. What is much more important than the strain, is the number of cannabinoids in the plant. This is usually expressed as a percentage of THC.
15% THC is considered a “mild” strain of marijuana. There are concentrated BHOs or butane hash oils that can reach as high as 95% THC. You can also have pure synthetic THC in a product called Marinol that is sold in pharmacies.
Generally, the effect that any kind of cannabis has on a person will be determined by the percentage of THC in the product. The effect will differ from person to person. Try a strain of marijuana, and if it doesn’t work, try a stronger one.
CBD Oil
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is another chemical the cannabis plant produces.
Some people report absolutely no effect from CBD oil. Other people report mild feelings of relaxation or a relief from stress or headaches with CBD oil.
Most plants actually make their own chemicals that are unique to that plant. Pollens, sap, flavors, smells, etc. Mostly it’s pretty boring stuff [like the taste of broccoli]. Cannabinoids are the special chemicals that only come from our favorite plant.
There is more CBD than any other cannabinoid, by weight, in the cannabis plant. When cannabinoids were first discovered, it was thought that CBD was the chemical that made you “high”. We now know that it is mostly THC which gives the intoxicating effect.
However, CBD and many of the other cannabinoids affect us in ways that still aren’t understood. Different people report different effects from different combinations.
There is really only one way to learn what the best strain for MS is right for you. You have to experiment on your own!
Opioids are bad for MS pain
Pain is a major symptom of MS. All kinds of pain. Isn’t life great!
The first rule of being in a hole is to stop digging. The problem with opioid pain relievers is that you build up a tolerance to the drug. They work in the beginning, but you have to take more and more to receive the same effect.
This can create a situation where you become addicted to the drug, and you’re still in pain. It may lead to a vicious cycle where your body is ravaged by both the disease and the drug.
Marijuana offers a potential solution to the problem and is DEFINITELY what you should try before opioid drugs. Marijuana is safe, and won’t cause physical addiction the way opioid drugs will.
Marijuana works on pain in a totally different way than opioids. Opioids physically block the pain receptors in the brain. Marijuana’s effect is more of a total nervous system “relax”.
In fact, we don’t really understand how marijuana works exactly. It does though and it’s nontoxic. You should definitely consider it in your arsenal against MS.
Weed is Therapeutic and Fun!
You don’t need an excuse to enjoy marijuana! It’s been used by humans since before civilization. Even the ancient Egyptians smoked pot!
You should feel great about smoking marijuana for MS.
If you’re in San Francisco, give us a call. We’re a medical marijuana collective run by dedicated, compassionate people.
