{"componentChunkName":"component---common-build-tags-template-js","path":"/tag/success-story/","result":{"data":{"allArticle":{"edges":[{"node":{"id":"Article_2609-markdown","title":"Finding Success With Cannabis to Reduce Anxiety","slug":"finding-success-with-cannabis-to-reduce-anxiety","content":"Feeling anxious? You aren’t alone. While experiencing anxiety is a normal part of life, anxiety disorders have now become [the most common form of mental illness](https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics). Affecting over 40 million Americans—that’s 18% of the population, anxiety can make a big impact on an individual's quality of life.\n\n[Anxiety](http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders#1) is characterized by feelings of panic, fear, or uneasiness. It can also cause physical symptoms like dizziness, heart palpitations, tingling in the hands and feet, shortness of breath, tense muscles, nausea, and insomnia. These symptoms can be frightening, painful, and even debilitating. That said, many patients say their symptoms have been relieved with the [help of cannabis](https://hellomd.com/questions-and-answers/how-can-cbd-help-me-with-my-anxiety). \n\n![Untitledval111.png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Untitledval111_cba1e9dd29.png)\n\n### Alex’s Success With Consuming Cannabis to Ease His Anxiety \n\nTake Alex, a 31-year-old designer from the San Francisco Bay Area, who says his anxiety has been greatly helped by cannabis. Alex says that before he started using cannabis during the day, his anxiety was overwhelming.\n\n“Throughout the day, I would just be a wreck,” Alex explains. “I would just worry too much about things that honestly didn't matter or just focus on the negative aspects or actually get flustered and rush because of my anxiety and make things worse.”\n\nAlex had been using cannabis to relax in the evenings for years but worried about how it might affect him during the day. He says things changed when he learned about microdosing.\n\n“Just taking one hit in the morning before I would go into work. ... The difference was night and day,” he says. “I would definitely have a more calm feeling overall. I wouldn't rush things. I wouldn't let the anxiety or the pressures of the stress get to me.”\n\nAlex says that while using these microdosed inhalations of cannabis vapor, he’s able to function much better than he did without cannabis. \n\nThat said, Alex cautions newcomers to “try it out and experiment with it at home, before you use cannabis to curb anxiety at a workplace or even with friends or social situations.” He explains that it’s important to know “what’s going to work for you in terms of dosage, and even how you're going to consume it.”\n\nRELATED: [SPECIFIC CANNABIS STRAINS THAT EASE ANXIETY](https://hellomd.com/articles/specific-cannabis-strains-that-ease-anxiety)\n\n![Untitledval118.png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Untitledval118_7a6921eb9c.png)\n\n### Cannabis Helps Reduce Anxiety\n\nAlex isn’t alone. Patients often report that [cannabis helps with their anxiety in a number of ways](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/55a40a5f66313700063c0000/does-marijuana-ease-anxiety). Marijuana helps with many of the painful symptoms of anxiety by relaxing muscles, easing chronic pain, and reducing nausea.\n\nCannabis can also have a direct effect by lessening the intense feelings of anxiety. [Research shows](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-017-4648-z) that when patients are treated with cannabis, not only did their subjective levels of stress decrease but so did biological markers such as cortisol levels. This happens because compounds in the plant, such as [cannabidiol (CBD)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/), stimulate the endocannabinoid system’s CB1 receptor.\n\nThe [endocannabinoid system (ECS)](https://hellomd.com/articles/what-is-the-endocannabinoid-system) naturally regulates anxiety by dampening excitatory signals in the brain. So, when the ECS is stimulated by cannabinoids, it triggers the same natural response. For patients who have an excess of this anxious activity in the brain, cannabis can play an invaluable role in dampening its effects. \n\nThis explains why so many patients say cannabis has helped them take back control of their lives. \n\n![Untitledval119.png](https://hellomd-cms.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Untitledval119_09937e2f5d.png)\n\n### Using Cannabis for Anxiety\n\nIf you suffer from anxiety and think cannabis might be right for you, the best first step is to talk to a doctor. You can consult with one of [HelloMD’s knowledgeable doctors](https://www.hellomd.com/); it's easy, private and 100% online. Whether you have a medical marijuana card or live in a state where you can purchase through recreational means, you’ll want to start exploring which strains and methods of using cannabis are best for you.\n\nVaping and smoking are the most common choices for treating anxiety, but many patients have also found success with marijuana edibles and topicals. This [can vary greatly from patient to patient](https://hellomd.com/questions-and-answers/what-is-the-best-way-to-consume-marijuana-to-help-with-anxiety), so some experimentation may be necessary.\n\nThe same is true when it comes to [cannabis strains](https://hellomd.com/articles/top-10-high-cbd-marijuana-strains-for-anxiety). While some say cannabis that’s high in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) helps reduce their anxiety, others say THC actually worsens it. If you’re sensitive to the anxiety-inducing effects of THC, looking for varieties high in CBD or tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) may be a better fit.\n\nThere are many types of cannabis that people find helpful for treating anxiety and its painful symptoms. It’s up to you to find the ones that work best for you.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/ce1691870ec954010c747ea2a4ac4fe0/14b42/da0d9fa71499f00b71ff2e1e27be0ec3.jpg","srcSet":"/static/ce1691870ec954010c747ea2a4ac4fe0/f836f/da0d9fa71499f00b71ff2e1e27be0ec3.jpg 200w,\n/static/ce1691870ec954010c747ea2a4ac4fe0/2244e/da0d9fa71499f00b71ff2e1e27be0ec3.jpg 400w,\n/static/ce1691870ec954010c747ea2a4ac4fe0/14b42/da0d9fa71499f00b71ff2e1e27be0ec3.jpg 800w,\n/static/ce1691870ec954010c747ea2a4ac4fe0/47498/da0d9fa71499f00b71ff2e1e27be0ec3.jpg 1200w,\n/static/ce1691870ec954010c747ea2a4ac4fe0/0e329/da0d9fa71499f00b71ff2e1e27be0ec3.jpg 1600w,\n/static/ce1691870ec954010c747ea2a4ac4fe0/bea71/da0d9fa71499f00b71ff2e1e27be0ec3.jpg 3641w","srcWebp":"/static/ce1691870ec954010c747ea2a4ac4fe0/58556/da0d9fa71499f00b71ff2e1e27be0ec3.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/ce1691870ec954010c747ea2a4ac4fe0/61e93/da0d9fa71499f00b71ff2e1e27be0ec3.webp 200w,\n/static/ce1691870ec954010c747ea2a4ac4fe0/1f5c5/da0d9fa71499f00b71ff2e1e27be0ec3.webp 400w,\n/static/ce1691870ec954010c747ea2a4ac4fe0/58556/da0d9fa71499f00b71ff2e1e27be0ec3.webp 800w,\n/static/ce1691870ec954010c747ea2a4ac4fe0/99238/da0d9fa71499f00b71ff2e1e27be0ec3.webp 1200w,\n/static/ce1691870ec954010c747ea2a4ac4fe0/7c22d/da0d9fa71499f00b71ff2e1e27be0ec3.webp 1600w,\n/static/ce1691870ec954010c747ea2a4ac4fe0/79ff7/da0d9fa71499f00b71ff2e1e27be0ec3.webp 3641w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2888-markdown","title":"Can Cannabis Shrink Tumors: Mike Voss Thinks So","slug":"can-cannabis-shrink-tumors-mike-voss-thinks-so","content":"Cannabis was always something Mike Voss, director of sales for the [Venice Cookie Company](https://ondello.myshopify.com/blogs/articles/tagged/vcc-brands/), had enjoyed—through his youth and adulthood. But it took on new and deeper meaning when crippling migraines and his subsequent discovery of a small lump on his head sent him into a scary and unexpected downward spiral.\n\nThat lump turned out to be a tumor that was blocking the blood flow in his brain and inflicting terrible pain. Mike found that smoking cannabis made the pain worse, and yet he didn’t give up on the plant. Though he quit smoking, he turned to cannabis oil and found that it eased his pain, so much so that he was no longer bedridden.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_us/?utm_medium=copy_link/)\n\nMike eventually started a program involving taking high doses of [Rick Simpson oil (RSO)](https://www.healthline.com/health/rick-simpson-oil-cancer). To his neurosurgeon’s great surprise, the tumor shrank—so much so that they no longer needed to operate to get it out. Now, more than two years later, the tumor has significantly reduced in size, with no new abnormalities or lesions.\n\nWe sat down with Mike to learn more about his incredible journey back to health. It’s one that he says he’s still working on, and involves a holistic approach that includes eating better, spending time with his family, doing what he loves—Mike got into the cannabis industry following his wake-up call—and continuing his RSO regimen every year. \n\n### Let’s walk through your background and where you were two years ago. What was going on then when you first started feeling unwell?\n\n**Mike Voss:** It's crazy. I have doctors who’ve told me that I kind of paid attention to myself more so than the average person. So, I was doing a lot of work in the logistics industry, and my job required my full concentration. \n\nMy brain was constantly running, thinking about ideas, of new things. And so I needed that to function. And I was also in front of a computer screen—three screens in front of me. A lot of movement, a lot of brain power. I required 100% of my brain every single day.\n\nI started experiencing these small headaches in the afternoon. I was not healthy at all. I was overweight. I’m still overweight, but I'm trying to overcome that now. So I thought these headaches were a result of me just being unhealthy and not taking care of myself. \n\n### And you were young at the time, and are still young now, aren’t you? \n\n**MV:** Yup. I'm 36 now, so I would've been 34 years old in September 2016. And yes, I'm relatively young, but at the same time I knew I'm not at my healthiest, so like maybe these headaches are because of that.\n\nI started drinking more water. I paid attention to what I was eating, but really didn't change much in terms of diet. And things started to seem to gradually get worse. I was getting fatigued really easily. I live in a two-story home and walking up a flight of stairs was fatiguing.\n\nI would say this was over the course of about three weeks. I'm realizing that I'm starting to get headaches. I’m realizing that I’m getting a little bit fatigued while I'm walking up a flight of stairs. And then the week before I saw my doctor, I was getting a migraine every afternoon. I would get these migraines where I'd just shut down.\n\n### And can you describe these migraines? What were they like? How did they come on, and what did you do?\n\n**MV:** Yeah, absolutely. They were behind my eyes, a very intense headache that I've never experienced before. Light really affected my mood. Smells affected me; sounds—even me talking loudly intensified the pain behind my eyes. And it was painful—like there was something in my brain trying to pull it out. \n\nAnd the only thing that really seemed to help was resting, getting to a dark, quiet room by myself where I didn't have to talk to anybody or deal with outside life. Sounds pretty depressing, but that was how I felt for the week before I got myself to see a doctor. I even felt that way a couple of weeks after seeing the doctor.\n\nSo, I’d been around cannabis for a long time. I consumed it most of my life. But during that time, I stopped consuming cannabis altogether. I stopped smoking. Smoking cannabis made my headaches even worse. It made my body feel awful, so I gave it up.\n\n### Tell us about when you discovered the tumor on your head. What did the doctors advise you to do? \n\n**MV:** The next thing that scared the living hell out of me that got me to go see a doctor was I felt a bump protruding from the top of my skull. I remember sitting in bed and feeling the top of my head and thinking to myself, ‘What the hell is going on?’\n\nI have a really close friend who’s a nurse. And I texted her, ‘Hey, so, do I have any nodes on the top of my head that, if I get sick, they’re like lymph nodes and protrude?’ And she said, ‘No. There’s nothing that should be protruding from your skull.’\n\nSo I went to make an appointment with my primary care doctor. He couldn't see me for a couple of weeks, and I knew that was unacceptable. So I went to urgent care. The urgent care doc said the first thing that he wanted to do was get an image of my head and see what was going on up there. \n\nSo, I went in to get an MRI. I got a phone call from urgent care that night. They said, ‘We need to talk to you. Come on in.’ And my wife was putting my son Vinny down, and I said, ‘I have to go.’ She had a very worried look on her face and said, ‘I want to go with you.’ I said, ‘No. Deal with Vinny. I'll be back.’\n\nThe doctor told me there was a mass growing on top of my head about the size of pea. \n\nThe urgent care doctor didn't give me a lot of information beyond that and said, ‘I need you to seek help.’ I grew up with Dr. Perry Solomon (HelloMD’s Chief Medical Officer) and his family in the same community. One of his colleagues, Dr. Gracia—his son John and I are very good friends. Dr. Gracia is a Stanford doctor. So, I called up John and said, ‘Hey man, I need you to call your dad. I need advice right now.’ \n\nI’d called up UC Davis; they told me that it was going to take a month or two for me to get in there since I wasn’t a patient. So, John called up his dad, and they called me back and said, ‘Mike, if you want to get seen right away, go to the ER.’\n\nSo I went to the UC Davis ER, and I spent about 12 hours there. I was put through three different brain scans, and they fully assessed me with the neurological team. They decided that I wasn’t an emergency candidate. But at the same time, I needed to be seen by their clinic right away. \n\nThe next week, I was seen by a neurological clinic. And I spoke with the neurosurgeon who looked at all of the images. He told me, ‘This tumor isn’t going to shrink. I have no idea if it's cancerous. I will have no idea what type of tumor it is until we biopsy it, and that means I need to take it out of your head.’\n\nHe said, ‘We don’t have to do the surgery right now.’ But I was having these migraines. And I could barely get out of bed. My wife drove me to the appointment; I couldn’t even drive anymore. And so he said, ‘OK, so surgery needs to be done, since you’re not mobile and can't live a normal life right now.’ \n\nThe pea-sized tumor wasn’t attached to my brain. It was lodged between my brain and my skull. It was sitting on top of the main vein, and that was what was causing my fatigue—there wasn’t a lot of blood flow.\n\nAnd so he said, ‘Mike, go home and relax. Let's schedule surgery for January.’ When I saw him, it was at the end of September, maybe early October. And so I did that. \n\nI wasn’t feeling well. I saw a neurologist as well as the neurosurgeon. The neurologist prescribed me medication—long-term as well as short-term medications to try to get rid of my daily migraines.\n\nEventually, the medication worked, but in the short term, I was experiencing daily migraines and fatigue, and was spending all day long in my bed. I put up a blanket so I could block out all of the light.\n\nI wasn’t reading. I wasn’t looking at my phone. I wasn’t on the computer. I wasn’t watching TV. I wasn't having conversations with my wife.\n\n### How did you come to consider consuming cannabis for your condition? You’d said that smoking cannabis made your migraines worse. How did you learn that another form of cannabis could potentially help you? \n\n**MV:** I had some chocolate, which were a one-to-one THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) to CBD (cannabidiol) ratio. I took a couple, and they made me feel better. And that's when I had the light bulb in my head to contact my friend Jessica who cultivates cannabis in the Santa Cruz mountains. She and her husband also produce an oil, not an RSO (Rick Simpson oil), but an extract.\n\nI told her what was going on. My sister-in-law lives in Santa Cruz, and they hooked up. The very next day, I started consuming that oil with the push from Jessica, telling me about the benefits.\n\nThe oil had a high-CBD content. It was an [ACDC](https://www.hellomd.com/strains/5a7cbe97d520d60009f4f4a5/acdc)-specific oil. She told me what her brother had just been through: Her brother had just overcome a form of cancer. He was using the oil during his treatment, and she said that it made him feel a whole lot better.\n\nRELATED: [STUDY FINDS 96% OF CANCER PATIENTS IMPROVED WITH CANNABIS](https://hellomd.com/articles/study-finds-96-of-cancer-patients-improved-with-cannabis/)\n\nAnd so I said, ‘Sure. Let's give it a shot. I have nothing to lose.’\n\n### Can you describe what level of dosing you were taking of this high-CBD cannabis oil to treat your migraines while you were waiting for the surgery to take place on your tumor? Also, did you use a dropper? How did you ingest it?\n\n**MV:** It was a guesstimate. I had a syringe that I’d use to fill gel capsules. And I think the first amount that I took was about four veggie capsules of the cannabis oil. I'm sorry. I wish I knew what the percentages, what the dosing was, but I have no idea. \n\n![ACDC cannabis strain](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-7df0c679-9c6e-4756-8514-dfbfc143c11a/original.png)\n_Mike started taking large amounts of ACDC cannabis oil and found that it significantly eased his migraines._\n\n### You just knew that you were taking a lot of the high-CBD cannabis oil every day. \n\n**MV:** Yeah. I was taking a large quantity. Absolutely. So the very first time I took this medicine, I'd say about a half hour to 45 minutes after ingesting it, I was sitting up in bed; I was having a conversation with my wife. Sandra and I weren’t having conversations up to this point.\n\nShe had the TV on in the room at a very low volume, and I actually got out of bed to look at the TV to see what was going on. I was amazed by what was happening. So I decided that I would continue consuming cannabis. Why would I give that up? It made me feel better. Jessica had provided me with probably 30–32 ounces of oil, which lasted quite a while. \n\n### And so when was it that you started to think cannabis may help combat the tumor, beyond helping ease the pain from your migraines? \n\n**MV:** While I was at home and getting better and starting to read again, I was able to read about cannabis and how it has the possibility to kill cancerous cell. I read people's biographies online—much like my story now—about how they simply ingested cannabis and how they had either shrunken or completely dissolved tumors.\n\nRELATED: [CAN CANNABIS SWITCH OFF CANCER?](https://hellomd.com/articles/can-cannabis-switch-off-cancer/)\n\nI didn't want to go through surgery. That's brain surgery; that’s cutting my head open. So, I reached out to Debby Goldsberry, who’s the CEO of Magnolia Wellness. I’d met her when I was working at her dispensary at Berkeley Patients Group. She was the big honcho in charge, and I was just a budtender. I'd only met her a couple of times. She probably didn't even know my name.\n\nBut I shared my story with her. I told her that I’d heard there had been effects of shrinking tumors with the use of cannabis extracts. And I said, ‘I also know by working at Berkeley Patients Group that there are compassionate programs at some of these dispensary. And I'm curious, do you have a compassionate program?’\n\nShe wrote back in 10 minutes and said, ‘Mike, so happy you reached out. We will absolutely provide you with your first six months of RSO. I have this manufacturer, and this is what they do. They provide this for people like yourself.’ \n\nI was very grateful. I started consuming RSO very slowly. RSO isn’t something to mess around with. It will activate in your system right away. And it gets you very, very high to a point where the high isn’t comfortable. \n\n### Can you describe how you titrated, how you started taking RSO and increased your dosage over time? \n\n**MV:** Absolutely. So RSO is a very thick oil. And the way I received it was in a syringe. And I was able to dose out of that syringe a tenth at a time. A tenth of a gram is the size of a half of a rice kernel. This is what I’d put into a veggie cap and take at night. I did that for one week. I did one-tenth of a gram, and then I went to two-tenths for the next week and then to three-tenths the week after that.\n\nSo, very slowly building up week after week. This is very important, because I’d actually stopped using RSO for a bit, and I thought, ‘This is no problem. I've done this before.’ So, I consumed 500 mg of RSO, and it made me extremely dizzy the next day. I had ingested way too much and didn’t properly titrate the RSO into my system.\n\nI just want to give that warning so that if anyone considers using RSO, start slow. Eventually, I titrated up to 1 gram. At one point, I was consuming a gram and a half to 2 grams of RSO on some evenings. \n\nSome of the RSO that was given to me was a one-to-one CBD-to-THC ratio. Although I was told that THC is what’s important in killing cancerous, tumorous cells. But the CBD RSO enabled me to consume a little bit extra THC. \n\n### That makes sense. Because CBD helps mitigate the effects of THC, allowing you to consume more THC in the RSO oil. \n\n**MV:** Yep. Not only that, but CBD in high doses makes your body feel really good. It gave me the best sleep ever.\n\nRELATED: [4 WAYS YOU CAN USE CBD TO BEAT INSOMNIA](https://hellomd.com/articles/4-ways-you-can-use-cbd-to-beat-insomnia/)\n\nSo I was consuming the RSO at very high doses, and December rolled around. I was feeling a whole lot better, and it was time for me to enjoy being with my son.\n\nI was fearing that I was going to die, and now I was feeling fine. So I pulled him out of daycare. And he and I spent every day with each other. It was really awesome to be able to bond with him. And the good result is I didn't die in the end.\n\nI contacted my doctor, and we decided to do some pre-op things. They wanted me to go in for an imaging to check out the tumor, check out exactly where it was for when they performed surgery.\n\nI received a call five days later from the doctor saying, ‘Your tumor has shrunk. It's not dissolved, but it has shrunk significantly. Please come in, so we can talk.’\n\nThe doctor showed me the images. The tumor had rolled off the main vein, and there was a significant size reduction. And he said, ‘I'm not really sure what happened. I've never seen this before.’\n\nAt the time, I told him I was ingesting cannabis. I could tell that was a conversation he didn’t want to have with me. So I didn’t. I understood that this was an alternative medicine that he had no control over, but this was what I doing.\n\nSo that was January. The doctor wanted me to come back for a brain scan six months later. I went back in May. So in January, I ended my short-term disability, because I was really excited to go back to work. \n\n### By that point, you were feeling good? You were feeling well enough to go back to work? \n\n**MV:** I was feeling good. I was feeling good to get back to work and get back into my normal groove. And it wasn't all that I had hoped. I wasn’t feeling so passionate about my job. Especially with such an encouraging story; I had such high hopes that it was really cannabis that was helping me along. So, I decided to get into the field. That's what led me to work for the [Venice Cookie Company](https://www.hellomd.com/brands/5babec3eac31edbfe8d63963/venice-cookie-company) (VCC).\n\n![Venice Cookie Company cookies](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/markdown-image-injector-f1f2aa5c-3d69-4321-aecd-0ac126b9f3e4/original.png)\n\n### How did you connect with the Venice Cookie Company? Why did you choose to work for VCC vs. another cannabis company? \n\n**MV:** I knew I wanted to work for a manufacturer. I eventually connected with Kenny Morrison, the founder of the Venice Cookie Company. He sits on the board of the CCMA, the California Cannabis Manufacturing Association. \n\nKiva, Jetty, the Venice Cookie Company are all a part of the CCMA. They have a lobbyist in Sacramento who helps get their message out to lawmakers and politicians. I really liked that. It made sense to work for someone who was equally as passionate on the activist side of cannabis. \n\nAnd so I sent Kenny an email, and I received an email from him saying, ‘I'm on my way up to northern California from LA. I'm in the car all day. Do you have time to talk?’\n\nI gave him a call, and I was on the phone with them for an hour and a half. It was a good conversation, one that led me to be employed by him. It's been a good home. \n\n### That’s great. And so tell me, since that time when you received the great news about your tumor shrinking and not needing surgery, what do you have to say about your health and your journey? Where are you now? \n\n**MV:** Sure. January 2017 is when I had my brain scan, which showed a reduction in the size of the tumor. I went back for another MRI in May 2017. That imaging showed another significant reduction in the size of the tumor.\n\nAt that point, the doctor said, ‘Great, Mike. Again, I don't know what's happening here. Sure, you're consuming cannabis. I don’t want to talk about that. Why don't you come back in one year's time, and we'll take another image to see what's going on?’\n\nA year and a couple months went by, and I took another image this last summer in 2018. I got my hopes up high that I would see a complete dissolving of the tumor. But I didn’t. It's the same exact size, in the same exact location as it was in May 2017.\n\nBut after getting over that emotional hour of being like, ‘Oh man, I thought I was going to be done,’ I'm fine with it, because it's at a point now where it doesn't take control of my daily life. It hasn’t grown any since May 2017. There are no new abnormalities. There are no new lesions. \n\nAnd for the first time the neurosurgeon used the word benign. There's nothing new inside my head—just the same old tumor. And that makes me feel OK.\n\nThere's another part to this journey. I wasn’t healthy two years ago. I’m still overweight, but I’m now consuming healthy food. There’s a doctor that I've been reading. His name is Dr. Joel Fuhrman, and he’s very big into plant-based nutrition, consuming lots of vegetables and vegetable fats. He's into the research behind consuming these micronutrients, and the possibilities of killing cancer itself or at least avoiding cancer.\n\nMeanwhile, there’s the standard American diet that we’re all consuming that consists of animal products. When you consume animal products, a special hormone is released, and that hormone is a cancer-causing hormone. That doesn’t happen when you consume vegetables.