[littletommy]

Could Marijuana Help Treat Painkiller and Heroin Addiction? - ABC News

As most of you know, I am a medical marijuana user.

I have always said, marijuana isn't a cure all as some would want you to believe, but it sure does help a lot with many ailments.

I am 99% sure that if I had been using all the opiate pain killers and the various other dangerous prescribed drugs that I was told I would need for the rest of my life (in 1986), that I would be dead today.

Time's are a changing (finally)...more and more people are now realizing the medical benefits.

What do you think about this?

All comments are welcome.

I am especially interested in comments from folks who have used it in the way I have, in versus to prescribed medications.

Thanks

 

[phelonius]

When you are stoned you don't think about pain.

 

[Darth]

I'm with you LT.

 

[Purple]

Simple answer — No

In my experience, you have to “want” to give up something in order to do it. Substituting one thing for another ‘aint gonna work.

Coke — for six months, I could go through a gram and a half in one night, end up totally paranoid, still taking marijuana through the night (dried out my sinuses) — equal addiction to both. Except that one day I looked at myself in the mirror, and it wasn’t a pretty sight — went cold turkey on the coke there and then — never touched it since.

Marijuana in its various forms, I used for nearly 30 years — not for any medicinal effects — just to get stoned. 4 times day, regular as clockwork — what you would call a “fully functioning” addict. Stoned became my “normal”.

In the middle of all that — the doc put me on Morphine for pain relief after a lung operation — still smoking dope during that time — had to close one eye to see straight at times (wasn’t driving). After three months, I had to know if I still needed Morphine, or if I was addicted to it. Stopped — cold turkey — no after effects, the pain was (mostly) gone.

Around ten years ago, there was a “drought” of marijuana — had no choice to go cold turkey on that one too — around 5 weeks. Eventually supply was re-established, but then so was my body’s “normality” — tried to take it up again, didn’t like it — gave it up for good.

Still drinking — still smoking tobacco — but then those are the two I don’t “want” to give up.

Could smoking marijuana help me with those ? — after 30 years it hadn’t done so — didn’t help with the coke and the Morphine either. I did those two on my own, because I wanted to.

Now, all of this is very subjective to the individual — what worked for me may not be the case for others — but Heroin, Cocaine, and Morphine are all Opiates at the end of the day — but (with the exception of Heroin) these were the simplest for me to give up - simply because they were the ones I didn’t want to surrender my life to. Addiction may be a physical state, but fighting against that addiction is a mental one.

The exception here was marijuana — unlike your-self, I never had a legitimate excuse for taking it — did nothing for my pain when I was on Morphine — and all of this leads to the question …….

LT — do you actually need marijuana ? — or have you convinced yourself that you do ?

Have you ever tried giving it up for four weeks or more ?

You may be surprised at what happens.

This advice don’t forget, is coming from someone who has been there, done that, got the tee-shirt. I make no personal judgements here, as you can see by what I’ve written above — I (now) have nothing to hide.

Take your time — think about it ……… (just sayin’)

 

[jb882]

I cant speak from first hand experience since i have never been an addicted to anything, dont smoke anything legal or otherwise and barely drink( yes i'm fun at a party) but i have seen some things in my life that make me think that Medical MJ could help people in such a way. Recreation and pain are really two different things, it may not help someone who takes drugs recreationally but could help someone in chronic pain.

My uncle is a really good example. He deals with chronic back pain after having fusion surgery and at one point he was taking Vicodin like they were tic-tac's because of the constant pain he has been in for over a decade. My uncle is a lot like me where he has never been a user or much of a drinker and never like taking medicine of any kind but unfortunately like me he got the family back and has had a lot of pain issues that have resulted. After years of it he got fed up with the Vicodin, constantly feeling like crap, constantly being constipated etc and stopped taking them in favor of MJ and it has absolutely changed his life. He gets the relief he needs from the pain and with a lot less side effects. Where he lives does not have a medical MJ law yet but its in the works and once it passes he plans to switch to the pill form.

 

[Darth]

jb882 -
Why make him wait for his relief? It could be a long time.
Google: mail order marijuana
Tommy, where do you get yours?

 

[jb882]

jb882 -
Why make him wait for his relief? It could be a long time.
Google: mail order marijuana
Tommy, where do you get yours?

He's not waiting, it's just not legal

 

[Darth]

jb882 -
That's good!
I was afraid he was waiting on legal pills.
If someone is suffering and pot helps...who cares if it's legal?

 

[littletommy]

Simple answer — No

In my experience, you have to “want” to give up something in order to do it. Substituting one thing for another ‘aint gonna work.

