I’ve mentioned my use of medical marijuana in passing a few times and thought I’d dive in a little deeper for those not associated with what I believe to be nature’s little miracle. Especially since it’s looking like it will be a ballot initiative in California this November!

Marijuana has been a life saver during my treatments. Its ability to eliminate nausea and increase appetite is one of the main reasons I think I’m doing so well. (No nausea = eat more. Eat more = calories to move my body and get around. Getting around and outside = better mental state. Better mental state = better outlook. And so on.)

I prefer to eat my pot, and there are plenty of options. And, thank goodness, because just like in regular life, I ate the same thing over and over again until I hated it. (Gummy candies, chocolate, other gummy candies, taffy, baked goods, hard candy, chocolate covered coffee beans, tea…) Here’s my current stash. The cheese hits are a new addition. I am getting SO SICK of sugar. The only savory options my dispensary offers are the cheese hits and pretzels. Sadly, they’re only okay. Dipped in hummus makes them better.

The More You Know…I’m no expert, but here are a few things I learned about pot that I found interesting:

• My decreased nausea and increased appetite are due in large part to the cannabinoid called Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This is the main psychoactive cannabinoid in Cannabis (the one that makes you feel “high”). For me, I feel less anxious, more hungry, and — duh — WAY LESS NAUSEOUS. I love you THC.
• Something new I learned from the doctor who issued me my license is the existence of CBDs (cannabidiols) in Cannabis. This is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that has been shown to inhibit cell growth in cancerous tumors. Anti-cancer properties? Yes, please!
• There are over 500 natural compounds in Cannabis, 85 of which are cannabinoids, and many are under-researched due to marijuana’s classification as a Schedule 1 Drug. With the recent legalization in states like Washington, Colorado and Oregon (as well as the ballot initiative mentioned above here in California), there’s been talk about rescheduling marijuana. We’ll know more on that in July.
• A lot of the beliefs about marijuana are straight-up fear-mongering propaganda. Read this PDF from the Drug Policy Alliance (where citations make up nearly 50% of the document length) and be a little more informed.

Have questions? I might have answers. Otherwise, I hope you found this informative and interesting! 🙂