\n\nI'm sure there are many other doctors who have many other things to say about this, but I feel there might be some truth to this. Dr. Fuhrman’s second book is about the powers of fasting and how prolonged, medically reviewed fasting is beneficial to helping us excrete toxins and possibly help heal the tumors that are inside you. So he's saying when you fast, it gives your body the ability to fight these cancerous cells. \n\n### It sounds like you’re taking a holistic approach to your health, which seems absolutely necessary in maintaining wellness.\n\n**MV:** That's where I am right now. Last year was all about me figuring out what was inside my head, how to control it and get over that. This year and the next are all about me getting healthy. \n\nAnd being healthy is all-encompassing. There's a lot involved that I've never taken into consideration. It’s a new lifestyle. I have a family history of heart disease. It's time for me to take control of that.\n\nMy experience of truly thinking that I was going to die has humbled me. I used to be a lot angrier type person. I didn't take much care of my health or my future. Since then, I've really taken a deep step back and realized that there's a whole lot more to life.\n\nI think before I act or try to most of the time. I also think about other people's well-being and how their health could potentially be affecting the way they're communicating with me or the way that they're feeling. \n\n### Will you still remain on your cannabis regimen as part of your maintenance and prevention plan—keeping control over the tumor and your health overall?\n\n**MV:** I was provided six months of medication, and then I was actually provided another four months of medication. Then I took a couple of months off, and I went back to it, I'd say six months ago.\n\nI started taking RSO again, and I took it up until I left on vacation in October. And I haven't taken it since. I will start it up again. This will definitely be something that I will continue for the rest of my life.\n\nI feel I'm at a point where I don’t have to do it all of the time. I think I can take this medicine 90 days out of each year. I know it sounds crazy, but that's what I've thought I’ll do. Because there are a lot of health benefits to ingesting cannabis. I wish there was more scientific knowledge behind what I'm saying. \n\nI sound like a whack: ‘Yeah. I'm going to take RSO 90 days each year for the rest of my life.’ But I'm going to do it, because I'm hoping that's what will help. \n\n### You’re going to continue to do your scans, and you're going to calibrate your cannabis consumption based on the results of those scans, right? So, maybe it's not whack. It's just that you're experimenting and doing what you’ve found works for you. \n\n**MV:** Correct. I'm going back for another image in July or August 2019. \n\nSo, for the 90 days out of each year, I’ll titrate up to a 1 gram dose. I’ll go back to doing a tenth of a gram a week until I get to that gram. \n\n### And obviously, this isn’t for everyone. This is what works for you, based on the results that you’ve had. \n\n**MV:** Absolutely. One-hundred percent.\n\nPhoto credit: [Dmitry B.](https://www.hellomd.com/people/5a04a8c087088100077819a9/dmitry-bikkinin) (main image), [Venice Cookie Company](https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq0iHmah3G-/) (cookies image)\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://hellomd.com/articles/cannabis-101-what-you-need-to-know-about-marijuana/) index of articles. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/df7c8cbcc630f090ccb302a6e0aee885/14b42/2d51f7b70fa9fcd864d3a7fdd8b4ee9c.jpg","srcSet":"/static/df7c8cbcc630f090ccb302a6e0aee885/f836f/2d51f7b70fa9fcd864d3a7fdd8b4ee9c.jpg 200w,\n/static/df7c8cbcc630f090ccb302a6e0aee885/2244e/2d51f7b70fa9fcd864d3a7fdd8b4ee9c.jpg 400w,\n/static/df7c8cbcc630f090ccb302a6e0aee885/14b42/2d51f7b70fa9fcd864d3a7fdd8b4ee9c.jpg 800w,\n/static/df7c8cbcc630f090ccb302a6e0aee885/47498/2d51f7b70fa9fcd864d3a7fdd8b4ee9c.jpg 1200w,\n/static/df7c8cbcc630f090ccb302a6e0aee885/0e329/2d51f7b70fa9fcd864d3a7fdd8b4ee9c.jpg 1600w,\n/static/df7c8cbcc630f090ccb302a6e0aee885/db203/2d51f7b70fa9fcd864d3a7fdd8b4ee9c.jpg 3642w","srcWebp":"/static/df7c8cbcc630f090ccb302a6e0aee885/58556/2d51f7b70fa9fcd864d3a7fdd8b4ee9c.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/df7c8cbcc630f090ccb302a6e0aee885/61e93/2d51f7b70fa9fcd864d3a7fdd8b4ee9c.webp 200w,\n/static/df7c8cbcc630f090ccb302a6e0aee885/1f5c5/2d51f7b70fa9fcd864d3a7fdd8b4ee9c.webp 400w,\n/static/df7c8cbcc630f090ccb302a6e0aee885/58556/2d51f7b70fa9fcd864d3a7fdd8b4ee9c.webp 800w,\n/static/df7c8cbcc630f090ccb302a6e0aee885/99238/2d51f7b70fa9fcd864d3a7fdd8b4ee9c.webp 1200w,\n/static/df7c8cbcc630f090ccb302a6e0aee885/7c22d/2d51f7b70fa9fcd864d3a7fdd8b4ee9c.webp 1600w,\n/static/df7c8cbcc630f090ccb302a6e0aee885/62b7a/2d51f7b70fa9fcd864d3a7fdd8b4ee9c.webp 3642w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2646-markdown","title":"How to Alleviate Muscle Spasms With Marijuana","slug":"how-to-alleviate-muscle-spasms-with-marijuana","content":"[Muscle spasms are an involuntary and often extremely painful contraction of a muscle](https://www.medicinenet.com/muscle_spasms/article.htm). They tend to strike suddenly and resolve quickly. However, in some cases these painful spasms can leave the afflicted individual immobile. Those who suffer from chronic muscle spasms can find themselves out of commission, unable to live a normal, full life.\n\nA variety of things—from dehydration or muscle fatigue to injuries or more serious underlying issues such as multiple sclerosis or ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)—can cause painful muscle spasms. Whatever their cause, muscle spasms can be frightening and debilitating. Thankfully, [many patients with muscle spasms are now finding relief and improved function with the use of cannabis](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/55b156f433303700060f0000/easing-muscle-spasms-with-medical-marijuana).\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### Cannabis-Infused Transdermal Patches Ease Emilie’s Muscle Spasms\n\nEmilie, a 24-year-old dog walker from San Rafael, CA, says that cannabis has helped immensely with her muscle spasms and associated pain. The spasms, which occur mostly in her neck, started when Emilie got into a bike accident in the fifth grade. Her neck never really recovered, and the pain seemed to worsen over time.\n\n“I just got increasingly worse, and when I was stressed and studying, my parents could literally see this huge knot on my back,” she says.\n\nEmilie’s first muscle spasm was a frightening experience. “I literally could not move,” she recalls. “I couldn’t get out of bed… and I was terrified I had some kind of crazy nerve damage.” With pain so intense, these frequent spasms left Emilie unable to do much of anything.\n\nFortunately, Emilie has found a solution that reduces her pain and helps her live her life uninterrupted. That solution is cannabis-infused transdermal patches. “These work better than opiates work for this kind of pain,” she says. “Right now, I'm just using my patches, and I'm able to move around. I’m able to drive and look around, and it's not painful. It actually makes it so I can function and do day-to-day things without being miserable.” \n\nRELATED: [3 POPULAR QUESTIONS ABOUT MARIJUANA & MUSCLE SPASMS/SORENESS ANSWERED](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a57b362c7e0180007a7826e/3-popular-questions-about-marijuana-and-muscle-spasms-soreness-answered)\n\n### Topical CBD Helps Sergio Manage His Painful Muscle Spasms\n\nSergio, a 27-year-old custodian from Eugene, OR, has also found success using cannabis to ease his muscle spasms. Sergio traces his spasms back to a Xanax prescription a doctor prescribed when he was going through a hard time.\n\n“I remember going to work on [the Xanax] for a while, and I couldn't really talk. ... I didn't like my life as it was,” he says. The side effects made Sergio want to stop taking the benzodiazepines he’d been prescribed. So one day he stopped taking the medication cold turkey.\n\nWithin a month, he started to experience muscle spasms, and they continue to this day. “I feel like I've been stabbed in the head,” Sergio says to describe his spasms. Doctors suggested more Xanax to treat the muscle spasms. However, Sergio didn’t want to go back on the benzos. Instead, he decided to explore cannabis as a medical option.\n\nNow, Sergio uses topical cannabidiol (CBD) rubs to help with his painful spasms. He says that he’s better able to function, although some pain remains. “My pain isn't gone, but I'm alive,” he says. “I go to work. I don't feel too cloudy in my head.”\n\nWhile a pain-free experience would be ideal, Sergio is grateful for what cannabis brings into his life, saying, “Compared to being on some of the medications that [the doctors] had me on, it's a lot easier to function. … [Cannabis] really helps me get through the day.”\n\n### Treating Muscle Spasms With Cannabis \n\nSergio and Emilie aren’t alone in using cannabis for their muscle spasms. While the mechanism isn’t well understood, a number of [cannabis patients have reported that cannabis eases their muscle spasms](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK224382/).\n\nIf you suffer from muscle spasms and think cannabis might be right for you, the best first step is to talk to a doctor. You can [consult with one of HelloMD’s knowledgeable doctors](https://www.hellomd.com/); it's 100% online, private and easy. \n\nWhether you have a medical marijuana card or live in a state where you can purchase through recreational means, there are many cannabis options on the market today. Cannabis can help muscle spasms with its many forms of administration. So, in some ways, this is about finding the best options for you.\n\nThat said, many patients suffering from muscle spasms find that transdermal patches—which deliver cannabinoids directly into the bloodstream—along with topical cannabis such as rubs, lotions and balms—which deliver localized relief—are most effective. Since transdermal patches delivers cannabis slowly over a period of time that can span up to eight hours, they’re not likely to get you (too) high. Meanwhile, cannabis-infused topicals simply target the affected area, so they won’t make you high.\n\nWhatever you try, remember that cannabis can affect people differently, so you may need to try a few options before you find the right one for you.\n\nStay tuned for the next article in our Cannabis for Newbies series, where we’ll give tips on how to research and find the right cannabis options for your needs.\n\nPhoto credit: [Jasper Graetsch](https://unsplash.com/@gaspard_photo_)","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/566f049ad5b3335a831db42144b4f543/14b42/205abe235e279d86d3a1c1ec353655a8.jpg","srcSet":"/static/566f049ad5b3335a831db42144b4f543/f836f/205abe235e279d86d3a1c1ec353655a8.jpg 200w,\n/static/566f049ad5b3335a831db42144b4f543/2244e/205abe235e279d86d3a1c1ec353655a8.jpg 400w,\n/static/566f049ad5b3335a831db42144b4f543/14b42/205abe235e279d86d3a1c1ec353655a8.jpg 800w,\n/static/566f049ad5b3335a831db42144b4f543/47498/205abe235e279d86d3a1c1ec353655a8.jpg 1200w,\n/static/566f049ad5b3335a831db42144b4f543/ce053/205abe235e279d86d3a1c1ec353655a8.jpg 1511w","srcWebp":"/static/566f049ad5b3335a831db42144b4f543/58556/205abe235e279d86d3a1c1ec353655a8.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/566f049ad5b3335a831db42144b4f543/61e93/205abe235e279d86d3a1c1ec353655a8.webp 200w,\n/static/566f049ad5b3335a831db42144b4f543/1f5c5/205abe235e279d86d3a1c1ec353655a8.webp 400w,\n/static/566f049ad5b3335a831db42144b4f543/58556/205abe235e279d86d3a1c1ec353655a8.webp 800w,\n/static/566f049ad5b3335a831db42144b4f543/99238/205abe235e279d86d3a1c1ec353655a8.webp 1200w,\n/static/566f049ad5b3335a831db42144b4f543/81ca0/205abe235e279d86d3a1c1ec353655a8.webp 1511w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2645-markdown","title":"The Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Cannabis","slug":"the-powerful-anti-inflammatory-effects-of-cannabis","content":"Inflammation is a symptom that’s tied to a wide range of conditions. While inflammation is your body’s natural response to infection—and is intended to fight it off and help your body heal, chronic inflammation can lead to problems of its own. In fact, some researchers believe that it’s [responsible for causing and advancing the progression of many illnesses](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3492709/). Due to the strong association between inflammation and diseases such as various cancers, autoimmune disorders and infectious disease, treatments that reduce inflammation and block the inflammatory process altogether could be incredibly helpful in treating a whole host of conditions. \n\nEnter cannabis with its powerful anti-inflammatory effects. In this article, geared towards cannabis newcomers, we examine how marijuana is proving to be a crucial tool in the fight against inflammation. That said, an increasing number of people with inflammation-related conditions are now turning to cannabis to help reduce inflammation and the pain it causes. \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### Dabbing Cannabis Eases Danni’s Inflammation From Fibromyalgia\n\nDani, a 31-year-old professional in the San Francisco Bay Area’s cannabis industry, says that cannabis has helped her manage painful inflammation associated with fibromyalgia. While Dani used to enjoy an active lifestyle, a car accident at age 19 triggered such severe fibromyalgia that she had to start walking with a cane, getting regular steroid shots and popping a variety of painkillers to help manage the pain. Rattling off a long list of medications she was taking, such as Norco and Percocet, Dani says, “I literally was a walking pharmacy.”