Coke — for six months, I could go through a gram and a half in one night, end up totally paranoid, still taking marijuana through the night (dried out my sinuses) — equal addiction to both. Except that one day I looked at myself in the mirror, and it wasn’t a pretty sight — went cold turkey on the coke there and then — never touched it since.

Marijuana in its various forms, I used for nearly 30 years — not for any medicinal effects — just to get stoned. 4 times day, regular as clockwork — what you would call a “fully functioning” addict. Stoned became my “normal”.

In the middle of all that — the doc put me on Morphine for pain relief after a lung operation — still smoking dope during that time — had to close one eye to see straight at times (wasn’t driving). After three months, I had to know if I still needed Morphine, or if I was addicted to it. Stopped — cold turkey — no after effects, the pain was (mostly) gone.

Around ten years ago, there was a “drought” of marijuana — had no choice to go cold turkey on that one too — around 5 weeks. Eventually supply was re-established, but then so was my body’s “normality” — tried to take it up again, didn’t like it — gave it up for good.

Still drinking — still smoking tobacco — but then those are the two I don’t “want” to give up.

Could smoking marijuana help me with those ? — after 30 years it hadn’t done so — didn’t help with the coke and the Morphine either. I did those two on my own, because I wanted to.

Now, all of this is very subjective to the individual — what worked for me may not be the case for others — but Heroin, Cocaine, and Morphine are all Opiates at the end of the day — but (with the exception of Heroin) these were the simplest for me to give up - simply because they were the ones I didn’t want to surrender my life to. Addiction may be a physical state, but fighting against that addiction is a mental one.

The exception here was marijuana — unlike your-self, I never had a legitimate excuse for taking it — did nothing for my pain when I was on Morphine — and all of this leads to the question …….

LT — do you actually need marijuana ? — or have you convinced yourself that you do ?

Have you ever tried giving it up for four weeks or more ?

You may be surprised at what happens.

This advice don’t forget, is coming from someone who has been there, done that, got the tee-shirt. I make no personal judgements here, as you can see by what I’ve written above — I (now) have nothing to hide.

Take your time — think about it ……… (just sayin’)

I've been on both sides of the fence. I've been on the painkillers, etc and I've stopped being on the painkillers, etc. I've used the weed and not used the weed.

My personal experience is not like the case in question that I posted though. I'm not trying to use weed to fight an opiate or heroin addiction, I'm trying to avoid it. In my past life before Christ touched me, you'd be surprised at how much and how many things I've done and overdone..ha ha I was a total addict. You name it, I've done it and a lot of it, with the exception of some of the designer drugs that came along later and crack. But everything else, you bet I did.

I do at this time have to use opiate painkillers sometimes, but by choice usually only at night while trying to sleep, almost never during the day, and almost never two days in a row. I'm old and I'm broken down pretty bad over the years. I'm having to use a walker the last few days, because its just one thing after the other the last few years, but I AM working on my health again and doing fairly well. I still live in a pretty good amount of pain no matter what I use anyway.

Where I see the value in marijuana, is using it instead of dangerous opiates and prescription drugs for as long as you can before you HAVE to take the heavier prescription drugs. I am sure this has saved my life.

I also don't approach drugs or weed in the same way as I did recreationally. I use just enough to take the edge off and that's it. I like to be in my right frame of mind, period. So, less is better. That is a rule I have followed for many years and it has served me well. I still have at least 1/2 of a brain cell left. I go as long in a day as I can without, only using a little, when needed, at a time.

Purple, I've tried both ways, extensively and yes, marijuana helps, more than I thought it ever would. I owe my life to this weed.

But my time is coming all too soon and when it is here for me, load me up, I won't care, I've lived in enough pain. But until then, I'm staying as far away from prescription drugs as possible or at least now, using them only when absolutely necessary. Hope that explains where I'm coming from...

 

[littletommy]

I cant speak from first hand experience since i have never been an addicted to anything, dont smoke anything legal or otherwise and barely drink( yes i'm fun at a party) but i have seen some things in my life that make me think that Medical MJ could help people in such a way. Recreation and pain are really two different things, it may not help someone who takes drugs recreationally but could help someone in chronic pain.

My uncle is a really good example. He deals with chronic back pain after having fusion surgery and at one point he was taking Vicodin like they were tic-tac's because of the constant pain he has been in for over a decade. My uncle is a lot like me where he has never been a user or much of a drinker and never like taking medicine of any kind but unfortunately like me he got the family back and has had a lot of pain issues that have resulted. After years of it he got fed up with the Vicodin, constantly feeling like crap, constantly being constipated etc and stopped taking them in favor of MJ and it has absolutely changed his life. He gets the relief he needs from the pain and with a lot less side effects. Where he lives does not have a medical MJ law yet but its in the works and once it passes he plans to switch to the pill form.

