The goat and the gun

Trying a couple new strains these days: Golden Goat and AK-47. Just medicated with AK-47 for sleep.

Golden Goat doesn't make me sleepy right away. In fact, it's a great evening med. It mellows me out, but not to the point of being stupid. I can still think, converse, do things, make sense of my environment. I'm just more relaxed. But about two hours later it hits me... bam! I'm sleepy and ready to head to bed. If I time it right, I won't spend much time lying awake.

AK-47 is supposed to be for sleep, but not to just wipe you out. Tonight is the first time I've tried it, so I don't have any experience with it yet. I'll let you, my loyal readers, know what happens.

So far I've tried:

• Great White Shark - for sleep. Made my heart race and pound. Didn't much like it.
• Honeydew - for daytime. It's okay. Not fab, but it works. Nothing extra.
• Northern Lights IV - for daytime. Dampens the pain without turning my brain to mush.
• Purple Snow - for sleep. Agrees with me much better than GWS. Nice relaxed sleep without a drug hangover like with sleeping pills (especially Ambien for me).
• Golden Goat - nice delayed sleepiness.
  
• AK-47 - ??? (I don't like the name, by the way.)
  

I have a couple other strains on hand to try. A new friend may be bringing me a clone of Northern Lights so I can grow it myself. It's pretty popular, especially with women. And I've been told that Kali Mist is good for women too, so he may bring me a clone of that too. As a medical user, it's tough when you find a strain that really works for you but you can't always find it. Best just to start growing it yourself or find a grower to do it for you.

I'm getting sleepy, but not overwhelmed. Time to put me and my AK47 to bed.

I am a child of the 70s

That sounds like an introduction at a 12-step program: "I'm Mary Jane and I am a child of the 70s." Waiting to hear the drone of "Hi Mary Jane."

Back to my story...

Yes, I am a child of the 70s. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm 50 years old. I grew up in the 70s. Pot was widely available. I smoked a little in high school, but not that much. I was offered plenty; after all, I am a girl. Most guys I knew had access to pot and were more than willing to share it with me (and anyone else with breasts, I'm sure). I didn't much like pot back then. I'm too much of a dominating control freak, I suppose. I was more into white crosses.


Throughout my life I've had opportunities to enter the world of cannabis. I've have several guys who were tokers. My ex-husband indulged quite heavily when we lived in Arizona. Musicians are always good for a stash, and my drummer boyfriend was no exception. Another old boyfriend used to keep 3 types in his freezer: a creative strain, a happy strain, and a sleepy strain. I have no idea what strains those actually were, but they were fun. I remember recounting the details of the "Paul is Dead" Beatles conspiracy theory while under the influence.

Now, I feel like a total novice when it comes to marijuana. I've always been an advocate of legalization, but was never that into it personally. I think the last 1/4 ounce my husband bought has lasted us months. We have no idea what kind it is. I do know it's a lot stronger than what I remember from my youth.

So here I am... 50 years old and buying pot for the first time! I'm getting a crash course into the world of marijuana from some excellent teachers. I feel like a sponge, absorbing as much information as I can get. I had no idea there were so many different strains! I was amazed to discover there were 8 different cannabinoids in addition to THC. Last night I saw a high tech cloning machine.

Now I'm cautiously experimenting and documenting how various strains affect me. There have been some surprises... like my hot flashes and night sweats have subsided. My husband can actually snuggle with me in bed at night! There will likely be some duds... like the first strain I tried for relaxation and sleep made my heart pound. It's sort of exciting to think that maybe, in my own small way, by sharing my experiences I might contribute to the legalization effort.

I'll be letting you know how it goes!

My first post

Tada! Here is my first post on my new blog about my experiences with medical marijuana.

I'm 50 years old. I've had fibromyalgia for over 20 years, before most doctors even considered it a "real" diagnosis. I was officially diagnosed by a rheumatologist about 15 years ago. Overall, I'm pretty functional, but do have chronic pain and fatigue.

I'm also the primary caregiver for my elderly mother. The additional stress takes its toll on my body and emotions. I recently doubled the dose of my antidepressant (NSRI).

I also have hypertension with readings of around 140/92. I've been on medication for several years: a diuretic and an ACE-inhibitor.

I recently quit smoking. Today marks 92 days without a cigarette.

Being middle-age I'm also dealing with typical aging issues like menopause and weight gain.

I'm tired of taking traditional drugs for all these issues. I worry about the longterm effects of NSAIDs which don't help much anyway. I don't like the side-effects of opiates like vicodin. I also have muscle relaxers and anti-anxiety meds. The antidepressant doesn't work as well after awhile, so you have to keep increasing the dose. I'd rather be decreasing it. One of the side-effects of BP meds and antidepressants is reduced libido, which I hate and my husband hates even more! Need to get that corrected if I want a happy and fulfilling marriage.

Medical marijuana has been legalized in Colorado where I live. And I've recently met the owner of a legal distribution center. So about 10 days ago I met with a doctor who authorized my use of medical marijuana for chronic pain, depression, hypertension, PTSD, and caregiver fatigue. I've started trying various strains to see how I feel with interesting and sometimes surprising results.

So that's my background info. Thought it might be useful.