\n\nThen Dani started working at the Oakland-based cannabis dispensary Harborside and quickly found that cannabis might be a better option. Still, she says it wasn’t until she started dabbing cannabis extracts that she was able to fully rely on this medicine. “I noticed that I needed a higher amount of THC, and flowers just wasn't doing it for me,” she says.\n\nDabbing offered the high doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) she needed. (Because Dani also suffered from stomach problems, edibles were off the table.) “Concentrates really were a cleaner option for me and a way for me to really get the cannabinoid profiles that I really need,\" explains Dani. “I want to educate people and change the stigma about concentrates, because concentrates really saved my life. I got off of all of the pain medications, all the medications in general. I'm steroid-injection free for about eight years now.” \n\nDani now spends her time educating cannabis patients about the benefits of medicinal dabbing. Having replaced all of her addictive medications with cannabis, Dani no longer walks with a cane. \n\n### From Doubter to Believer, Megan Says Cannabis Is the Solution \n\nMegan, a 43-year-old patient with a rare autoimmune vasculitis illness, says that cannabis has also helped with bringing down the inflammation she experiences due to her condition. Only 20,000 people in the U.S. have what Megan has. As such, there’s very little research dedicated to understanding the disease, and no well-researched treatments are available.\n\n“I ended up relying on a large number of narcotics and controlled substances to manage my symptoms,\" says Megan. “I have a really high tolerance, and I had to use large amounts of medications in order to achieve any sort of relief from my symptoms. Over time, that led to definitively physical dependence upon multiple substances.”\n\nMegan decided she needed to make a change. “Cannabis was pretty much the only treatment option that I hadn't really looked into,” she says, explaining that once she started consuming cannabis, two things happened: “Over a period of months, I lost a bunch of weight and also was able to start knocking out some of the controlled substances that I was taking.”\n\nMegan says it’s been a journey. “I was resistant to the concept that cannabis could actually be the solution, not part of the solution, but _the_ solution,” she says. “I honestly would not have believed that cannabis could really replace a medicine cabinet full of narcotics.”\n\nNow, however, Megan’s a believer and uses cannabis in lieu of her prescription medications. “I was blown away by how effective it was,” she says.\n\n### Treating Inflammation With Cannabis  \n\nThe science on cannabis as an anti-inflammatory is sound. Our body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) can naturally reduce inflammation, but doesn’t always do so. Cannabinoids, when taken, can activate the ECS, triggering anti-inflammatory effects. \n\nIf you suffer from an inflammation-related condition and think cannabis might be right for you, the best first step is to talk to a doctor. You can [consult with one of HelloMD’s knowledgeable doctors](https://www.hellomd.com/); it's easy, private and 100% online. \n\nWhether you have a medical marijuana card or live in a state where you can purchase through recreational means, there are many cannabis options on the market today. Cannabis can help inflammation in many forms, so in some ways, this is about finding the best options for you. Whatever you try, remember that cannabis can affect people differently, so you might need to try a few options before you find the right one for you. \n\nIn the next installment of the Cannabis for Newbies guide, we’ll discuss using marijuana to help with painful muscle spasms.\n\nPhoto credit: [Mark](https://www.flickr.com/photos/eggrole/)","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/7e17a465f632d8285fbc3e7680e8e41e/14b42/948d7eaeeeaff7a82b6ce3df1d6b1f88.jpg","srcSet":"/static/7e17a465f632d8285fbc3e7680e8e41e/f836f/948d7eaeeeaff7a82b6ce3df1d6b1f88.jpg 200w,\n/static/7e17a465f632d8285fbc3e7680e8e41e/2244e/948d7eaeeeaff7a82b6ce3df1d6b1f88.jpg 400w,\n/static/7e17a465f632d8285fbc3e7680e8e41e/14b42/948d7eaeeeaff7a82b6ce3df1d6b1f88.jpg 800w,\n/static/7e17a465f632d8285fbc3e7680e8e41e/199c1/948d7eaeeeaff7a82b6ce3df1d6b1f88.jpg 938w","srcWebp":"/static/7e17a465f632d8285fbc3e7680e8e41e/58556/948d7eaeeeaff7a82b6ce3df1d6b1f88.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/7e17a465f632d8285fbc3e7680e8e41e/61e93/948d7eaeeeaff7a82b6ce3df1d6b1f88.webp 200w,\n/static/7e17a465f632d8285fbc3e7680e8e41e/1f5c5/948d7eaeeeaff7a82b6ce3df1d6b1f88.webp 400w,\n/static/7e17a465f632d8285fbc3e7680e8e41e/58556/948d7eaeeeaff7a82b6ce3df1d6b1f88.webp 800w,\n/static/7e17a465f632d8285fbc3e7680e8e41e/4092a/948d7eaeeeaff7a82b6ce3df1d6b1f88.webp 938w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2648-markdown","title":"How Cannabis Can Help Ease Arthritis Pain & Inflammation","slug":"how-cannabis-can-help-ease-arthritis-pain-and-inflammation","content":"Characterized by pain and inflammation in the joints, [arthritis affects one in four adults over the age of 18, and one in every 250 children](http://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/understanding-arthritis/arthritis-statistics-facts.php). It’s also the leading cause of disability in the United States. While there are many types of arthritis, they all typically involve swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion in the joints. These [symptoms may be mild or severe, and may come and go, but for most they represent a daily struggle with pain](http://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/understanding-arthritis/what-is-arthritis.php) and the ability to function normally. In severe cases, patients may even be unable to complete simple tasks like walking or grasping objects. \n\nFor many of those with severe arthritis, the options are limited: suffer through the pain, or [take dangerous and addictive painkillers like opiates](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5660ceb8584a7100080000c1/death-score-opioids-16235-cannabis-0). In this article, part of our series for cannabis newcomers, we explore cannabis as another, safer option to prescription painkillers. A growing number of arthritis sufferers are flocking to cannabis for its pain- and inflammation-reducing effects.  \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### Chris Finds Success With Cannabis for His Arthritis\n\nChris, an arthritis sufferer from Gilroy, CA, says that he’s found great relief using cannabis. The 34-year-old was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis as a child—at around age eight or nine—when fevers, pain and inflammation began interfering with his life. After suffering through a painful childhood, Chris decided to try cannabis as an adult.\n\n\"I had friends suggesting I try cannabis for medical purposes,” Chris says. “I decided to go ahead and give it a try. And then, lo and behold, it started helping a lot with inflammation and whenever I would have soreness or stiffness.” \n\nChris says he’s been able to reduce his pain with the use of cannabis, and while not completely gone, the plant has helped him function in spite of his pain. Chris says he prefers this option to pharmaceuticals. “Cannabis never numbs you completely, as opposed to using opiates and stuff like that which completely numbs you,” he explains.\n\nAccording to Chris, topicals and smoked cannabis have been most helpful. He’s also found that strain selection is key. “I've noticed different strains help with different symptoms [better] than others do,” he says. “So that's also something I'm exploring.”\n\nChris has been using cannabis daily for the past five years now. His opinion on cannabis for arthritis? “It helps, quite significantly,” he says.\n\nRELATED: [CANNABIS SOOTHES ARTHRITIS PAIN](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5822789665e8fd000cc74ebc/cannabis-soothes-arthritis-pain)\n\n### Cannabis Relieves Pain & May Reverse Damage Caused by Arthritis \n\nChris joins a growing number of folks who are finding cannabis can help them. When it comes to arthritis, chronic pain is the main symptom that patients seek to address; it’s also the most common reason people use cannabis.\n\nIn fact, in a recent study conducted by UC Berkeley and HelloMD, [81% of patients reported that cannabis alone was more effective at relieving their pain than using opioids was](http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/can.2017.0012). Meanwhile, almost all survey respondents (97%) reported that they were able to lower their dose of opioids by introducing cannabis into their pain-management regimen. Similar results were reported for patients using non-opioid painkillers as well. \n\nIn addition, cannabis can help with inflammation, which is often at the root of arthritis. Scientists have begun to study the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis and hope to use it specifically on rheumatoid arthritis.\n\nIt turns out that our body’s natural endocannabinoid system (ECS) has a lot to do with moderating our immune system and inflammation levels. Since certain cannabinoids are able to activate the ECS, scientists believe cannabis’s phytocannabinoids may be able to reduce inflammation while actually beginning to reverse the damage caused by it. One Canadian study that’s currently underway is looking at this mechanism to [see if cannabis therapies can actually aid in the repair and reduction of pain caused by arthritis](http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/dalhousie-researcher-investigates-use-of-marijuana-for-arthritis-pain-1.3142592).\n\nRELATED: [3 POPULAR QUESTIONS ABOUT MARIJUANA & ARTHRITIS ANSWERED](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a720780f24d1300077ccb25/3-popular-questions-about-marijuana-and-arthritis-answered)\n\n### Treating Arthritis With Cannabis \n\nIf you suffer from arthritis and think cannabis might be right for you, the best first step is to talk to a doctor. You can [consult with one of HelloMD’s knowledgeable doctors](https://www.hellomd.com/); it's easy, private and 100% online. \n\nWhether you have a medical marijuana card or live in a state where you can purchase through recreational means, there are many options you can try. Cannabis’s many forms can help arthritis, so it’s really about finding the best options for you. Marijuana-infused topicals, for example, can be applied directly to the affected area without any psychoactive effects. Some folks prefer cannabis edibles for their long-lasting, full-body pain relief, while others choose to smoke and vape for its quick-acting effects.\n\nWhatever you try, remember that cannabis can affect people differently, so you may need to try a few options before you find the right one for you. \n\nIn the next installment of the Cannabis for Newbies guide, we'll get into how cannabis works as a powerful anti-inflammatory.\n\nPhoto credit: [Felipe P. Lima Rizo](https://unsplash.com/@plqmr)","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/3858605f4e25cd7aaab9a919fc14a9a1/14b42/367b4b0e97683395959653acfbbf894f.jpg","srcSet":"/static/3858605f4e25cd7aaab9a919fc14a9a1/f836f/367b4b0e97683395959653acfbbf894f.jpg 200w,\n/static/3858605f4e25cd7aaab9a919fc14a9a1/2244e/367b4b0e97683395959653acfbbf894f.jpg 400w,\n/static/3858605f4e25cd7aaab9a919fc14a9a1/14b42/367b4b0e97683395959653acfbbf894f.jpg 800w,\n/static/3858605f4e25cd7aaab9a919fc14a9a1/47498/367b4b0e97683395959653acfbbf894f.jpg 1200w,\n/static/3858605f4e25cd7aaab9a919fc14a9a1/0e329/367b4b0e97683395959653acfbbf894f.jpg 1600w,\n/static/3858605f4e25cd7aaab9a919fc14a9a1/7c89d/367b4b0e97683395959653acfbbf894f.jpg 3636w","srcWebp":"/static/3858605f4e25cd7aaab9a919fc14a9a1/58556/367b4b0e97683395959653acfbbf894f.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/3858605f4e25cd7aaab9a919fc14a9a1/61e93/367b4b0e97683395959653acfbbf894f.webp 200w,\n/static/3858605f4e25cd7aaab9a919fc14a9a1/1f5c5/367b4b0e97683395959653acfbbf894f.webp 400w,\n/static/3858605f4e25cd7aaab9a919fc14a9a1/58556/367b4b0e97683395959653acfbbf894f.webp 800w,\n/static/3858605f4e25cd7aaab9a919fc14a9a1/99238/367b4b0e97683395959653acfbbf894f.webp 1200w,\n/static/3858605f4e25cd7aaab9a919fc14a9a1/7c22d/367b4b0e97683395959653acfbbf894f.webp 1600w,\n/static/3858605f4e25cd7aaab9a919fc14a9a1/02a42/367b4b0e97683395959653acfbbf894f.webp 3636w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2630-markdown","title":"How Does Cannabis Work to Relieve Migraines?","slug":"how-does-cannabis-work-to-relieve-migraines","content":"There are few physical experiences as excruciating as a [migraine, which includes a throbbing headache, intense nausea and a heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli like light, sounds, flavors, smells or touch](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20360201). You may even experience visual distortions like bright spots of light partially blocking your range of vision.\n\nA migraine attack can be a frightening and extremely painful experience. For the [37 million people who suffer from migraines](https://migraine.com/migraine-statistics/), this can be a debilitating condition that gets in the way of everyday life.\n\nIn this article, part of a series for folks new to cannabis, we take a look at both anecdotal and research-based evidence on cannabis’s ability to provide patients relief from these often-agonizing headaches. Many patients are also finding that [cannabis can prevent their painful migraines](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/586990111eefb000085918c5/marijuana-insomnia-and-migraines-lizs-success-story).  \n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### Jen’s Success Preventing Migraines With Cannabis\n\nJen is one patient whose found cannabis very helpful in easing her migraines. Jen has had painful migraines since she hit puberty and believes they’re related to hormonal changes taking place during her menstrual cycle.\n\n“The [migraines] correlate with my menstrual cycle, and so typically my window for having a migraine is the week before my period, the day before and the day of,” she explains.\n\nFor years, these migraines were debilitating. She recalls the last one, saying, “I woke up in the middle of the night, and my eyes just popped open. I thought, ‘I have a headache. No!’” Jen continues, “I count the amount of times I throw up, knowing that eventually I get to a point where I start to feel relief and then I can do things.” \n\nStill, Jen says that she can actually help prevent these headaches, if she takes regular doses of cannabis edibles. “During what I would consider my trigger week, where I could be at risk of getting a headache, I essentially start taking a regular anti-inflammatory,” she says. “The [cannabis edibles] seem to be able to keep me from getting a headache.” And she adds, “There was a lot of trial and error as to what kind of strains really were effective [for me].”\n\nWhile Jen’s still searching for a solution to reverse her worst headaches once they get started, she says she has fewer migraines now that she takes cannabis as a preventative measure. \n\nRELATED: [LIFESTYLE CHANGES YOU CAN MAKE TO PREVENT MIGRAINES](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/59e6508d6550b60e555e1bf7/lifestyle-changes-you-can-make-to-prevent-migraines)\n\n### Research Supports Cannabis as a Solution for Migraines \n\nJen is one of a growing number of [folks using cannabis successfully to relieve their migraines](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5834944a14533400080243bc/marijuana-and-migraines-sallys-success-story). In fact, research suggests that cannabis use can significantly reduce the amount of migraines a person experiences. In one study, [85% of patients said they had fewer migraines when they consumed cannabis](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/phar.1673/full), with the average number of headaches going down from 10.4 to 4.6 per month. \n\nCannabis’s effectiveness when it comes to easing migraine pain may be due in part to the plant’s natural pain-relieving properties. Both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) have been shown to reduce pain as well as inflammation. In addition, these [cannabinoids reduce the body’s natural stress response, which can actually trigger the onset of a migraine](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/577d4650d64ada0007000013/treating-migraines-with-marijuana-dr-patricia-frye). \n\nIn addition, cannabis can help raise serotonin levels. While it’s still unclear exactly how serotonin affects migraines, [low levels of serotonin are linked to the condition](https://www.disabled-world.com/health/neurology/migraine/serotonin.php). Some believe that increasing serotonin levels—as is possible through the use of THC—can help ease migraine symptoms. \n\n### Using Cannabis to Treat Migraines \n\nIf you suffer from migraines and think cannabis might be right for you, the best first step is to talk to a doctor. You can [consult with one of HelloMD’s knowledgeable doctors](https://www.hellomd.com/); it's easy, private and 100% online. \n\nWhether you have a medical marijuana card or live in a state where you can purchase through recreational means, there are many cannabis options on the market today. Research suggests that a combination of CBD and THC can help prevent migraines, but what ratios and strains work best can vary from person to person. Some prefer a higher level of CBD to reduce the side effects of THC (such as anxiety or feeling too high). Others prefer the heightened pain relief and serotonin-boosting powers of THC, and use more of it relative to CBD. \n\nResearchers have found that patients usually need at least a [200 mg dose of CBD and THC to stop a migraine that has already begun](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/595d2e1aa58a9e28f07d6762/new-study-finds-cannabis-effective-in-treatment-for-migraines). This is an extremely high dose, so talk to your doctor and proceed carefully. Taking such a mega-dose may be a disorienting experience until your body builds up a tolerance to the psychoactive aspects of THC. If you’re sensitive to THC, make sure to balance it out with plenty of CBD, which reduces THC’s psychoactive effects.  \n\nWhatever you try, remember that cannabis can affect people differently, so you may need to try a few options before you find the right one for you. \n\nIn the next installment of our Cannabis for Newbies series, we put the spotlight on consuming cannabis as a means of relieving arthritis pain and inflammation.\n\nPhoto credit: [Ben White](https://unsplash.com/@benwhitephotography)","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/5cb9647a2595f19aad996aa739f805b5/14b42/d63d44337edacf4ae53726134a320625.jpg","srcSet":"/static/5cb9647a2595f19aad996aa739f805b5/f836f/d63d44337edacf4ae53726134a320625.jpg 200w,\n/static/5cb9647a2595f19aad996aa739f805b5/2244e/d63d44337edacf4ae53726134a320625.jpg 400w,\n/static/5cb9647a2595f19aad996aa739f805b5/14b42/d63d44337edacf4ae53726134a320625.jpg 800w,\n/static/5cb9647a2595f19aad996aa739f805b5/47498/d63d44337edacf4ae53726134a320625.jpg 1200w,\n/static/5cb9647a2595f19aad996aa739f805b5/0e329/d63d44337edacf4ae53726134a320625.jpg 1600w,\n/static/5cb9647a2595f19aad996aa739f805b5/7c89d/d63d44337edacf4ae53726134a320625.jpg 3636w","srcWebp":"/static/5cb9647a2595f19aad996aa739f805b5/58556/d63d44337edacf4ae53726134a320625.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/5cb9647a2595f19aad996aa739f805b5/61e93/d63d44337edacf4ae53726134a320625.webp 200w,\n/static/5cb9647a2595f19aad996aa739f805b5/1f5c5/d63d44337edacf4ae53726134a320625.webp 400w,\n/static/5cb9647a2595f19aad996aa739f805b5/58556/d63d44337edacf4ae53726134a320625.webp 800w,\n/static/5cb9647a2595f19aad996aa739f805b5/99238/d63d44337edacf4ae53726134a320625.webp 1200w,\n/static/5cb9647a2595f19aad996aa739f805b5/7c22d/d63d44337edacf4ae53726134a320625.webp 1600w,\n/static/5cb9647a2595f19aad996aa739f805b5/02a42/d63d44337edacf4ae53726134a320625.webp 3636w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2629-markdown","title":"How Cannabis Can Help Manage Depression","slug":"how-cannabis-can-help-manage-depression","content":"According to the World Health Organization, roughly [350 million people suffer from depression worldwide, with 16 million of those individuals in the U.S. alone](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/55c101d766653800060c0000/depression-sufferers-find-relief-in-medical-marijuana). Many scientists believe depression is related to lower levels of key neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which helps regulate mood, appetite, sleep and sexual function. As a result, most antidepressants work to replace the missing serotonin.\r\n\r\nWhen serotonin levels get too low, people may experience feelings of depression, fatigue and, in extreme cases, suicidal thoughts. [Genetic factors can be the cause of low serotonin as can chronic stress](http://www.jneurosci.org/content/34/44/14560). \r\n\r\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\r\n\r\nIn this article, part of our series geared towards folks new to cannabis, we take a look at how cannabis may help ease symptoms of depression. And we include a couple of success stories from patients who’ve been able to manage their depression effectively with the use of this multipurpose medicine.\r\n\r\n### Julia’s Success Using Cannabis for Depression\r\n\r\nJulia, a 24-year-old waitress and former teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area, says that cannabis plays a big part in managing her depression. She first started using cannabis for pain management when recovering from a surgery. Then, last year she was diagnosed with a major depressive disorder. While doctors first put Julia on antidepressants, she didn’t like the way they made her feel.\r\n\r\n“My brain was just thinking completely differently, and I didn't really feel like myself,” she says. \r\n\r\nUltimately she decided to opt for a more natural route by managing her depression with cannabis. And she couldn’t be happier with the results. Julia says that cannabis helps her keep a more positive mindset, but in a way that feels authentic to who she is.\r\n\r\n“For me, I always felt like I was stuck in a rut,” Julia says. “Once I started using cannabis, my interactions with people were much healthier. I was able to think through any kind of problem I was having; they no longer seemed to be overwhelmingly large. The annoying little things that used to take up so much of my daily life didn't matter anymore.” \r\n\r\nRELATED: [TOP MARIJUANA STRAINS FOR DEPRESSION](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/57fbd5a9321b570007790312/top-marijuana-strains-for-depression)\r\n\r\n### Jacob Also Finds Success Using Cannabis for Depression\r\n\r\nJacob, a 40-year-old chef and cannabis entrepreneur from Oakland, CA, has also benefited from cannabis’s mood-elevating properties. He says that over the years cannabis has helped with his depression, which has often intensified in times of heightened career stress.\r\n\r\nThat said, Jacob also says that cannabis can have the reverse effect if he takes too much of it. “Then you can be kind of irritable or intolerant of things that you’d normally brush off,” he explains. \r\n\r\nJacob says sometimes the negative effects of cannabis can present themselves after periods of intense stress when he relies more heavily on the plant to combat his depression. “That's a big pattern I've been able to keep an eye on over 25 years of cannabis use,” he says. “During large, stressful points of my life, I definitely have double intake. When everything’s nice and calm, I realize how much cannabis I’m going through.”\r\n\r\nJacob says at these times he’s used essential oils to help ease his anxiety and depression, while he works on cutting back his dose and lowering his tolerance to cannabis. Once back on lower doses, he finds he’s able to keep his depression in check. \r\n\r\n### Treating Depression With Cannabis \r\n\r\nThese patient stories align perfectly with the science of how cannabis can alleviate depression. Marijuana is known to stimulate the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which plays a part in signaling for more serotonin. During stressful times, the ECS is impaired, leading to lower levels of serotonin. So, consuming cannabis can help activate your body’s natural mood boosters. For patients whose endocannabinoid systems aren’t functioning properly, cannabis can make all the difference. \r\n\r\nThat said, if your ECS becomes oversaturated with cannabinoids, it can actually switch things in the other direction. While studies show that cannabis can improve mood, they also show that [too much marijuana can have the opposite effect, actually worsening depression](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a4d282f100a820006562f4b/3-popular-questions-about-marijuana-and-depression-answered).\r\n\r\nFolks with stress-related depression may find that when their stress has decreased, the amount of cannabis that helps may also get smaller. For this condition, it’s always best to work with the smallest dose that effectively alleviates your symptoms. \r\n\r\nIf you suffer from depression and think cannabis might be right for you, the best first step is to talk to a doctor. You can [consult with one of HelloMD’s knowledgeable doctors](https://www.hellomd.com/); it's easy, private and 100% online. \r\n\r\nWhether you have a medical marijuana card or live in a state where you can purchase through recreational means, there are many options on the market today. Sativas are often suggested for depression, because they have many energizing and mood-boosting cannabinoids and terpenes.\r\n\r\nKeep in mind, however, that sativas may not work for everyone. Some—myself included—find sativa strains to be too anxiety-provoking and look to hybrids or indicas instead. Afgoo and Blueberry are two indica-dominant hybrids that always put a smile on my face. Whatever you try, remember that cannabis can affect people differently, so you may need to try a few options before you find the right one for you. \r\n\r\nIn the next installment of the Cannabis for Newbies guide, we’ll go over how cannabis can help relieve migraine pain.\r\n\r\nPhoto credit: [David Cohen](https://unsplash.com/@dcp)","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDABALDA4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVGC8aGi9jQjhCY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2P/wgARCAAPABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGAAAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUCAwT/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAAFwthaLjcH/xAAaEAADAQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMRBBIh/9oACAEBAAEFAm65Qy0v7YF2EFKniaf/xAAUEQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ/9oACAEDAQE/AT//xAAUEQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ/9oACAECAQE/AT//xAAdEAACAQQDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAESEBAkFhIjKh/9oACAEBAAY/AuSWxW0nRgeCIO/h/8QAGhABAQEBAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAREAIUFRcf/aAAgBAQABPyHvHTCh74RzSYA+GpzFil173Ux//9oADAMBAAIAAwAAABBAD//EABQRAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABD/2gAIAQMBAT8QP//EABQRAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABD/2gAIAQIBAT8QP//EABwQAQACAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAESFRMXGB8P/aAAgBAQABPxCskCkVCQALdo9x6A3IDntgunwDmtwUXXu3yXidvPxn/9k=","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/205cfa54b6365c139ba5d7e1f5428035/14b42/818f4c26909bcbebcdc6377cdf48d842.jpg","srcSet":"/static/205cfa54b6365c139ba5d7e1f5428035/f836f/818f4c26909bcbebcdc6377cdf48d842.jpg 200w,\n/static/205cfa54b6365c139ba5d7e1f5428035/2244e/818f4c26909bcbebcdc6377cdf48d842.jpg 400w,\n/static/205cfa54b6365c139ba5d7e1f5428035/14b42/818f4c26909bcbebcdc6377cdf48d842.jpg 800w,\n/static/205cfa54b6365c139ba5d7e1f5428035/47498/818f4c26909bcbebcdc6377cdf48d842.jpg 1200w,\n/static/205cfa54b6365c139ba5d7e1f5428035/0e329/818f4c26909bcbebcdc6377cdf48d842.jpg 1600w,\n/static/205cfa54b6365c139ba5d7e1f5428035/4cc39/818f4c26909bcbebcdc6377cdf48d842.jpg 3564w","srcWebp":"/static/205cfa54b6365c139ba5d7e1f5428035/58556/818f4c26909bcbebcdc6377cdf48d842.