I have never tried the pill form, but have heard it won't work for a lot of things I have wrong and when it does work, for things like cancer or aids, you may get really stoned and be hungry, so it's great for that. For me, that's not what its about. I want to live life with dignity and quality rather than suffer all the time and do nothing. I am so glad your uncle has found this to help. I am sure it will add years to his life JB, just ask him, he already knows!! Thanks for sharing this brother JB, these are the things people need to hear about marijuana.

 

[littletommy]

jb882 -
Why make him wait for his relief? It could be a long time.
Google: mail order marijuana
Tommy, where do you get yours?

I grow my own, some of the best in the world or lately, I've stopped growing the last several months and buying it, since the quality is there now that I personally need and the cost has dropped a lot here in Washington State. I only use around an ounce a month, and I save enough not growing it right now and am actually saving money doing so. The cost of seeds, clones, mediums to grow in, fertilizer, supplements and time and effort isn't worth it to me right now. Plus, look at the time I now have to live life and not have to be here everyday to plant, care, feed and mess with it. The electric alone I save with the lighting and heating and cooling gets very expensive and easily pays for the MJ I need monthly. All I have to do is place a call and it is delivered to me right here at the house. Darn cheap too, considering what most folks pay for an ounce. How's a buck and a quarter sound (125) for some of the best weed in the world to you?? I never thought in my lifetime I would see that!!!

 

[phelonius]

Sobriety is just a crutch for those who can't handle drugs.

 

[Darth]

I'm glad it's working for you Tommy.
The "Herb Superb"!

 

[littletommy]

Sobriety is just a crutch for those who can't handle drugs.

Phelonius, what are we going to do with you!!! You are a real crack up sometimes...

We're having Hawaiian Punch or Kona Sunset later tonight... Does that ring a bell?

 

[littletommy]

My sister Sue who moved here around Thanksgiving time has also tried medical marijuana recently. She has only been trying it in the last month or so and felt wonderful relief from her pain the first time she tried it. She has cut in half at least or more, her opiate painkillers and other prescriptions she has been using for years. She is sleeping much better, not walking around like a zombie and says she feels better than she has in a couple decades. I supervised her taking her first little bit and I could see the pain melt away from her face and her tension leave. It's a wonder drug to her right now. I've shared with her "my less is better" method and it just takes a tiny bit for her to feel relief. It's not about getting high at all, it's about living healthier, possibly even living longer and having a better quality of life.

 

[ScooterAddict]

When I saw this post I knew everyone was tryin' to draw me outta the woods to give my Expert Opinion on the subject of Cannabis. Having lived in the Bay Area in the 70's I think I am qualified. During my long experience (almost 20yrs) til the "piss test" was more frequent in my profession, I had to give it up. Seems like after I quit I was stressed out a lot more. I gave up cigarettes in 1979 and quit drinking about the same time. Cannabis is almost instant gratification. With alcohol, you drink til you get a good buzz, but the alcohol you just finished, takes awhile to hit you. Now you know you are feeling good. But to the non-drinkers you are sometimes belligerent, think you drive good, get in people's faces when you talk and think you are a sex symbol to women. I feel a lot better having a stoned driver on the road than a drunk. The drunk is all over the road going to fast and running things over and scraping the side of their car.
As far as medicinal purposes, I think it should be legal medicinally. Legal though, should not be going to a pot friendly Doctor that's never seen you. If you have a true history of chronic pain, chemotherapy, sinusitis, arthritis or other diseases or conditions you should be eligible. It's sad to know that alcohol related deaths are at the top of the list as far as killers. Why does the US Gov't let it continue? It's about taxation. Nobody taxes homemade beer or wine makers? Why should you not be able to grow your own pot? As soon as they invent an instant meter that could tell police what your THC content is, I think then they will establish a threshold and then lean to legalize it.

Oh, wait a minute, where was I? Oh yeah, before I was alerted on this post I was going inside QT to get a bag of M&M's!!

 

[littletommy]

Marijuana helping older Americans find pain relief - Videos - CBS News

 

[LittleTen]

It is becoming known about the Hemp family having certain anti cancer properties. This does not fit into the big-pharma agenda, therefore it must be suppressed, comrade.

 

[LittleTen]

Sobriety is just a crutch for those who can't handle drugs.

.....or strong liquor.
As such, I'll drink to that!

 

[saabbug]

Man this thread has really got me joansin........ I think I spelled that right. Oh well off to find a bag of dorritos.