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/205cfa54b6365c139ba5d7e1f5428035/61e93/818f4c26909bcbebcdc6377cdf48d842.webp 200w,\n/static/205cfa54b6365c139ba5d7e1f5428035/1f5c5/818f4c26909bcbebcdc6377cdf48d842.webp 400w,\n/static/205cfa54b6365c139ba5d7e1f5428035/58556/818f4c26909bcbebcdc6377cdf48d842.webp 800w,\n/static/205cfa54b6365c139ba5d7e1f5428035/99238/818f4c26909bcbebcdc6377cdf48d842.webp 1200w,\n/static/205cfa54b6365c139ba5d7e1f5428035/7c22d/818f4c26909bcbebcdc6377cdf48d842.webp 1600w,\n/static/205cfa54b6365c139ba5d7e1f5428035/9dc24/818f4c26909bcbebcdc6377cdf48d842.webp 3564w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2636-markdown","title":"Finding Relief From Insomnia With Cannabis","slug":"finding-relief-from-insomnia-with-cannabis","content":"Are you having sleepless nights? You aren’t alone. Roughly 30–35% of adults experience the symptoms of insomnia at least on a temporary basis. These symptoms include the [inability to fall or stay asleep, fatigue during the day, mood disturbances, poor memory and the inability to focus](http://www.sleepeducation.org/news/2014/03/10/insomnia-awareness-day-facts-and-stats). Meanwhile, up to 20% of adults experience longer-lasting insomnia (up to three months), while 10% have chronic and ongoing insomnia.\n\nWhile there’s a large selection of sleeping pills and other solutions available, many folks find these options don’t work well. Or they don’t like the sometimes unsettling side effects they can encounter. People have reported unusual and out-of-character behavior while on sleeping pills. From racking up high bills online shopping to making embarrassing phone calls or taking the car out for a drive in the middle of the night—while asleep, these [side effects can be as bizarre as they are dangerous](http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/15/business/15drug.ready.html).\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nIn this article, part of our series geared towards folks new to cannabis, we go over how cannabis offers hope to those suffering from insomnia. The medicinal plant acts as a natural and effective sleep aid that will leave you snoozing instead of sleepwalking. Many patients are already reaping great benefits from this alternative sleeping solution. \n\n### Nicole’s Success Using Cannabis for Her Insomnia\n\nNicole, a 38-year-old writer, yoga teacher and riding therapist, says that cannabis has made a big difference with her insomnia. \"My insomnia was really debilitating,\" she says of her lifelong sleep issues. “If I did fall asleep at all ... I would wake every one-and-half or every three hours. You could almost set a clock to it.”\n\nAnd lack of sleep was just the beginning for Nicole. “Several times a month, I’d have either sleep paralysis or night terrors, really terrible screaming nightmares where I would wake everyone around me.” she says. The anxiety and guilt over disturbing everyone else’s sleep only made Nicole’s insomnia worse. \n\nNicole thought about trying cannabis, but in New Jersey, where she’s from, insomnia isn’t a qualifying condition for cannabis use. So, she tried an array of medications—from over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol PM and Benadryl to prescription drugs like Xanax, but nothing seemed to work. \n\nThen, a few years ago, Nicole moved to California and began to experiment. Soon, she found that cannabis was just the medicine she’d been looking for. Finally, she was able to sleep. \n\n“When I take a dose of cannabis, I'm usually asleep within 20 minutes,” Nicole says. “It's a very pleasant feeling of falling asleep.” According to Nicole, she can now sleep through the night about 90% of the time. “When I do wake up, I can usually get back to sleep,” she explains. “So it's been a really significant change.” \n\nNicole says that cannabis has also helped with her nightmares. “I tend to not recall very much active dreaming when I use it,” she says, adding that the times she’s woken up from nightmares has gone from several times a month to only two or three times in the last few years. Now, Nicole says she’s also seen improvement in other health issues like anxiety and intense premenstrual symptoms. \n\n“Sleep is at the heart of everything,” she says. “It lets you heal from a lot of other issues.\" \n\n### Treating Insomnia With Cannabis \n\nAs it turns out, the body’s natural endocannabinoid system (ECS) is key to regulating sleep. When the ECS is stimulated by plant-based cannabinoids like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), it can activate your body’s natural mechanisms for modulating sleep patterns.\n\nStudies show that [many patients report falling asleep easier and more quickly after consuming cannabis](http://www.beyondthc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Tringale-Jensen-20111.pdf). In addition, cannabis can decrease episodes of sleep apnea, helping patients sleep more consistently throughout the night.\n\nIf you suffer from insomnia and think cannabis might be right for you, the best first step is to talk to a doctor. You can [consult with one of HelloMD’s knowledgeable doctors](https://www.hellomd.com/); it's easy, private and 100% online. \n\nThere are many cannabis options on the market today. Indicas are traditionally recommended for sleep because they tend to make people sleepy. Others find CBD strains to be most helpful, because they relax the body without many side effects.\n\nIn terms of which forms work best, some folks favor edibles, because they stay in your system all night, providing a consistent supply of cannabinoids, thereby helping patients stay asleep. Others prefer smoking flower or vaping extracts because these methods give you a large dose of cannabinoids that affect you almost immediately. This can greatly aid in the process of falling asleep.\n\nWhatever you try, remember that cannabis can affect people differently, so you might need to try a few options before you find the right one for you. \n\nStay tuned for the next installment of the Cannabis for Newbies guide, where we’ll get into how cannabis can help ease depression.\n\nPhoto credit: [Matheus Vinicius](https://unsplash.com/@matheusdk00)","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/14b42/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.jpg","srcSet":"/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/f836f/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.jpg 200w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/2244e/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.jpg 400w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/14b42/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.jpg 800w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/47498/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.jpg 1200w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/0e329/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.jpg 1600w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/7c307/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.jpg 3071w","srcWebp":"/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/58556/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/61e93/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.webp 200w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/1f5c5/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.webp 400w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/58556/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.webp 800w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/99238/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.webp 1200w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/7c22d/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.webp 1600w,\n/static/784ddf2d6827ea8826f2fd0b0df1a885/ad95e/335eb68445890ed2f4523ac137f10392.webp 3071w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2588-markdown","title":"How Cannabis Can Help Beat Back Pain","slug":"how-cannabis-can-help-beat-back-pain","content":"In our series for cannabis newcomers, we’ve been exploring how patients have successfully used cannabis to treat a variety of conditions. In this article, we look at using cannabis to treat back pain, an incredibly common, debilitating condition. In fact, [back pain is the most common cause of job-related disability, and 80% of adults will suffer from it at some point in their lifetime](https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Low-Back-Pain-Fact-Sheet#3102_3).\n\nWhether the pain is from an injury, a genetic condition, inflammation, infection or something else, having back pain can turn everyday tasks into daunting challenges. For some, it can be a life-altering condition. Thankfully, both research and anecdotal accounts suggest that cannabis can help alleviate back pain.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\n### Kat’s Success Using CBD for Back Pain\n\nFifty-year-old Kat suffers from fibromyalgia and severe back pain. Over the past few years, Kat’s back pain has become debilitating.\n\n\"I'm to the point where I really can't hold down a regular job,” she explains. “I have to lay flat on the ground every couple of hours because my back hurts so bad.” \n\nWhile working a regular job is no longer an option, Kat still needs to function for part-time work and her most important job: being a mom. She says that cannabis, specifically high cannabidiol (CBD) cannabis, has been crucial in managing her pain and helping her function.\n\n“Cannabis has helped me in a lot of different ways,” she says. “I do lot of yoga and stretching. But if I can do that in combination with some CBD, it gives total relief… and then I’m better for a while.”\n\nKat is careful to mention that not all cannabis has had the same benefits for her. She says she’s tried different types of cannabis, and that high tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) strains seemed to make her more anxious. ”When I found CBD, [I realized] that's the main thing that helps me,” she says. “CBD is where it's at for me.”\n\n### Travis Also Finds Success Using Cannabis for Back Pain \n\nAnother patient, Travis, says his back pain eased significantly with the use of cannabis. The 27-year-old says his life changed in the blink of an eye when he got into a car accident that left him severely injured. Travis sustained injuries to his upper back, neck and shoulders, all of which quickly ended his career in construction.\n\n“I just wasn't able to do heavy lifting or swing a hammer on a regular basis,” he says. “I had to change jobs from construction to working in a coffee shop. I was making a lot less money and working less hours.”\n\nThat’s when Travis decided to give medical cannabis a try, first with CBD tinctures and capsules made by a friend. “It started helping me a little with my aches.” he says. “When I started smoking, it helped a little more.”\n\nTravis says he prefers this natural method of pain relief to the aspirin he’d been taking before. He adds that cannabis doesn’t completely relieve his pain, but it seems to calm and relax him in a way that makes the pain more bearable and less noticeable. \n\nEventually, cannabis began to help Travis so much that he was able to go back to working the construction job that he’d before. This shift back to the career he’d been passionate about has been great for Travis. “It’s a career, instead of just a job at a coffee shop,” he says. Cannabis made all the difference.\n\n### The Science of Cannabis & Back Pain\n\n[Studies say that up to 97% of cannabis patients use the plant for pain](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3998228/). Research also points to cannabis as a potent painkiller. Cannabis can help treat back pain by stimulating the body's natural pain reliever: the endocannabinoid system. This system sends quick and potent pain relief to injured areas, and can be stimulated by some of the chemicals in cannabis, such as THC.\n\nCannabis offers a safer and more natural route of pain relief for patients dealing with chronic back pain, and patients often prefer this to the numbing and desensitized feelings that can come with traditional painkillers. In fact, in a study by UC Berkeley and HelloMD, [81% of patients reported that cannabis alone was more effective at relieving their pain than opioids were](http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/can.2017.0012). Similar results were reported for patients using non-opioid painkillers. \n\n### Treating Back Pain With Cannabis \n\nPatients looking to use cannabis for back pain can choose from a large variety of options. Smoking or vaping cannabis can be very effective for this type of pain, but so can edibles, capsules, tinctures and topicals. THC-dominant varieties have been shown to help the most with pain, but high CBD options often help with fewer side effects. \n\nThere’s a lot of flexibility when it comes to treating pain with cannabis, so it’s often key for patients to explore their options to find the type of cannabis that fits their needs best.  \n\nIf you suffer from back pain and think cannabis might be right for you, the best first step is to talk to a doctor. You can [consult with one of HelloMD’s knowledgeable doctors](https://www.hellomd.com/); it's easy, private and 100% online. \n\nIn the next installment of the Cannabis for Newbies guide, we’ll go over how cannabis can help ease insomnia.\n\nPhoto credit: [Valentin Lacoste](https://unsplash.com/@valentinlacoste)","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/cf39c3ad83000bdd179aa5e0782d4411/14b42/ec9b329377953bcea208321e32bbcc6c.jpg","srcSet":"/static/cf39c3ad83000bdd179aa5e0782d4411/f836f/ec9b329377953bcea208321e32bbcc6c.jpg 200w,\n/static/cf39c3ad83000bdd179aa5e0782d4411/2244e/ec9b329377953bcea208321e32bbcc6c.jpg 400w,\n/static/cf39c3ad83000bdd179aa5e0782d4411/14b42/ec9b329377953bcea208321e32bbcc6c.jpg 800w,\n/static/cf39c3ad83000bdd179aa5e0782d4411/47498/ec9b329377953bcea208321e32bbcc6c.jpg 1200w,\n/static/cf39c3ad83000bdd179aa5e0782d4411/0e329/ec9b329377953bcea208321e32bbcc6c.jpg 1600w,\n/static/cf39c3ad83000bdd179aa5e0782d4411/b2131/ec9b329377953bcea208321e32bbcc6c.jpg 3000w","srcWebp":"/static/cf39c3ad83000bdd179aa5e0782d4411/58556/ec9b329377953bcea208321e32bbcc6c.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/cf39c3ad83000bdd179aa5e0782d4411/61e93/ec9b329377953bcea208321e32bbcc6c.webp 200w,\n/static/cf39c3ad83000bdd179aa5e0782d4411/1f5c5/ec9b329377953bcea208321e32bbcc6c.webp 400w,\n/static/cf39c3ad83000bdd179aa5e0782d4411/58556/ec9b329377953bcea208321e32bbcc6c.webp 800w,\n/static/cf39c3ad83000bdd179aa5e0782d4411/99238/ec9b329377953bcea208321e32bbcc6c.webp 1200w,\n/static/cf39c3ad83000bdd179aa5e0782d4411/7c22d/ec9b329377953bcea208321e32bbcc6c.webp 1600w,\n/static/cf39c3ad83000bdd179aa5e0782d4411/ab9f8/ec9b329377953bcea208321e32bbcc6c.webp 3000w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2624-markdown","title":"How to Manage Stress With Cannabis","slug":"how-to-manage-stress-with-cannabis","content":"In today's fast-paced, frenetic world, stress is something that affects pretty much everyone. [When we face stressful situations or emotions, our brain releases chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/55a41e233832300006640000/cannabis-can-relieve-stress) that put us into a fight or flight mode. While this can be helpful if you're, say, being chased by a bear, stress's effects can be brutal, with painful physical symptoms such as tight muscles, disrupted digestion, headaches, fatigue and chest pain. \r\n\r\nYou may be wondering about the difference between stress and [anxiety](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a99f400f24d1300077ccb72/finding-success-with-cannabis-to-reduce-anxiety). The two are similar and interrelated, but actually comprise very different situations. Stress is a reaction we have in response to a stressor—in other words, some life event or situation that causes a negative response. This response might be anger, frustration, sadness or anxiety. Anxiety, on the other hand, is a state of worrying that isn’t necessarily tied to an event (although it might be). This persistent sense of fear and dread is often—but not always—a symptom of stress. \r\n\r\nUnfortunately, [stress—and the symptoms that accompany it—are quite common occurrences](https://www.stress.org/daily-life/). More than three-quarters (77%) of Americans say they experience physical symptoms from stress, while 73% say they experience its psychological symptoms.\r\n\r\n[When stress from an event is severe, it can even develop into a stress disorder like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/55fc4eea3063390006b90000/cannabis-for-anxiety-and-stress-disorders). This common condition affects 8% of the population and is [characterized by flashbacks to the traumatic event, coupled with extreme stress reactions](http://www.healmyptsd.com/education/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-statistics). \r\n\r\nThankfully, many patients report that cannabis helps them cope with stressful situations as well as the symptoms they cause. \r\n\r\nRELATED: [3 POPULAR QUESTIONS ABOUT MARIJUANA & STRESS ANSWERED](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5a131d7beea891000897e269/3-popular-questions-about-marijuana-and-stress-answered)\r\n\r\n### Alexis Finds Success Using Cannabis to Ease PTSD Symptoms \r\n\r\nTake Alexis, a 23-year-old patient who uses cannabis to help cope with stress. Diagnosed with PTSD from a past trauma, Alexis was overwhelmed with painful and frightening symptoms on a daily basis.\r\n\r\n“I was having flashbacks pretty much every single day about the event.” she recalls. “I would wake up in the middle of the night covered in sweat, panicking and hyperventilating, sometimes even screaming. I was constantly in a heightened state of anxiety and hypervigilance. And I was jumpy; I was irritable, sometimes angry, and I just needed to be medicated.” \r\n\r\nAlexis says that doctors first put her on Zoloft in an attempt to ease her symptoms, but it didn’t really help. “I was still having flashbacks.” she says, adding, “It was kind of artificial. I never actually felt any real feeling. ... I was just kind of numb.” \r\n\r\nThen she tried cannabis and was amazed at how well it worked. “I no longer wake up in the middle of the night covered in sweat and freaking out.” she explains. “If I consume a little bit of an edible before I go to sleep, it will keep me asleep the entire night.”\r\n\r\nShe also says that her daily anxiety levels have come way down, and “when I do experience flashbacks now, which is less common, I’m able to keep more of a level head to deal with it.”\r\n\r\nWith cannabis to ease her symptoms, she’s been able to completely get off of Zoloft. Alexis says cannabis has helped her “in so many ways.”\r\n\r\n### Treating Stress With Cannabis \r\n\r\nAlexis has found help with the use of cannabis, and she’s not alone. Many patients report cannabis helps with stress and PTSD symptoms. In fact, a 2015 study in the _American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy_ found that “[substantial numbers of military veterans with PTSD use cannabis or derivative products to control PTSD symptoms](http://www.ajhp.org/content/72/15/1279.short?sso-checked=true), with some patients reporting benefits in terms of reduced anxiety and insomnia and improved coping ability.” \r\n\r\nThis makes a lot of sense when paired with new research that shows [cannabis actually reduces reactions to stress](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-017-4648-z). In one study, patients were given stress tests, some using cannabis and some not. Those consuming cannabis not only reported having less stress during the test, but were also found to have lower levels of cortisol in their blood. Cannabis was able to reduce stress responses at the chemical level. \r\n\r\nThis is good news for patients with chronic stressors, or an overactive stress response. Cannabis can them help keep stress levels in a manageable range. For those suffering from occasional stress, cannabis can help lessen the physical and emotional impact of a really bad day. Either way, it’s no wonder cannabis is such a popular option when it comes to reducing stress. \r\n\r\nIf you suffer from stress and think cannabis might be right for you, the best first step is to talk to a doctor. You can [consult with one HelloMD’s knowledgeable doctors](https://www.hellomd.com/); it's easy, private and 100% online. Whether you have a medical marijuana card or live in a state where you can purchase through recreational means, you’ll want to start exploring which strains and methods of consuming cannabis are best for you.\r\n\r\nIn the next installment of the Cannabis for Newbies guide, we take a look at how cannabis can help alleviate back pain.\r\n\r\nPhoto credit: [Louis Blythe](https://unsplash.com/@louisjblythe)","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/223c81e8e275520e947c20dc00dacc8f/14b42/398da99d40d8e8fa2212e0e8635eff5a.jpg","srcSet":"/static/223c81e8e275520e947c20dc00dacc8f/f836f/398da99d40d8e8fa2212e0e8635eff5a.jpg 200w,\n/static/223c81e8e275520e947c20dc00dacc8f/2244e/398da99d40d8e8fa2212e0e8635eff5a.jpg 400w,\n/static/223c81e8e275520e947c20dc00dacc8f/14b42/398da99d40d8e8fa2212e0e8635eff5a.jpg 800w,\n/static/223c81e8e275520e947c20dc00dacc8f/47498/398da99d40d8e8fa2212e0e8635eff5a.jpg 1200w,\n/static/223c81e8e275520e947c20dc00dacc8f/0e329/398da99d40d8e8fa2212e0e8635eff5a.jpg 1600w,\n/static/223c81e8e275520e947c20dc00dacc8f/46750/398da99d40d8e8fa2212e0e8635eff5a.jpg 3633w","srcWebp":"/static/223c81e8e275520e947c20dc00dacc8f/58556/398da99d40d8e8fa2212e0e8635eff5a.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/223c81e8e275520e947c20dc00dacc8f/61e93/398da99d40d8e8fa2212e0e8635eff5a.webp 200w,\n/static/223c81e8e275520e947c20dc00dacc8f/1f5c5/398da99d40d8e8fa2212e0e8635eff5a.webp 400w,\n/static/223c81e8e275520e947c20dc00dacc8f/58556/398da99d40d8e8fa2212e0e8635eff5a.webp 800w,\n/static/223c81e8e275520e947c20dc00dacc8f/99238/398da99d40d8e8fa2212e0e8635eff5a.webp 1200w,\n/static/223c81e8e275520e947c20dc00dacc8f/7c22d/398da99d40d8e8fa2212e0e8635eff5a.webp 1600w,\n/static/223c81e8e275520e947c20dc00dacc8f/757bd/398da99d40d8e8fa2212e0e8635eff5a.webp 3633w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2604-markdown","title":"How Cannabis Relieves Pain Better Than Opioids Do","slug":"how-cannabis-relieves-pain-better-than-opioids-do","content":"Pain is a universal reality that we all have to deal with in some form or another. While pain may strike on occasion for some—such as the random headache or pulled muscle, for many of us, pain is a daily chronic situation. In fact, according to the National Institute of Health, [pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined](https://report.nih.gov/nihfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=57). Pain is a leading cause of disability, and the most common reason Americans go to the doctor.\n\nFOLLOW US ON [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/pg/hellomdcompany/posts/) & [INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/hellomd_com/?hl=en)\n\nUnfortunately, many with chronic pain turn to dangerous prescription painkillers like opiates. While pain is a huge problem that can leave a patient unable to lead a normal life, the painkillers themselves might be even worse. [Opiates alone kill over 33,000 each year](https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.html), and the rates are only increasing.\n\nYou may think over-the-counter painkillers like non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a safer choice, but estimates for [deaths from NSAIDs hover over 15,000 a year](http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/deadly-nsaids), and hospitalization for complications caused by NSAIDS (like GI bleeding or liver damage) are in the 100,000 range. \n\nIn this article, part of our series geared towards folks new to cannabis, we get into how cannabis may be a safer and better option for chronic pain patients. Many report significant pain relief from cannabis, and [in states that allow medical cannabis, deaths from opiate overdoses have gone down by 25%](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25154332).\n\n### Ella’s Success Using Cannabis to Ease Her Pain\n\nElla is one patient whose relied heavily on cannabis’s pain-relieving abilities to get her through the day. Ella has a genetic condition called [thalassemia](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thalassemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354995). This inherited blood disorder is characterized by a deficiency in red blood cells and hemoglobin. In severe cases like Ella’s, regular blood transfusions are required as treatment.\n\nElla has been having blood transfusions every few weeks since she was one month old. In addition, this challenging condition has caused Ella problems like liver enlargement, bone inflammation and congestive heart failure. These issues along with the many surgeries and painful procedures Ella has gone through have left her in need of some serious pain management. \n\n“The cannabis just helps me so much with the pain and the surgeries,” says Ella, adding that her mother had first suggested cannabis five years ago as an alternative to the Percocet and Vicodin that she was taking. These prescription painkillers were not only addictive, but they were compounding her liver problems, causing her liver to double in size. \n\nThankfully, cannabis provided Ella a safer alternative. “Because I was taking cannabis for my pain, my liver was able to shrink down to normal size.” she explains, saying that anyone with her condition should try out cannabis. “I recommend it, because it's not a narcotic that can damage your organs, and it's just a wonderful medicine.”\n\n### Becky’s Success Overcoming Her Pain With Marijuana\n\nBecky is another patient who uses cannabis for pain relief. The 42-year-old uses cannabis for a connective tissue disorder that affects her eyes, heart, muscular system and skeletal system. This condition leaves Becky with a lot of daily chronic pain. That pain can really get in the way of her work as a hairstylist. While some doctors suggested she get into a new line of work, Becky is passionate about what she does and wanted to continue.\n\n“I had to figure out ways to make myself feel better and still be able to function.” she says, sharing a long line of medications she experimented with before making her way to medical cannabis.\n\nBecky tried everything from Tylenol and OxyContin to muscle relaxers, but nothing seemed to help. Then she thought back to times she had used cannabis recreationally. “I realized that any time I smoked cannabis, it was because I was struggling with physical pain or with something emotional. It always helped.” \n\nWith approval from her doctor, Becky began to use cannabis medicinally, and it has transformed her life. “I truly, deeply feel like if I didn't have cannabis in my life, I wouldn't be the same person I am now.” she says. “I might not even be here.” \n\nStill, Becky says she had to do some work to find the right kinds of cannabis for her. “Not everything affects me the same way it affects everybody else,” she explains. “There are some indicas that make me really 'go go go.' There are some that caused me massive anxiety. There are some sativas that make me sleepy. I had to figure that all out.” \n\nHaving finally worked out what her best cannabis options are, Becky’s now well enough to continue her work in the hair salon. She has become a vocal advocate of cannabis, telling all of her clients about the wonders it has worked in her life. \n\n### Many Are Finding Pain Relief With Cannabis \n\nBecky and Ella aren’t the only ones using cannabis for pain. In one study, [97% of medical marijuana patients said they use the plant primarily for chronic pain](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3998228/).\n\nThe science supports these patient’s claims that cannabis is a potent painkiller. In fact, in a study by UC Berkeley and HelloMD, [81% of patients reported that cannabis alone was more effective at relieving their pain than opioids were](http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/can.2017.0012), with similar results reported for patients using non-opioid painkillers.\n\nCannabis helps treat pain by sending cannabinoids like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to stimulate the body’s endocannabinoid system. This system is the body’s natural pain reliever. When stimulated, pain relief is quick and potent, but without the numbing and desensitized feelings that can come with traditional painkillers. \n\nIf you suffer from chronic pain and think cannabis might be right for you, the best first step is to talk to a doctor. You can [consult with one of HelloMD’s knowledgeable doctors](https://www.hellomd.com/); it's easy, private and 100% online. Whether you have a medical marijuana card or live in a state where you can purchase through recreational means, you’ll want to start exploring which strains and methods of using cannabis are best for you.\n\nStay tuned for our next installment of the Cannabis for Newbies guide, where we’ll delve into how cannabis can help manage stress.\n\nPhoto credit: [Nick Karvounis](https://unsplash.com/@nickkarvounis)","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/71c57f9c49583e77de2394807485209e/14b42/799f831c02e97ecbc0aadeda07ebbd75.jpg","srcSet":"/static/71c57f9c49583e77de2394807485209e/f836f/799f831c02e97ecbc0aadeda07ebbd75.jpg 200w,\n/static/71c57f9c49583e77de2394807485209e/2244e/799f831c02e97ecbc0aadeda07ebbd75.jpg 400w,\n/static/71c57f9c49583e77de2394807485209e/14b42/799f831c02e97ecbc0aadeda07ebbd75.jpg 800w,\n/static/71c57f9c49583e77de2394807485209e/47498/799f831c02e97ecbc0aadeda07ebbd75.jpg 1200w,\n/static/71c57f9c49583e77de2394807485209e/0e329/799f831c02e97ecbc0aadeda07ebbd75.jpg 1600w,\n/static/71c57f9c49583e77de2394807485209e/bea71/799f831c02e97ecbc0aadeda07ebbd75.jpg 3641w","srcWebp":"/static/71c57f9c49583e77de2394807485209e/58556/799f831c02e97ecbc0aadeda07ebbd75.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/71c57f9c49583e77de2394807485209e/61e93/799f831c02e97ecbc0aadeda07ebbd75.webp 200w,\n/static/71c57f9c49583e77de2394807485209e/1f5c5/799f831c02e97ecbc0aadeda07ebbd75.webp 400w,\n/static/71c57f9c49583e77de2394807485209e/58556/799f831c02e97ecbc0aadeda07ebbd75.webp 800w,\n/static/71c57f9c49583e77de2394807485209e/99238/799f831c02e97ecbc0aadeda07ebbd75.webp 1200w,\n/static/71c57f9c49583e77de2394807485209e/7c22d/799f831c02e97ecbc0aadeda07ebbd75.webp 1600w,\n/static/71c57f9c49583e77de2394807485209e/79ff7/799f831c02e97ecbc0aadeda07ebbd75.webp 3641w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2494-markdown","title":"Cannabis & Migraine Pain: Grace’s Success Story","slug":"cannabis-and-migraine-pain-graces-success-story","content":"New York’s medical cannabis program currently serves nearly 35,000 registered patients, and Grace Buchanan has been a certified patient since August 2017. This is her story of how cannabis provides relief for multiple conditions, including severe chronic migraines. \n\n### Dozens of Medications, Limited Results\n\nGrace manages bipolar disorder, insomnia, asthma, excess weight loss and general anxiety disorder, but her migraines are the worst. “Migraine is my most disabling condition,” she says, explaining that the excruciating pain is just a portion of what she goes through during an attack.\n\n“It begins with a day or two of battling excess energy, irritability and anxiety while my brain becomes unable to think straight,” she continues. “Then the pain and other symptoms kick in and overwhelm me to the point where I can't even roll over in bed. Then I’m limp, depressed and exhausted as I recover for up to three days before the next attack begins.”\n\nNearly as exhaustive is the list of medications Grace has tried in the hopes of finding relief. “I tried Lamictal, Lexapro, Welbutrin, Abilify, Depakote, Lithium, Zyprexa, Tegretol, Zofran, Topamax, Symbicort, Advair, dexamethasone, Benadryl, hydromorphone, tizanidine, prednisone, ketorolac, Compro, and dihydroergotamine,” she explains. But the 58-year-old found that the side effects outweighed the benefits. “I wanted my life back,” she says.\n\n### Cannabis as a Viable Option for Pain Relief\n\nGrace and her husband started looking into alternatives. “I was searching for something that would kill the pain and knock me out until the migraine attack was over,” she says.\n\nBut medical cannabis wasn’t an option at first; she didn’t even know it was legal in New York. “I wasn’t aware of how widespread legalized marijuana had become, and how many people were in favor of legalization,” she says, adding, “I thought that cannabis was only for recreational use, and I was _not_ interested. I did not want to get high; I wanted to become more functional.”\n\nBut what they learned while researching caused her to reconsider. “I was impressed by the stories that I read on a migraine forum about the effectiveness of CBD oil,” she says.\n\nGrace and her husband found out that not only did New York have a medical cannabis program, but that she was likely a qualifying patient: “We discovered that New York regulated CBD oil and had just added chronic pain to its list of legal uses of medical marijuana. I read the law and several dispensary application forms before I became a certified and registered patient. I’m impressed by the testing that New York requires … so I gave it a try.”\n\n\nGrace visited two different registered organizations, but left empty-handed after it became clear in both instances that “the pharmacist didn't know anything about how to use cannabis for migraine.”\n\nHer visit to PharmaCannis’ Liverpool locationwould change everything. “Patient Care Representative McKenzie talks with me in a way that eases my mind about using cannabis,” Grace says. “She has also done a lot of research into my conditions and shares with me what she found, which helps me to do further research.” \n\n### Cannabis Helps Reduce Migraines & Much More\n\n![cannabis-and-migraine-pain-success-story](https://hellomd-development.s3.amazonaws.com/articles-5a182f0ceea891000897e26e-820f4a13-cd90-418d-a646-513b622ebbaa/original.png)\n\nGrace, who became a certified patient on Aug. 4, 2017, started seeing results pretty quickly. “My asthma was the first thing to respond,” she says. “I rarely struggle for breath anymore.” She soon started seeing a shift in her most debilitating condition. “My chronic migraine symptoms decreased significantly in intensity and duration,” Grace explains. “I have much less pain, nausea, vomiting, exhaustion, dizziness, vertigo and distorted perception.” \n\nGrace even noticed that the environmental factors that typically provoke a migraine attack now have a reduced effect. “I have less sensitivity to triggers such as most foods, many odors, weather changes, sunlight and other bright lights, and mild stress or excitement,” she says. “I have fewer episodes of anxiety.” She’s working on treating her insomnia with cannabis and hopes that it will also help her gain weight. \n\nGrace now only uses nerve stimulator Cefaly daily to help with migraine attacks and, to a lesser degree, four other medications if needed. These days she rarely uses Klonopin.\n \n### Using Cannabis to Suit Her Specific Needs\n\nGrace uses tinctures and vaporizers to administer the medicine using a layered approach. “Tonight I’m feeling wound up and a slight threat of a migraine, and I want help sleeping well,” she explains, “so I will use a little of the vape that calms me down and helps me get to sleep while reducing the risk of a migraine attack. I will also use my bedtime tincture to help me stay asleep and prevent a migraine attack.” \n\nThe flexible nature of the medicine allows Grace to customize use in order to target specific symptoms, taking the tincture for sleep while the vape is more likely to stop the progression of an oncoming migraine. Medical marijuana also works well in cooperation with her other prescriptions.\n\n“If I have a migraine when I wake up tomorrow,” she explains, “I will probably take a small dose of my prescription medication, add a little of my night-time tincture that reduces the symptoms, support it with my normal dose of morning tincture that helps me to wake up and accomplish things, then add a higher dose of the vape that helps stop a migraine and relieves my anxiety.” \n\n### Mind-Body Connection with Medical Marijuana \n\nGrace has come a long way from not knowing medical marijuana existed to championing it as medicine that works. “Cannabis can be used to increase functionality, not just as a ticket to la la land,” she says.\n\nBut she also wants folks to understand the many factors involved with taking medical marijuana. “Cannabis isn't easy to use: Many products are available, and each person responds differently to each product,” she says. “A person's response can vary according to different conditions such as stress, severity of illness and prior experience with marijuana.” \n\nUnderstanding that many things can impact the effect of the medicine has resulted in Grace applying a truly holistic approach to her health and well-being. “Before I take a dose, I have to tune in to how I'm feeling and what effect I want,” she says. “I think that it works so well for me because I work so hard at using it to its maximum benefit.”\n\nIf you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://hellomd.com/articles/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.  ","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABQAAAAPCAIAAABr+ngCAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAADJUlEQVQozxWQS28bVRiG54exRvwAukXqjgXdsaESiK4IoukNlapp3DYlIW1JU0LiBLtu4sSX2GN7Zjz367mfMzdPnEmaJmIBDNtP3/vqfR6pvqsf7etv6uZv28ZoYCojq3PsNvpufeC2ZG+o+A3Z3+z7I8XfHnjrHfdxy9lo272BvXdgSb2OOR7asmy3joORCjwb63qo6UAxiG5iy4RDDfQ0qOlwoIG2GtXHoax4murKI1uajB1d8ywjanfH/YPm+2bT9biqBa39Ya8/DQJuONx0+NSiukVUE6sG8m1gmaE59SRz6ns2lGX919pDeXP56y+vHRwOXU/st+VuT1E1rxo8mHiGK6qj4fLAZ5FPAgdFTiS5VgQCoijWrZs3Jy9fXPvsk7+ahxifTPXIdaBhhLIa6DYNQIZQGoKUwhhHjEGaIiSREIEAU5zWt3b21lYf/bIMcOE4sNXqHPfGh0fy7rv+WPUhTCDgYUBjHGcsnnOWICLNKIkxI4Cn4kSwPElOEckhFIbu2magTYOxVql2NcUwVENXdBoEl3lcMEYBkUrBCs5SGic0SVmaiTyNZwyL/781u8IZjC1t6hIAGUQZweccnsU8JURAJJ0KfpHyMhEzEWc8LeIsi/OYpRgyjjnBwgeiGlLOijLP/y7Sq0zMKE0wZqBiRnwe84tMnKfJPE1OkqTMMoroaDjWlKkQWZKd5mlRxPGHlF8mNCcVJq5sFSiSAKTVhFyI8yyuYC5zcZXHOUHqSJ5OFFO3LMNydJ04RuabVWBG0ByDMxSUkSNRjBjBnNJcsMuM/Vvwf3J6FSPmmci1gOeEpk6t6QUJP5CoRGEJvLPInfv2zDUl6toZgTlFlaWS4TnwPuKq1f1I4RmKTkF4weg5BiWMiqDKOKeRl7tW6tjCNKU739178/jJzspKbeHO+t3FtZ9+fLb44PY339cW7m89eri38uTo9Wrnj1fdjZr8+9PW86WdpfuHL582ni9v3l2Qvvri859vfLr74l59tdb985XX3ZHr68P6htZu9upv329tTN69HW4/aD77tvd6MThuTHbXjMZ6fen2Dzeu/wd/g+HYb+yxcgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/9401f16aa891fb1f39265da99b23c005/ee604/16585664c47d7ec7f6225f8225d32cfe.png","srcSet":"/static/9401f16aa891fb1f39265da99b23c005/69585/16585664c47d7ec7f6225f8225d32cfe.png 200w,\n/static/9401f16aa891fb1f39265da99b23c005/497c6/16585664c47d7ec7f6225f8225d32cfe.png 400w,\n/static/9401f16aa891fb1f39265da99b23c005/ee604/16585664c47d7ec7f6225f8225d32cfe.png 800w,\n/static/9401f16aa891fb1f39265da99b23c005/05d05/16585664c47d7ec7f6225f8225d32cfe.png 1080w","srcWebp":"/static/9401f16aa891fb1f39265da99b23c005/58556/16585664c47d7ec7f6225f8225d32cfe.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/9401f16aa891fb1f39265da99b23c005/61e93/16585664c47d7ec7f6225f8225d32cfe.webp 200w,\n/static/9401f16aa891fb1f39265da99b23c005/1f5c5/16585664c47d7ec7f6225f8225d32cfe.webp 400w,\n/static/9401f16aa891fb1f39265da99b23c005/58556/16585664c47d7ec7f6225f8225d32cfe.webp 800w,\n/static/9401f16aa891fb1f39265da99b23c005/54d25/16585664c47d7ec7f6225f8225d32cfe.webp 1080w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"limit":12,"skip":0,"numPages":2,"currentPage":1,"id":5793,"name":"Success Story","slug":"success-story","country":"US"}},"staticQueryHashes":["3949754563","4179947113","4202924991"]}